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.