Banner Day for Yard BIrds!

I could be offering some sad news in this post, but when the chips are down the yard and birds keep coming through for me. 

Last Tuesday I had a friend stop by early in the afternoon and we sat outside for maybe an hour with almost no bird activity in the yard.  Part of the problem may be an accipiter that my wife has seen in the yard twice over the past couple of weeks, and I’m at least grateful that it cut down on the European starlings and temporarily on House sparrows. 

Thursday I took an excursion over to the swan reserve north of Mount Vernon and then to Milltown and finally back across Fir Island.  I took three photos, all of the same Whidbey jet flying overhead!  There was a distinct lack of bird photography! 

Saturday, 8/25/2012, I spent over an hour in the yard and only managed a few photographs, the better ones of one or more Red-breasted nuthatches making rare trips down to the watercourse. 

I had noticed that there seemed to be more birds in the yard in the mornings, so this past Sunday morning I went outside about 9am.  I had no sooner gotten seated with my camera than a very drab warbler landed on some of the staging areas around the watercourse and allowed me to take maybe 15-20 photos.  It wasn’t until I processed my photos that I decided that it was a male Yellow-rumped warbler of the Audubon race.  The second photo reveals a little yellow on the rump and if you look closely in some of the photos there's a slight hint of yellow on the throat.  It’s probably a product of this year’s breeding.  

 Soon after it left I had a visit from a Song sparrow (photograph in my prior post), hardly an unusual bird but one that’s been absent from our yard for most, if not all, of the summer. 

Next up was a male Red crossbill which, from what I can determine, is a visitor two to three times a day.  This visit was without the female but later in the day, while I was distracted by attempting to photograph a Spotted towhee, the male and female both sneaked in for a quick drink.  While they briefly use my staging props when coming to our watercourse they always fly directly out of the yard after drinking.  They use a small nook of the watercourse which I can’t photograph, so my only chance to photograph them is when they are incoming.  

Soon after the crossbill left I had a visit from an Orange-crowned warbler, which I had to confirm externally with a birding friend who is more skilled at identification than I.  Any time I get a warbler in the yard, and into a photographable location, it makes for a great day… and this was my second warbler species for the day!  

Next up was a Swainson’s thrush, a bird I’ve seen in the yard on only one or two occasions although on rare occasions I hear them calling from the forest.  This one took a leisurely bath in the watercourse and offered me an opportunity for many photographs. 

My next visitor was a male Northern flicker.  They used to be regular visitors to the yard but have been scarcer for the past several months.  And those I do get now enter the yard singly and seem to be much more concerned about human presence than in the past.  This flicker entered the watercourse (another rare occurrence since they seem to usually prefer one of the bird baths) and I had ample opportunity for photographs.   

 

A female Anna’s hummingbird visited the watercourse but didn’t actually interact with the water, which seems to be a common habit this year.  I had the shutter set for 1/200^th of a second and was lucky to be able to focus and obtain this photo of the bird in flight.  

Next to arrive at the watercourse was a very shy Cedar waxwing.  This makes me even more certain that what I had seen in the watercourse the previous week was a Bohemian waxwing.  

And just when I thought things couldn’t possibly get any better, I had visits from a female Western tanager, the first I’ve seen this year.  The first time I photographed it I thought I was photographing an American goldfinch and didn’t realize my mistake until I was processing my photos.  The goldfinches are appearing in every hue of yellow and gold and there are often so many that it’s difficult to keep track of all the activity.  The tanager later returned with an apparent juvenile but I couldn’t tell it from the parent. 

While the unusual traffic was taking place I occupied myself with taking photos of some of the regular visitors.  Some of their photos are featured in my prior post.  These birds included:

·         Chickadees (I estimate on occasion we can have over a dozen at one time)

·         Nuthatches

·         Spotted towhees of several different juvenile stages

·         Pine siskins of many different colorations

·         American goldfinches, mostly females and juveniles

·         House finches of both sexes

·         House sparrows of both sexes

·         European starlings

In addition I had both Downy and Hairy woodpeckers visit but I didn’t obtain more photos of them.  

All in all this might have been my best day ever for yard photography.  I had some rare visitors to the yard and was able to obtain photos of them. 

Due to a banner day of yard photography on Sunday, I'm posting a few photos of my regular visitors.  But be sure and check back in a day or so because I have some really nice photos of some rare visitors.  I need a little more processing time and I need to find someone to assist with an identification or two.  

Male House finches (this might or might not e the same bird)  

A Song sparrow.  Song sparrows have been absent from the yard for most of the summer.  This hopefully marks their return for the winter. 

 

A couple of young American robins, in different stages of maturation, of which we now have a very plentiful supply!  

 

A couple of Spotted towhees in different stages of maturation...

 

A European starling, most of which have apparently been frightened from the yard by an accipiter... 

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

My birding on Sunday started when I looked out the kitchen window about noon and saw in the watercourse a bird that took my breath away.  It was a waxwing, but it had a yellow crown and a lot more color on the ends of its wings.  I verified that it was a waxwing by the band of yellow on the terminus of its tail and the red spots on its wings, then I ran for my camera.  As I exited the patio door it flew.  I stuck around for a few minutes but it didn't return while I was outside.  I went back inside and my wife said that there was a waxwing in the watercourse again, but again it flew, this time before I could even get a photo. 
After due research and reflection I'm virtually certain that I saw a Bohemian waxwing, exceedingly rare but not unheard of in the county. 

At that point, although needing a nap, I decided to spend some time outside in the hope that the bird would return.  It didn't, but next up was a male Red crossbill.  (I think my wife saw both the male and female later in the afternoon but I didn't get a photo of both. 

I had mentioned a continuing string of juvenile Spotted towhees in the yard, and it's obvious that we aren't finished yet.  This young towhee came to the watercourse.

While I was photographing the Red crossbill a yellow bird in the background caught my eye.  I assumed it was an American goldfinch but it turned out to be a female Wilson's warbler.

Later a male Wilson's warbler made an appearance and took a bath.  I'm now the 'go to 'guy for wet male Wilson warbler photos... I have many!

During the afternoon this male Hairy woodpecker made a rare visit to the watercourse after spending a significant amount of time on the suet feeder.  

And finally, just before turning in for the mid-afternoon nap, I got this visit from a Cedar waxwing, a rare visitor to my yard.  This just reinforces my belief that what I saw this morning was a Bohemian waxwing.  

And I mentioned in my last post one or more Pine siskins that seemingly have extra yellow on their wings.  Here's a photo...