Summer Backyard Birdwatching Begins

Tree Sparrow and House Finch snacking on seed. (5/24/15)

These pictures were taken during the waning days of May and early June, so while colorful and varied, I am hopeful of even a wider array of visitors as we officially move into summer. Between the birds and the bunnies which have frequented the feeder and garden I am please to share that things are looking up. If and when the painters who have been working on our home for two weeks (it's a long story) ever get around to finishing, and the human activity once again minimizes, the yard will be even more welcoming. With our recently built (or re-built as it returns the exterior of the house to a more historically accurate structuring) open back porch, there is now a pleasant locale from which to observe.

Male Northern Cardinal. (6/8/15)

Yes, they are very common in most yards, but I do enjoy the bright colors and sharp coloring of the male and female Northern Cardinal. The two captured in the images above and below came over our next door neighbors fence together and spent a short time surveying the immediate area. It is fortunate that their coloring make them easy to pick out among evergreens and leaves, though I wish I had better luck snapping pictures of them in motion. Who knows, maybe this is the summer I get it right!

Female Northern Cardinal. (6/8/15)

House Finch. (6/3/15)

Despite my wife's occasional (okay, frequent) gentle ribbing about my taking time to photograph the incredibly common American Robin, I do so enjoy watching them. While the pic below is not terribly dynamic they are sharp dressed little birds.

The ubiquitous American Robin. (6/3/15)

The little Mourning Dove below hopped around in the hardened mulch beneath the feeder for nearly thirty minutes before flitting over the fence into the neighbors yard. As I watched him (her?) interact with the yard, he was clearly favoring his left wing. Obviously injured, though I am unsure how badly he was hurt after pecking away at the dropped seeds and discarded shells fallen from the feeder above, he (presumably) hopped or flew into a neighboring yard. A short time later I went out to the yard to see if he was trapped back there but he had gone.

Injured Mourning Dove scrounges for vittles. (6/3/15)

Sparrows. (6/1/15)

Sparrows. (6/1/15)

Like most urban settings, squirrels are constant visitors to most backyard bird feeders, and our's is no different. While I recognize the inconsistent thinking involved, as much as I adore the bunnies that have suddenly become so plentiful in our neighborhood, I would be completely okay with fewer tree rats squirrels stopping by. On the plus side, occasionally you catch them in precarious situation (see below) at which points they do provide a chuckle or two.

The Evil Empire of the Squirrels makes an appearance at the feeder. (5/31/15)

Sparrows. (5/31/15)