Must bee Summer Cuz lots of Bees!

June is wrapping up and although I have not gone back through the blog to see what time of year the honey bees show up and commit suicide in the oriole feeders, it is probably about the same time as years before. I dread having to bee-proof the oriole feeders because most of them become oriole unfriendly. I will try, again this year,to find a way to exclude bees while feeding orioles.

A couple of photos to illustrate the problem..

Death by sugar water!

 

Goin' in. I had tried drilling out the openings to convert feeder to oriole friendly - too big!

Bee guards partially working, bees are not inside feeder - but bees are keeping away birds. 

On a more pleasant note, oriole population seems as high as last year. This includes what are likely several batches of youngsters, fledgling male for sure - so most likely females as well.

Also, continuing to see at least one pair of Allen's hummingbirds. Have not id'd a Rufus male yet. Of course, lots of Anna's, and a good quantity of Blackchinned and Costa's.

June Already!

It's June already, the birds all seem to be enjoying the cooler than typical weather this year. Have seen several juvenile male Hooded Orioles lately, so I imagine there are about as many young females. The adults must be doing a good job on the nest! Sad day a couple weeks ago - one of the very colorful adult males succumbed to something, seemingly not cat related. May have been a high speed crash, they often chase each other around the backyard at high speed just to land and begin chattering like crazy.

Just a week ago while filling the many feeders, I spotted a female hummer with lots of brown plumage. Since it was a female, I am not sure if it was a Rufus or Allens. I have not made a sighting of a male of either type yet. I don't usually expect to see either near the middle of the season since they are migratory and we somewhat in the middle of the route. I hope to see some this fall, did not see any this spring.

Other birds of note: LBB (wren from last year) is trying to lure a female back to the birdhouse but I don't think he has had much luck yet. He pops in and out of the house tidying up but no family yet.

This year, for some reason, the house finches are taking to the oriole feeders, but at least not in an overbearing fashion.

1st Offspring of the Season

Sunday was a good day for watching the backyard birds. Oriole activity is way up (easy if it goes from none to 5 or 6). I am a bit shocked to see the 1st juvenile of the season since I just saw the 1st female a couple weeks ago. But those birds may have been hanging out somewhere else and stopped by here only now. The lower shoot shows the males bib a little more clearly. The youngsters are much more skiddish than the adults, hard to get good photos yet. Reminder - click on images for larger view!

Here is a photo of Mr. and Mrs. based on a short observation. They are definitely adult female and male, at any rate. There are a couple of on lookers as well.

This shows the coloration difference between male and female a little better.

A couple of adult males playing in the 'jungle gym' or briar patch depending on your age maybe.

2 males, one at feeder - the other in plum tree, another favorite hangout - especially when the plums ripen, oh well.

Lots of activity during the day and odds of catching orioles on the 'live' cam are getting better.

Here is a photo of a couple orioles perched - with a bonus 3 hummers caught in flight. They are a bit hard to see (click to get the larger view). The webcam can just be seen on the right side of the photo.

Bonus, if off topic, photo from front porch of tent that we stayed in overnight at San Diego Zoo's Safari Park during Roar and Snore event. Excellent time was had by all. A couple clicks to enlarge reveals rhinos resting across the way and giraffes strolling.

First Female Oriole This Spring

It's a gray start to the first Sunday of April and the first sighting of a female Hooded Oriole has  been made - no photo yet. Yesterday I saw 4 males for the first time, slowly, the birds are returning. I suppose 'returning' is the proper term, could be first timers - I wouldn't know. Most are returning, I would guess.
A couple photos of males playing/hanging out in the dead ceanothus.

Zoomed out a bit for this one, the guy on the left is hanging down.

May be seeing the first batch of youngsters in a month or so.

Orioles Are Beginning to Show Up

Quick note - The 'time lapse' is new and though it goes fast, you can see the orioles at the feeders. You can also signup for email notice when an update is added to the blog.

Today is the first day I have seen more than one hooded oriole at the same time, so I know there is more than one and not just seeing the same one repeatedly. The best non-visual clue is the chatter they make when more than one are in close proximity. There are at least 3 males in the area now, should soon be seeing the females. The first photo shows the 3rd male, the next photo is two in the dead 'hummingbird bush'.

It is a bit hard to see the second one, he is left and down a bit from the easy one to see. Below is an (and maybe the) old guy guarding his feeder (just below him out of the photo).

Still have not identified any other hummers besides Anna's yet - soon, I suspect.

I will get better photos of orioles later, had to zoom in a lot and camera shake is blurring the shots a bit.

The First Orioles of Spring

A couple new gadgets added to blog, time lapse of the last 24 hours is most significant.

Spring must be here! Its been 365 days since the first sighting last year, it was Saturday 13th of March 2010. That is pretty good timing! No photo yet, when there is only one - opportunities are fewer. No new sighting of hummer as they pass through yet. Judging by the amount of sugar usage, the population is pretty stable right now.

Update 3/21 - Okay, first photo of Hooded oriole this year, a capture off of webcam - poor quality, but there he is.

Some other signs of spring -

Blue Eyed Grass beginning to bloom

A couple of male Anna's sharing some lunch.

Spring is on the Way

February went out with a blast of cold and rain. Seems to have left the Hummers with a big appetite. I came home to a backyard of hungry and maybe annoyed birds, all of there feeders were empty. By the time I mixed up 3 gallons of fresh drink (required to refill all the feeders), it was dark and the birds were gone. At least this morning breakfast was ready to go!

We should just be a week or two away from the first Hooded Orioles showing up, unless the unusually cold and rainy weather affects their timing. They are a sure sign of spring here. Have not seen any migrating hummers either, yet.