[Birdtalk] Yard Birds

[Brenda Kidman]

Hi Guys,

Well, it has been quite the unusual year for us in South Weber as well.

We have at least NINE breeding male BULLOCK'S ORIOLES and two females!  We
never have this many this early.  We were sitting out Friday when we made
visual confirmation.  They did not want to come to the feeders since we were
on the deck but as soon as one became brave there was a race for the feeders
and the fight was on!  So cute.

We got a new male CALLIOPE yesterday.  He has different neck feathers than
the others that have been hanging around for a while do.  They are more the
spiky look.

Friday we had a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, which is a first for our yard.  We had
a larger bird that was acting similarly on the peach tree but it was browner
and larger.  I couldn't see it long enough to make an id.  They are fast
movers!

We had our first YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER on Thursday along with our first
LAZULI BUNTINGS.

Saturday our first BLACK HEADED GROSBEAK and our first BLACK CHINNED male
showed up.

Our yard is rich with
BULLOCK'S ORIOLES (nine males already!)
YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRD
EURASIAN DOVES (with one being especially white.. pic link attached)
MOURNING DOVES
RED WINGED BLACKBIRDS
BROWN HEADED COWBIRDS
BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS
WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS (more than we have ever had)
CASSIN'S FINCHES (soooo many more than any other year)
HOUSE FINCHES
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES
LESSER GOLDFINCHES
HOUSE SPARROWS
Stupid Starlings

So amazing.  My husband got some great photos.  I have linked to them at the
bottom of this post.

I have three 16 oz. nectar feeders out.  I have refilled two and will have
to refill the other two today.  I will have gone through 96 ounces of nectar
in the last week.  I have the jelly out and it's being eaten and we have
gone through 2 oranges.  It's shaping up to be a heck of a year!  At least
one of our female Bullock's has already been on the nesting ball and we have
had CASSIN'S FEMALES on the nesting ball.  Get your nesting materials out!

Bullock's males fighting for the feeder
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Itsmine.jpg

Look at the color of this beautiful male Bullock's
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Bullock1.jpg

He's a proud male Bullock's
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Bullock2.jpg

Smart enough to eat where there's no flower
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Bullock3.jpg

Calliope male posing
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Calliope1.jpg

Different Calliope coming in for a landing
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Calliope2inforalanding.jpg

2nd Calliope flying
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Calliope2.jpg

Fuzzy picture that shows a "normal" Eurasian and the white one
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Eurcolordiff.jpg

Clearer photo of the Eurasians
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/WHITEEURAS.jpg

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v731/SurprisingWoman/Ruby-crowned.jpg

Enjoy!

Brenda
-- 
I hope that my achievements in life shall be these -- that I will have
fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which
mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I
will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've
been. ~ C. Hoppe
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