Late July Bird Report

Rainy-day Hummers...okay, not a Monet!

I’m happy to report; I have identified one of the birds I hear in my yard and perhaps another. I spent a good portion of my day outside watching birds in my yard while puttering in my garden. At one point, I heard a familiar call, got out that ‘Bird Songs 250 North American Birds in Song’…and played recordings of birds I thought might be the two or more I heard calling across my yard. I can say, without much hesitation, it was a Say’s Phoebe. I’d play the call and hear a nearly exact replica…which sounds a little different than the Cornell version here. I’m learning (thanks Bill), that birds, like people, have ‘dialects’ relevant to where they live. Compare with this version…similar, but neither quite like the version in my book; go figure. Anyway, I’m convinced I have the Phoebes here. Perhaps the bad photo here is actually the Phoebe; the USGS reports the Say's Phoebe is "The Say's Phoebe is somewhat similar to pewees but is darker, wags its tail and lacks wing bars (adults)." Criminy though...that Olive-sided Flycatcher sounds quite similar. If I ever get more recordings of bird-sounds...I'm never going to complain if there are several different calls from the same bird. They gots repertoire, I tell ya!

PLUS… My yard has exploded with Grosbeaks; of both Evening and Black-headed variety. Both have young, but it is the Evening Grosbeaks who have most recently returned with youngsters I regularly witness begging for food. I think that is the ‘pleading’ call I’ve been hearing. I heard it all day and while I never actually saw a bird make the sound, every time I heard it…there were the Grosbeaks. These ‘youngsters’ are good sized, of course, and hardly bother to even flutter their wings all that much, but I’m thinking it is these begging-babies that I’ve been hearing. I looked up once and saw 16-18 Evening Grosbeaks flying high across my yard…and heard that peeping call they make. Other times I see six or eight Black-headed Grosbeaks around the sunflower-seed feeders or thick in the huge chokeberry bushes (now that the cherry trees have been stripped!).

The three male hummers above, are all Rufus Hummingbirds, looking quite different depending on the light. Just above is a Rufus male flashing his golden gorget behind a displaying female Rufus.

Male Downy Woodpecker: notice small bill
and small size compared to feeder.

Male Hairy Woodpecker:
Notice longer bill (same length as his head)
and larger size compared to feeder.

I also still have young Bullock’s Oriole families here…but they mostly give a scolding chatter when they show up. The young woodpeckers come, both Downys and Hairys, but just peep a time or two as they try to figure out how to maneuver the suet feeders. Today, a male red-shafted Northern Flicker brought a fledgling to the drier parts of my lawn. I see 5-6 American and 2-3 Lesser Goldfinch every day, too; like little dandylions.

Finally, a good shot of the Black-chinned Hummingbird's beautiful purple/blue throat; hard to see unless the light is right. Easier field-mark is the constant tail-pumping they exhibit.

That's a male Calliope on the left...could the scarce-colored gorget of the bird on the right be a young male...or a female? I've read some females get a few irridecent throat-feathers, sometimes.

Lots of Hummers…I got a few better pictures, I think. These are several females and perhaps young males...

Some folks have asked if the females also display...and the answer is yes, they do. Here are a couple females doing just that, though keep in mind, I am still trying to discern females from young males, however.

About the black netting against the big window: it has proved invaluable protection against bird strikes. Before I hung this netting, I kept finding dead birds below the new window; birds see and try to fly into reflections. The netting is not tight, might move a bit, and the birds see it when heading to the window. I've not found a single little body since hanging the netting. It's the same stuff one covers fruit trees & bushes...and I hardly see it when looking out the window.