I almost had a repeat of my feeder-filling this morning.  While filling the ball feeder a chickadee flew to the feeder, while it was in my hands, took a sunflower seed kernel and flew into the nearby madrones.  This one didn't land on my finger but was well less than a foot from my face.  I just realized that I failed to note the species of the chickadee. 

Yesterday I strayed a little further from home and visited the Headquarters Unit for the Fish and Wildlife Department.  As most of you know there has been work to breech the dikes for the past year or so and this was my first trip out there in several months.  I was encouraged by the new shorebird habitat but noted that many of the ponds/waterways had cattails started and in a few years I doubt that the ponds will be visible from the shore.  I was also disappointed in that some kind of trees (mulberry?) have been planted around the perimeter of the pond at the entry, thus screening the pond from observers who would like a casual car tour to see what birds might be frequenting the pond.  There weren't even any provisions for observation points along the trail! 

After a short hike I was walking along the trail which is between the entry road and the pond when I spied some kind of male warbler in the bushes/trees.  I carefully crept along the trail trying to get a photo of the bird, but it kept moving along the hedgerow in front of me.  I finally paused and tried "pishing"... and was suddenly rewarded with a Spotted sandpiper popping up onto the fence post less than ten feet in front of me!  The bird had flown from the small grassy strip between the gravel trail and the parking lot, so it was totally unexpected.  I managed to squeeze off three photos before the bird flew down to the pond. 

There were also a pair of Greater yellowlegs (pictured) and a single Lessor yellowlegs in the pond by the parking lot. 

Upon arrival back at the house I was treated to more birding opportunities... a Black-headed grosbeak feeding a juvenile in the front yard. 

Finger Perch for Pine Siskin

This morning I was filling a ball feeder with hulled sunflower seed when a very young Pine siskin lit on my finger and started eating out of the feeder, which I was still holding.  It ate for a couple of minutes then flew to one of my staging branches but before I could re-hang the feeder it was back on my finger.  This time though it just hopped from my finger through the feeding port into the bottom of the feeder.  After eating for about anothe minute it flew to a nearby bird bath for a drink and I was able to hang the feeder. 

More Yard Birds

I spent more time in the yard today.  Two interesting sightings... as I pulled into the driveway early this afternoon I noticed a single Cedar waxwing on the watercourse.  This is a very rare sighting for the yard.  While not the first time a waxwing has been in the yard, I can't even remember the last time I saw one here.  The other interesting sighting was what turned out to be a Hairy woodpecker in one of the fir trees, the first we've seen here in over a year.  We also have a Downy woodpecker that was in the yard today and has it on its mind to enlarge the hole in one of the birdhouses meant for chickadees and nuthatches.  This is the second day in a row it's been working on the hole. 

Also of note, yesterday I was visited by a Brown creeper while a neighbor was observing bird activity in the yard.  While not rare, we can sometimes go for weeks without spotting one. 

We continue to attract Black-headed grosbeaks to the yard with the young birds often vocalizing incessantly.  I've seen as many as four female/juvenile birds in the yard at one time and have separately seen two males in one of the fir trees.  The females/juveniles are getting quite used to me but the males hesitate to even come in the yard, much less visit the feeder when I'm outside. 

Our California quail family is holding steady with six chicks.  The chicks are now so large I can't reliably identify them as chicks unless they are beside the adult female and somewhat still.  All of you with children could take a lesson from the quail... they, as no other bird species of which I am aware, take excellent care of their young.  When feeding one or both parents always serve as lookouts from an elevated perch.

August Yard Birds

Yesterday was the first day in several days that we had sun and I had some time to send in the yard so I assembled the camera and took my post.  My objective was to obtain photos of the Black-headed grosbeak.  I have found them to be shy and therefore difficult to photograph, but my earlier preparations with regard to feeding stations have paid off and I was able to get some fairly good shots. 

This is a male House finch that was probably produced this year...

This is a close cousin of the House finch, a male Fan-tailed finch, a rare migrant from South America.  (Don't ask... how should I know?) 

I also saw numerous chickadees, nuthatches, House sparrows and American goldfinches in the yard.  Our family of quail (male and female and six chicks) seems to be thriving and usually visits the yard several times daily.  I also saw, but failed to get a photo of, what seemed like a juvenile Downy woodpecker.  A sparrow which had the visual characteristics of a female House sparrow but not the behavior of one garnered my attention.  I suspect it was actually a juvenile White-crowned sparrow.  I did get photos so I'll do a little more research or consult a better birder than I.