Yard Critter of Last Friday

A Red-tailed Hawk.

I spotted it from my desk as I was getting ready to have lunch. Of course the wrong lens was on the camera, as it was still configured for the eclipse shots earlier that morning.

I then had to find an angle that did not hide the bird behind one of the many branches. The first shot was taken from the dining room, to get a shot before it flew. The rest from the kitchen.

And I was just in time.

As flew it did.

The right place at the right time.

A year round resident in these here parts, this is the hawk most likely to be seen in our area. And often seen while driving, roosting on telephone poles. 

We often see these birds soaring overhead and occasionally, like this bird, in the trees in the yard. Although, again like this bird, they don't stay put for long. Or at least not for long after we notice them.

🦅  🦅  🦅  🦅  🦅

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.

The Warbler Show

I was sitting at my desk here in my home office, when the internet went bye-bye, good old Comcastic was having some serious issues, at which point I gazed out the window (ok I do that a lot) and noticed a small bird with a prominent white eye ring. 

"Cool, the Kinglet is back", I thought to myself. Both Kinglets, the Ruby-crowned, which has an eye ring, and the Golden-crowned, which doesn't, have been visiting the yard of late. But then I noticed the bird had a greenish back. "That's not a Kinglet ..." and the chase was on.

I grabbed my bins and a camera and dashed outside.

I had first spotted the bird in the flowers around the fish pond waterfall, and watched as it flew to the 'formal gardens'. Which is where I found it and took the above shot. The only usable image I managed. But enough to ID the bird.

Eventually the interwebs would come back online and I went back to work (I much prefer not working). But then at lunch I spotted the bird, or another just like it, at the Bubbler Bird Bath outside the kitchen window. Of course it flew as I went for the camera. But not too far ...

I reacquired it outside the dining room, still in the Feeder Garden, and managed a few shots (300+ but who's counting?). A few, like the one above, were pretty good.

Most were like these, or worse:

Either moving, and blurry, or in the vegetation, and mostly hidden.

But there was the occasional clear shot. And sometimes I got it.

I spotted the bird yet again a couple hours later, in the Blue Lobelia no-mow zone. To far and to messy to even try for pix.

I guess it likes it here. But it is only passing through, on its way to Mexico for the winter. But it is welcome anytime. And I hope it stays a few days more.

🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦

And for comparison ...

... here's the aforementioned Ruby-crowned Kinglet. A bird which also migrates south for the winter ... to here.

Sparrow Season

As the last warblers head south the sparrows takeover, marking the start of Sparrow Season.

The first two were recently featured in the blog as harbingers of winter.

The Dark-eyed Juncos have now arrived in numbers.

While White-throated Sparrow numbers continue to increase.

There are two (at least) sparrows in the above image. Another of the aforementioned White-throated Sparrows.

Along with a female Eastern Towhee. Just look how well camouflaged this bird is (it was Patty who pointed this out). A local breeder, rarely seen in the yard, it is a short distance migrant wintering as far north as Delaware.

Chipping Sparrows are also local breeders. But unlike the Towhees, these are often seen in the yard.

Frequently in family groups. Also short distance migrants, although Florida is the northern most wintering ground.

Song Sparrows are year round residents, (as are the Tufted Titmice). 

Another year round resident, Swamp Sparrows are regular if uncommon yard visitors. Although perhaps not as rare as I think, but as they don't often come to the feeder area and are seen mostly in the back of the yard, it may be that we just don't notice them. 

These are six of the eight species of sparrows we've had in the yard. The other two are the American Tree Sparrow, rare, and the Fox Sparrow, an annual winter visitor. 

And if they show up, I'll let you know.

Still Humming

Back in the summer there was a time when we had Ruby-throated Hummingbirds numbering in the double digits visiting our feeders and gardens.

In the past week or so we had two.

Now we seem to have but one.

This one:

This time of year most of these birds have left for their wintering ground in Central America.

We had slowed our refilling the hummingbird feeders of late, but yesterday I refilled two. But the bird, or birds as it could be several passing through on their way south; different birds on different days, prefers to feed at the flowers.

That's fine with me. Makes for nicer photo ops. :-)

Fledging

A week and a half ago I blogged about a Carolina Wren nest in our feeder garden, just outside our living room.

A couple of days ago as we were watching TV in that living room (Ted Lasso, highly recommended) one of our cats, Max, for very excited and ran to the screen door. A fledgling Carolina Wren had 'landed' on the screen. It flew before I got a picture, eventually settling on the Bog Garden rain barrel.

Look at that stubbly tail.

In all four birds fledged that evening.

Three can be seen in this image. One in the upper right, one on the same branch a bit lower, and one in the lower left corner.

The upper two ..

... the lower bird. Look at those feathers!

The parents were screaming the whole time, trying to get them to the woods edge and then into the trees to roost for the night. 

Incredibly cool to see these birds leave the nest. And from the comfort of our living room.

Putting in the sliding doors was a great idea. And it was all Patty's doing. Thanks you!

And Now Two

Diagonally across form the Wasps is the Carolina Wren roost.

Now with two Wrens.

Pretty cool.

We need to remember not to use this door after dark, so as not to spoke the birds.

Roosting

There is a Carolina wren which continues to roost just outside our backdoor. 

May 2021

August 2021.

We are happy to share our living space with it.

I wonder where all the other wrens roost?

Not So Comfy Squirrel

This past Friday afternoon thunderstorms came barreling through the area. And this poor Squirrel seemingly had no place to go.

Its attempt to shelter on this small platform feeder apparently not successful.

Karma for eating all that bird seed.

Relaxing Rabbit

It has been a bit on the warm side of late. And even the critters are feeling the heat. Like this Eastern Cottontail outside my window, resting in the cool clover.

A friend and (one time) rabbit keeper told me that a rabbit in this relaxed pose feels safe and secure. And judging how they react when I'm out in the yard, they feel pretty comfortable with me about. 

There are several that call our yard home, each with its own comfort zone, five feet being the closest at least one will allow me to approach.

Perhaps to comfortable in our presence, as they have replaced deer as garden menace number one.

Time for a rabbit fence? 

Hide and Seek

I've blogged about the Cooper's Hawk which frequents the yard. 

Looking for a meal amongst all the other birds which visit.

This time it seemed to know something was hiding, hopping from branch to branch and looking about.

This is what clued me into the hawk being around.  A White-breasted Nuthatch frozen on the side of the platform feeder. On the side opposite from the hawk.

This went on for over ten minutes. And the Nuthatch never moved. Amazing.

The hawk would leave empty taloned.

Bye bye.

You Can Fly, But You Can't Hide

Not from me and my camera.

Nor from all the birds in the yard.

And thus, this Cooper's hawk flew away empty taloned.

Nice try though.

Grackles

This morning we awoke to a bit of light rain. We had expected snow. Very disappointing as we had hoped to enjoy our morning coffee looking out at a winter wonderland.

Eventually the snow came.

As did the Common Grackles.

(The vertical lines are paracord hung to help prevent bird window strikes.)

In winter, these birds gather in large flocks, feeding in the local farm fields. But as the fields become snow covered they look elsewhere for food.

Elsewhere being our yard.

And our feeders.

They don't always wait for snow to descend on backyard feeders. Our friend Pam, who lives but a few miles away, nothing for a bird, had them at her feeders earlier in the week.

She said she was going to shut her feeders down until they left.

Thanks Pam.

Welcome Back

It has been quite a while since we've had a Red-shouldered Hawk has visit the yard.

Or at least since we've seen one. Although we have heard them. 

Or Bluejays doing impersonations ...

And it, or ones very similar, has frequently been in the yard of late.

And there is certainly plenty of prey in the yard* to keep it coming back.

And it is certainly welcome

~~~~~~~~~

* Prey posts forthcoming. Stay tuned ...

Winter is Coming

As portended by the arrival of yet another bird species that finds our yard the perfect winter getaway.

The Dark-eyed Junco.

A prototypical 'snow-bird' these fliers show up as temperatures drop and leave when things warm up.

I've only seen a couple so far, maybe the same bird multiple times. But soon enough they'll be here in double digits. I think the most I counted was in the low forties. A very common winter visitor.