It’s been slow photographing any really interesting birds in the yard this summer.  We’ve had some really dry weather and our water features, especially the watercourse with flowing water, should be attractants.  I’ve spent a great deal of time in the yard but I haven’t seen a warbler in the yard in about three weeks, only brief sightings of a couple of tanagers when they first arrived and no crossbills!  I’m worried about what might be happening to our rarer, and more interesting birds this year.  On the other hand, we have perhaps had a record number of common birds bringing young to the yard.

On Sunday, July 21, I made a very brief and short (across the alley) foray out of the yard for a little photography.  While I was setting up a Pine siskin came slowly hopping along the ground with long pauses between movements…. very atypical siskin behavior.   I watched the bird for the better part of an hour as it slowly worked its way up into some bushes where it should have been safe for the night.  It didn’t appear injured and it was eating a few seeds as it went but I was puzzled by its behavior.

While I was waiting for the possibility of a robin or flicker visiting an Oregon grape bush I was observing, a covey of California quail happened by.  The rest of the photos here are members of the covey.  This is the adult male and chief lookout for the group.

The adult female…

And one of about six chicks in this covey…

While I was photographing members of this covey I saw yet another covey enter our yard. It’s been a good year for quail reproduction!