One or two humming birds re-appear

For several weeks now there seem to be few if any humming birds at the feeder but the last two days I have seen one male in the morning feeding. They often seem to disappear during much of the summer and reappear in larger numbers in the fall. Perhaps it is because there are lots of flowers available but few around our place.

There are more house sparrows about than I have seen in some time with several youngsters clamouring to be fed among them. The house sparrow young remind me of some humans even though the young are able to peck and get the sunflower seeds themselves they would rather be fed by their elders! At least they have left the nest!

House sparrows re-appear..

For some time I saw only the occasional house sparrow but more seem to be returning now and yesterday I noticed a young sparrow begging a male to be fed. The male obliged. I guess among house sparrows the sexes share feeding chores.

Earlier pine siskins were visiting in large numbers and once in a while I would see a lone house sparrow among the siskins. The siskins are rather assertive when they are on the feeder and usually drive any other bird including siskins off the feeder. I thought the sparrow being larger might use his size to take over the feeder but he was content to stay out of conflict on the ground!

Brewer's blackbirds not starlings..

Birds that I thought were starlings must actually be Brewer's blackbirds. Starlings have a yellow bill but the blackbirds that visit my feeder have a dark bill. Both starlings and Brewer blackbirds have irridescent feathers on their heads. People in this area mostly just call them blackbirds although they do also talk of red-winged blackbirds. I have never heard anyone speak of Brewer blackbirds! There is also a chipping sparrow in the background barely visible.

My very own Mallard Eggs

This is a photo of the nest and eggs in a corner between the house and the back porch where I neglected to cut the grass with the ride-on mower since I would have to go in and back up etc. Some year I will start the push mower again.

A while ago I posted a photo of a pair of mallards in the grass in the vacant lot just west of our lot. Probably the female chose this secluded spot with tall grass to make her nest. I have already managed to cause her to fly off the nest three times but she seems to keep coming back.

I do have to cut the grass and put out clothes on the line nearby but with respect to hanging clothes I try to be quiet but perhaps the flapping clothes bother her.

Some of my Filipino friends think that this is a golden opportunity to enjoy balut (duck eggs with embryos ) but I think I will just leave them be and hope to see ducklings later on.

Brown Thrasher falling off feeder?

Well that may be what it looks like but he was just flying down to the ground to feed. I have seen a thrasher several mornings lately. The thrasher attacks the sunflower seeds like a woodpecker Perhaps he breaks the seed open by savagely thrusting at it. Other birds seem to crack the seeds in their beaks. Usually I only have a brief glimpse of a brown thrasher once or twice a year but this year at least one seems to have decided my feeder is a good place to fill up. The thrasher rarely actually goes onto the feeder as happened here. There is little room and no room to wind up for a big peck.

Two photos of one wren...

The first photo looks as if there is just a round fuzzy ball balanced on a tree limb! It must be a plump little wren. The wren seemed to enjoy the party that was going on in the yard and sang constantly, coming and going, while there were plenty of people invading her or his space.

I haven't seen a wren for some time. In my old property I had a wren house and every year a wren nested there. I should retrieve it and clean it out to see if I can attract a couple to this property.

Mallards on the grass!

This is taken from the kitchen window looking over a vacant lot. There are a pair of mallards in the grass. They stayed for some time just looking about and preening their feathers. This is the first time I have seen mallards near the house although there are sloughs nearby that have plenty of ducks and they even land all the time on the sewage lagoons!

Tree swallows are back..

The other day I cut the grass at our other property. I notice that there is a pair of tree swallows in the birdhouse that is on the old clothesline pole. They seem not to be bothered too much by my cutting the grass. A pair seems to nest there every year for several years now.

There are a few tree swallows around but barn swallows seem not too common anymore. However there are oodles of purple martins. Many people have special birdhouses for them.

A Chipping sparrow..

Here is a lone puffed up chipping sparrow on my decrepit feeder. The chippers have been around for quite a while. This year they seem fairly common. Other years I have seen only one or two all year.