Mid-summer observations

[deb&tony]

Hi All-
Just some mid summer observations...
I saw the Chestnut-backed Chickadees with their offspring for the first time today. She looked quite harried and in need of a handout. The fledglings were singing" feed me" from the nearest tree. Still no sign of the Stellar Jays and their brood- generally they show up with great fanfare and the kids look nearly fully grown and noisy. The Hairy Woodpecker and Downey parents have gone on vacation and left the boys to fend for themselves until they return at the end of August and reclaim their territory- the kids must be wondering why mom is trying to impale me with her beak Two of the three Hairies have their adult plumage with red cap at the back of their heads now. Hard to tell that they are still youngsters until you see one of them panicking at the sight of a hummer hovering near the feeder. The Song Sparrows and Towhees are raising their 2nd or 3rd set of nestlings...I've lost count. New this year are a flock of Black- headed Grosbeaks who have discovered our special windowsill peanut feeder reserved for our regulars. They recently brought by their fledglings. At supper hour until 8 pm it's Grand Central Station out here. Elsewhere on the property you can hear the call of a fledgling Pileated, (haven't spotted it yet) and our hybrid Flicker mated with a Red-shafted Flicker, I have yet to see the kids. The Am. Goldfinch are still around and finally have a chance at the feeders now that the large flock of Pine Siskins have moved on. The Juncos are feeding together in family units and finally, Spotted Sandpiper with two little ones are on the waterfront.
Deb
Fraser River, Hope

[Gord]

Deb, I really loved reading that! I dream of getting a place one day where I can try for similar results.

So many babies! Such a great sign that your property and surround is really wildlife friendly. Great work!!

[tuchp]

Deb, What a marvelous picture you have 'painted' for us to enjoy - thank-you. Isn't it wonderful to live in a location where you can encourage birds to visit you! - Pat

[kastern]

Hi Deb, have just read your mid summer observations so thought I would add some of my own. We don't have any Woodpeckers and I haven't seen in Flicker in months, but we did have a family of Red Breasted Sapsuckers although I haven't seen any of them for about a week now. Like you, we are over run with young Towhees....it must have been a good year! Haven't seen that many Song Sparrows, just one or two, but there is a family of Junco coming to the feeder. We seemed to have more than the normal amount of Black Headed Grosbeaks - lots of youngsters! Bullock's Orioles were also very productive although they have all headed south now. There are still lots of juvenile Rufous Hummingbirds. I've taken down the feeder but the flowers are keeping them happy. Lots of Pine Sisken and American Goldfinch along with House Finch and some Purple Finch. I mentioned before about the large amount of Brown Headed Cowbird youngsters I had this year.....it dawned on me yesterday that all the Cowbirds have left, they usually disappear about the end of July. The odd male Red Wing Blackbird is showing up in the yard again and the other day I saw a group of obviously this years young.

My baby Barn swallows - all 4 of them - left the nest in my front porch yesterday, for the first time. Thank goodness they made it two maturity as two of my neighbours who also tolerate having nests on their porches, had the nests torn apart by Raccoons and the nearly fledged babies eaten. Cats were at first blammed but some sleuthing uncovered muddy Raccoon tracks climbing up the railings.

I've had a family of Steller's Jay around. There are lots of Cedar Waxwing but I haven't seen a young one yet, but it is hard to tell when they keep up pretty high. The ones I've seen in the yard stealing either Blueberries or Mountain Ash berries have all been adults. I have been surprised to have spotted a young Western Tanager in the yard a couple of times and I've also seen young Swainson's Thrush. They have to be the homeliest of all baby birds!

This fall is going to be interesting as my husband and I have, for a number of reasons, decided to sell the house we have been in for the past 9 years with it's naturescaped backyard backing onto natural habitat and then the estuary. We aren't leaving the complex we live in but downsizing to something smaller (really small - like 444 sq. ft) so I will still be able to go for my usual walks and keep watch over the estuary like before. We chose the particular unit carefully as many lots in here are treeless with solid concrete over the entire area. Ours has two mature Cedar trees, a lovely big stump and a mature Broad leaf Maple on the lot and backs, on two sides, onto an area of lawn with more mature trees so I am actually looking forward to the challange of attracting as many birds to that yard as I have to this one. I will miss sitting out on my swing with the camera and binoculars and just watching all the activity but maybe by next summer the new place will be just as busy.

Kathy

[deb&tony]

Hi All-
This is more like late-summer observations...
Yesterday I saw an American Goldfinch fledgling being fed by its mother near the feeder for the first time. For some reason, I decided to clean and fill up the feeders again, something I don't normally do at this time of the year. Well, it's been busy to say the least...a flock of Pine Siskins have reappeared and so have the American Goldfinches. The Hairies, Downeys, and a young Red-Breasted Sapsucker are also regular visitors as are the Black Capped and Chestnut Back Chickadees. I think the Sapsucker juvenile is just following the crowd as he seems curious but doesn't quite know what all the fuss is about. The Black-Headed Grosbeaks are still here in large numbers and are regulars at the windowsill peanut feeder. The call of their young is quite unusual somewhat like a soft Euro emergency siren?! I have about 9+ Towhees juveniles and 4+ Juncos juvies, sometimes with parents, who are regulars at the groundfeeder station. All of our huckleberries and blueberries have "disappeared" -the usual suspects being the Towhees, Robins and Cedar Waxwings. I'd like to think that the berries and seed feeders increase their survival rate at this time of the year and so I will continue to provide seeds for them until the end of the month. Oh, and water!!!
Just to follow up on something Kathy said earlier, I, too, had an increase in Brown Headed Cowbird numbers this Spring (from about 2 pairs to at least 6 pairs), and they seem to have stayed on longer although we haven't seen any juveniles. Quite a few young Rufous Hummingbirds around. And the call of a young Flicker can be heard but I have yet to see it. The parents are a hybrid male and Red-shafted female.
The managed natural state of our property certainly has been a blessing as I've rediscovered a real interest in both native flora and fauna.
Deb
Fraser R., Hope