I find after logging into my site this morning that things appear rather radically different. My site (BlueHost) uses WordPress software for development purposes. The framework with which I was familiar has been replaced with updated software which is not familiar to me. If you’re reading this it means that I have successfully made the transition!

After grousing about the lack of species diversity in our yard in my post of 7/22/2019, that afternoon I had a very brief visit from a warbler. Unfortunately it made only the briefest of appearances. I’m fairly sure that it was a male Wilson’s warbler, but I wasn’t able to detect a black cap on the bird’s head. Yellow warblers, the only other realistic possibility, are too rare to seriously consider. (There is no photo!)

On 7/23/2019 I had just finished removing string algae from the watercourse, refreshing bird baths and filling feeders when a pair of Cedar waxwings, our first in about a year, flew into the madrone trees on the outskirts of the yard. I quickly went inside for my camera but when I returned they had left, so sadly, again no photos!

Digressing a bit from the yard, on 7/22/2019, in my walk in Washington Park, I found a Barred owl and obtained photos with my iPhone. The owl was less than 15′ away and was being harassed by a Douglas squirrel which ventured to within about two feet of the owl. (Sorry about the quality of the image but it was taken with my iPhone!)

When I returned home that morning I had an email from a neighbor who had seen and photographed what she identified as a Saw-Whet owl on our property! I immediately went out to try to find it but was unsuccessful in doing so.

So that’s the yard news, but the reason I’m creating this post is that I had a good photography day in the yard yesterday despite the lack of interesting visitors. So here are some of the better photos I took…

I might mention that we had at least four male House finches in the yard at one time.

And now for a special friend who sometimes visits while I am monitoring the yard for bird activity…

It appears that I have successfully navigated the updated software. There are some improvements…. I just have to get used to them. It appears there is an improved way of selecting photos to post. This is my first attempt, and apparent success, at posting an image from my iPhone to my web site.