Yard Update

I mentioned that those last photos of American robins in the madrone trees were taken on a very cloudy day while it was raining.  Since then I've had a few periods of better weather and the opportunity to again photograph the robins in the madrone trees.  These photos are substantially better as far as quality is concerned so I'm posting them too. 

They robins typically land on a branch and lean to pluck a berry from the cluster.  However as time goes on the easier berries to reach have either fallen off of the tree or have already been eaten. 

This leads to leaning as far as possible, often losing one's balance and having to snatch a berry on the fly.

If you're good at the technique you are rewarded with a berry!

We've had several more influxes of American robins where there are about twenty in the yard feeding and utilizing the bird baths.  And again, that number doesn't include many other robins in the general area.  

As far as yard happenings, our California quail have returned after an absence of several weeks.  Midway through raising this season's brood the adult female disappeared and the male seemed to be rearing the young ones on his own.  Unfortunately we had an imbalance in sexes with this year's hatchlings and we are now left with a covey consisting of four males and one female.  This doesn't bode especially well for the breeding season next year. 

A while back I posted a photo of a Slate-colored junco we had in the yard.  I've been keeping a watchful eye since but haven't spotted the bird again.  I was really lucky to have been sitting in the yard with my camera that day when the bird made its appearance.  

I stepped out the south door today and when I did an accipiter flushed from our yew tree.  I don't think most of the birds realized that it had sneaked into the yard because they were still in the area until it flew.  This is at least the second time we know that the accipiter has been hunting from the yew tree. 

Coming next... birds of March's Point.