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.

Labor Day Breakfast

Oct 17 Wed 2012
Orioles are long gone, plenty of Hummingbirds and Lesser Finches. Bees are still a problem. Temperatures are up and down a lot - 70s last week with a bit of rain, upper 90s to 101 last couple days but maybe 70s by the weekend. Once the night temps drop another 10 or more degrees, the bees should be less of a problem.
We had a new visitor to the backyard today. I missed it, but my better half got a photo -

Hope it did not catch any of the several lizards we have running around back there!


Sept 15 Saturday 2012

I just looked back to last year September to check when the Orioles left. In deed, it was mid September, BUT last year Labor Day we were having cool drizzly weather. A far cry from the extended heat wave we are having now. This afternoon while filling hummingbird feeders and a couple of the oriole feeders that the hummers use, I heard the unmistakeable oriole chatter from the back corner of the backyard where the oriole favorite feeders are. So there is at least one, and I think maybe a couple, orioles left since they generally chatter when there is a group.



Sept 12 Wednesday 2012

It has been a day since I have seen any hooded orioles, last sightings were a couple females near the plum tree. Vary consistent, mid September was the last of the orioles last year. Lesser Finches seem to be taking up the slack. Time to take down the oriole feeders and concentrate on hummingbird feeders that bees can not get to.

Sept 3 Labor Day -

A week into the 2 day heat wave, a few more days to go..

Labor Day breakfast for the birds is attracting at least one hooded oriole, too many hummers to count, and 15 or so lesser finches. Here is an encounter I call Beak to Beak!

Update Sept 2 Sunday

September is the end of Oriole season here, I've only seen one adult male and one female today.
I rotated but did not crop the out of kilter photos.  

Update August 20th - Here is a link to a video from a friend taken in his backyard of a 'birdie in the birdbath' http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=ULsT6t58XCPp0&feature=player_detailpage&v=sT6t58XCPp0 . The birdbath video is short, then a short night video of 'Kitty' plays in rotation.


 It's the middle of August and it's been above normal hot for almost two weeks. A lot of the hooded orioles that visit for the summer have left. There are a few left, have seen males and females.

 This morning saw lots of action at the fountain. Usually I see lesser finches splashing or drinking, this morning it was hummers and a oriole.

 

 The finches kick it up pretty good!

 Rub a dub dub, three hummers in a tub..

Sad to see that the orioles are heading back to Arizona and Mexico, over the winter will be a renewed effort at bee resistant oriole feeders..

Early Afternoon

Feb 19 - a little more like winter, cloudy cool - 60s for today. We took a 4 day get away last weekend. The most active feeders ran dry after a couple days and quite a few hummers left for sweeter pastures. A week later, half or so have returned, over all activity is still down. but rising. It is harder than I imagined to have someone take over filling feeders, especially when you have a variety of types.

Another beautiful day in January, the hummers are out in force.

 A bit crowded, no collisions!

 Monkey Flowers (mimulus), hummers are often seen checking out the blooms.

 Where are the girls? Some male Anna's filling up and showing a bit of color.

Zoom Zoom!

We have a bit of inclement weather coming in for a day, then back to sunny weather for the birds.

I have about 15 one gallon jugs loaded with sugar ready and waiting. If the feeding pace keeps up, should last about a week. I keep meaning to move the time lapse camera closer to the feeders to see how that views. Next week, maybe.

Evening Hummers

Beginning of sugar log - Jan  27 50 lbs

I got a few better photos from the next day.

Just waiting their turn!

Bad luck to say the bees were gone, lots today..  ggrrrrr

Summer in January

It may be the weather - or just a few weeks later. The local population of hummers in the backyard has gone up lately. As of a month or so ago, feeder volume was around a gallon a day spread among the dozen or so feeders. That has gone up to 2-3 gallons per day now with very active dinner crowds around 5 PM. I was surprised yesterday and did not prepare soon enough for the photo op. Today I will expect a crowd and try to get better photos. Here are a couple -

Hoovering room only!

This is the favorite feeder tree.

Last dinner bell!

There are a couple locations around the yard with feeders that have been taken over by very territorial Anna's again. These smaller feeders will last for several days while the larger ones shown (obviously being shared!) will last a day or less.
I need to find a way to convey the sound in this corner of the yard when it is dinner time - a surprisingly loud low droning hum (imagine that, described as a hum!) fills the air.

At least for a while - the honey bees have moved on, the little bit of rain and cooler weather (until the last couple days and next few) may be keeping them closer to the hive and farther from the feeders.
OK, that was bad luck to say because today there are lots of bees back - I did say the weather has been super nice and warm though.