With an overcast morning I was looking forward to a better photography experience.  Before I even got out of the house I spied a Cedar waxwing in the watercourse, a relative rarity.  I sneaked out of the house, usually an unsuccessful tactic, but in that case managed several photos of the waxwing before it left the yard.

I returned to the wetland I mentioned in my prior post but it was curiously devoid of birds.  I waited around for over an hour before a few American goldfinches returned to feed on thistle seeds.  I took some additional photos of them feeding.

I returned home and gave up birding for awhile, but then my wife spotted what she thought was an Orange-crowned warbler.  Upon closer examination I thought it might have been a vireo.  I made for the yard with my camera but the bird flew before I could photograph it or get a better view for a positive identification.  However I remained in the yard to see if it might return.

A short time later a female Wilson’s warbler entered the yard and eventually flew to the watercourse.  I obtained several good photos before it left.

And after all of the activity was over, my wife told me that a hawk (undoubtedly an accipiter) had entered the yard right after I initially left that morning.

And finally, a male Spotted towhee, whose kin have been quite shy this summer, emerged on a log where I could photograph it.  This one looks like it might have been fresh off a bath.