A good time to post an update - Spring birds are here!

 This Pandemic has made for an odd 13 months. Fortunately there are birds to keep us company! Here are a few of the birds showing up in our yard over the last month, some for the first time since last summer.

It is mid April, Spring is in full swing and the birds are coming to visit!

The blog title is Hummingbirds and Orioles - but I get a little off topic depending on who shows up ;-)

We'll start with a male Allen's hummingbird - he is looking very sharp in his fine brown, red, and green. Allen's and Anna's hummingbirds are here year round - much to our pleasure!

A viewing hint for those who might not know - click on an image to see a large view!

The Hooded orioles have just recently arrived from their winter hangout in Mexico. They are so entertaining once several show up and get playful! First is a young male - noted by his dark gray but not quite black bib and his pale yellow and light gray coloring.

Next - an adult male Hoodie in full color (bright yellow/orange with black and white). He seems to be deciding whether to go for the grape jelly - spoiler - he did!

Another favorite backyard bird is the California Scrub jay. Very vocal, friendly, and has a big taste for mealworms!

Back at the jelly feeder, a Northern mockingbird has become very fond of the grape jelly as well! It seems to be singing its praise in this photo :-)

Also just showing up - this male Black-headed grosbeak. I think this is quite an over the shoulder 'come hither' look! Probably using it on a nearby female grosbeak ;-)

Still another bird just arriving from a winter home in western Mexico - a Lazuli bunting. I call him Mr Lazuli and I have been waiting since the end of last summer for his return.

Still with wings - but a little off topic (I warned about that!), the first pale swallowtail butterfly this season! We will also get Western Tiger swallowtails. Hint: it pays to plant a nice butterfly/pollinator garden ;-) We also have a year round population of Monarch butterflies that visit. The Spring/Summer numbers are bigger than over the winter. 

Back to the feathered friends - this is a juvenile Cooper's hawk, could be a juvenile Sharp-shinned hawk, I'm not positive. The young ones are harder to ID, so sometimes I just say a Shooper (combination of Sharp-shinned and Cooper's)  ;-) We have a few of both species that will stop by the yard in hopes of a quick meal. Fortunately, for the smaller birds, the hawks miss most of the time. 

Thanks to all that stop by and peek 👀 at the various visitors we get!

A long step away from the blog

Has it really been 3 years?? Life happens - and for the last 6 months, Covid happens! Fortunately it has stayed away from our household, I hope all of you have been safe. The normal routine is not so normal anymore. Fortunately, many of the regular birds have been very regular. A welcomed constant to the changing world.

This has been an Oriole and Hummingbird blog from the start and they have been constant companions in our backyard - well, the hummingbirds are constant. The Hooded orioles, of course, are migratory but have been returning every year in pretty good numbers. This year we have around ten orioles - between the adults and juveniles. And as playful as ever.

Here are a couple photos of the Hooded orioles over the last couple months. They are such a pleasure to see as they arrive in March and stay through August - oh my, just realizing this is now August and I only have a few more weeks of their company 😞 

The adult males are so striking in their bright yellow with the dark black bib!

Here are a couple hummingbirds snacking. These are both Anna's hummingbirds, and both adult males with their dark gorgets (special throat feathers) that reflect brilliant colors when the light angle is right.

Some of the other yard birds that have been stopping by - male Black-headed grosbeak, a Dark-eyed junco who is fond of mealworms. Juncos usually are just here over winter, but a couple resisted the urge to fly north for the summer. Mr lazuli, as we call him - a Lazuli bunting. A favorite visitor over the summer. what great colors! the second photo is most recent and he is in the middle of a molt so he looks a little scruffy - still adorable though! And a Nuttal's woodpecker! A fairly rare visitor to the yard, but can be heard pecking on the nearby avocado trees, especially in the morning.

I'll finish off with a couple larger birds seen from the yard. First is a Sharp-shinned hawk! The smaller birds do not appreciate when Sharpie or Cooper (Cooper's hawk) drop by looking for a quick snack. next is a Red-shouldered hawk. This was just after a rain and it was enjoying the sun to dry out its feathers, putting on quite a display. And largest of the birds that land in the yard - a Red-tailed hawk. There are a couple that make our neighborhood home, quite impressive. The smaller birds don't pay them much mind as birds are not really on their diet.

Here is a short video of a Black phoebe who has been a regular for a week.

Thanks to those stopping by to see a little of the birdlife that we enjoy in Southern California.

September Draws Near

It's almost the end of oriole season for San Diego county. The hooded orioles that have been chirping, beeping, chattering over the summer will not be here much longer. Soon they will have all left for parts south and east - Arizona and Mexico mostly. But there are still a few showing up!
The first sighting this year was mid March, now 5 months later it's about time to go - new families in tow. 

Here is a capture off the 'hummer cam' in the backyard. Adult male (bright yellow with black and white wings and tail) and female (more subdued color).

 

Between the hummingbirds, orioles, and bees - the sugar load has stayed around 25 pounds a week for the last month. I expect that will drop a bit as the orioles leave and the weather cools leading to less bees. We should start to see a few more returning hummers from parts north as the migration south begins.

Here is an occasional visitor too the backyard - geococcyx califorianus - greater roadrunner, or speedipus rex meep meep, as the kids might know him as.

Although usually know for eating lizards, snakes, scorpions - but they are 'opportunistic foragers' and will go after small birds at feeders and nest boxes. This guy was setting up below a feeder.

He's not resting in the shade, but ready to spring up at an unsuspecting snack. I watched as he tried once, but the feeders are too high and the hummers get plenty of warning.

Hummingbird Madness

It's the middle of July and the hummingbird population is close to maximum. Feeder mix is going at 2 1/2 to 3 gallons per day, phew! Several male Allen's hummers are spotted so probably as many females. They are a bit small than Anna's and the males have a lot of brown, especially on the tail feathers as well as breast area. They really stand out when sighted in the right sun direction.

Several families of Hooded orioles still visiting the backyard. Seems fewer than last month but not sure, they may be getting annoyed with the bees.

A nice group of Lesser finches are regularly visiting the 2 socks and making good use of the fountain for drinks and baths.

The web cam views have been down for a while but are up again. Not sure what the issue was, maybe the indoor network switch which is outside with the indoor cams locked up.

I have a big gap in the sugar log, will fill that in as I can from receipts.

Update July 26 - a snapshot from one of the yardcams. A couple adult male hooded orioles snacking.