Friday, June 4, 2021, was a beautiful day for both birding and photography. It was cool with a thin overcast that provided even light for photography. I decided to spend time in the yard in hopes that I might get visits from some of our rarer visitors… waxwings, crossbills, grosbeaks, warblers or other migrants.
During the afternoon the yard was filled with birds, but they were mostly House sparrows, Pine siskins and American goldfinches. However my hopes were buoyed when I spotted some movement in the tree canopy and managed to identify a Cedar waxwing. Unfortunately the bird never emerged so I only obtained one poor ‘record’ photo.
Before long I identified a juvenile White-crowned sparrow around the yard, an indication of a successful breeding season for the pair we have had in the yard this spring. This is a much-improved result from one or more past seasons when the sparrows raised a Brown-headed cowbird. In the processes of photographing the sparrow extensively I realized that there was a second juvenile in the yard. The parents were also around the yard but had no interactions with the two juveniles.
Next a a female Wilson’s warbler entered the yard. I think I have to give this bird the ‘Model of the Year’ award… it moved from staging object to staging object, presenting a variety of poses on each object! I took well over 50 photos and saved many of them.
Anna’s hummingbirds and Rufous hummingbirds were also active in the yard, with at least one male and female of each species utilizing both feeders and newly blooming salvia. For the past couple of years hummingbird baths in the watercourse have been rare, but on this day one of the female Rufous hummingbirds opted for a bath.
A female Brown-headed cowbird made a couple of unwelcome visits. Fortunately we have seen no juveniles this year.
The day was somewhat unusual for the limited number of species I photographed, but not in the number of photographs I took.
And now for a little bird story…
Several weeks ago a pair of Black-capped chickadees occupied a nest box we have. They apparently successfully fledged young a few days ago and only a day or so after they disappeared a pair of House wrens decided to move into the box. One of the wrens spent considerable effort deconstructing the chickadee nest, making repeated trips to the doorway to throw out nesting material. The wrens are now ensconced in the nest box, with twigs sticking through the opening, and the male is apparently bringing food to the female who is in the nest box incubating eggs!