Mom's Feeders

We headed over to Mom's to sort through Dad's clothing and other belongings to see if we could recycle stuff before getting the rest to Goodwill. A somber 4 days but we managed to have some enjoyable times here and there. One of the last things Dad did before weeding and passing away was filling the feeders. If we visited and I noticed that they were empty I would head out to fill them and get water in the bird bath.

Mom mentioned that she had not filled the feeders since because she never saw any birds out there so it was not really worth it. Besides, she is busy enough. I figured I had to fill them as the rains approached to see what would show up. It rained for 4 solid days afterwards.

It didn't take long for birds to start returning to the feeders after they were loaded. Kinda like, "Where was that old guy who fed us? Yay! Food!!". House Sparrows and other birds began streaming into the yard. I enjoyed trying to examine the sparrows to see how many were juveniles like this one who was picking at grasses in between feeder visits.



Blue Jays were soon to follow and there was an entire family. Juveniles were everywhere of many species but the Jay kids were super hungry for most days.



House Sparrows have never been uncommon at the house when the feeders are full but I was amazed by the numbers on this visit. At one point of the last day there were at least 50 flocking through and perching everywhere.



Out front at feeder #2, a juvenile Mourning Dove stayed on the ground picking up the spilled food. You can tell young doves with their feathers looking more like scales instead of a smooth, uniform brown.



Even juvenile Boat-tailed Grackles joined in at a couple of times. It was difficult to get that iridescent shine in the rain but this one works for me.



Another juvenile House Sparrow perches on the feeder pole waiting for a turn to grab more food.



A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen many times but I never had the camera in my hands when she was out in the open. I had to settle for a blurry shot through the window as she rested in the Crepe Myrtle.



Despite the heavy bands of rain, once we had a small break the House Sparrows decided they needed a more thorough washing in the bird bath.



There were several other species that flew through. There were Eurasian collared doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Starlings. On the final day, a Tufted Titmouse braved the mass of birds and took a chance at getting to the feeder.



When things got too crazy, it would retreat to the Crepe Myrtle and wait for the next opportunity.



We were packing the car to head home and I put the camera in the front seat. I decided to look out back once more and a juvenile Cooper's Hawk flew in to try for a birds meal and landed in the yard. I headed back to the car to retrieve the camera hoping for the raptor to still be around. It did stay but flew up to the power lines to keep watch.



The fun part about juvenile Cooper's Hawks is that they are not afraid of much. Too inexperienced. I got 30 close-up shots before we headed back to Orlando.



So, we got through the first wave of help to clean out Dad's stuff. We also got some good birding in the yard and saw Star Trek (I recommend it). I told Mom not to worry about keeping the feeders filled. They went through 3 fillings while we were there but they are fine on their own. Clearly.

By the way, I call it 'bird bait' and not bird seed. We only use it to bring bird to us. They are just fine on their own.

Washington D.C. Birds

Back from our trip to Washington D.C. where we had a great time, even in the cold temperatures and the first measurable snow they have had in over 2 years. We got to as many sights as possible in 5 days. Our hotel was a few blocks from the Capitol building and we walked all over the place.



I had to restrain myself from actually 'birding' and enjoy the family and the sites. I haven't been back here since the Bicentennial year. We wanted to get the boys here before they got too old and off to college or elsewhere. But not having my binoculars for nearly a week was causing an itch in my brain a lot. Birding was on the back burner. But, it is something I do. Even while driving, sitting at work, walking into a store, anytime I can see or be outside. So, I did get some birds among the 1,600 photos I took.

One bird you can't miss is the American Robin. Whether they live here or are just returning, they were scattered all over the Mall, either on the grasses or laughing from the trees.



I was really interested that there were several birds that were banded! I think I saw 5 or 6 birds with multiple color bands.



The other birds you can't miss are House Sparrows (I even saw a few of those banded) as they chase one another through the hedges and leafless trees.



As we walked from the Jefferson Memorial across the inlet to the Tidal Basin I noticed a bird down below. We have Horned Grebes in Florida in the Winter but it is nice to add them to this list.



From the bridge, I could see another grebe off in the distance but is was close to the path heading to the other memorials. I hurried down and got a close view. Wow. A Horned Grebe transitioning into the next molt! We don't get that in Florida.



A small flock of Canada Geese flew over us but I barely got them in the frame. Later, we saw a couple from the tour bus.



We wandered through the FDR memorial next. It was much bigger than I thought it was. Most of the way through, there was a nice clump of trees toward the water and birds started calling all over. I wandered over, being tempted by an Eastern Phoebe.



Pulling me closer to the trees was a Song Sparrow that landed off to my right. Another nice find.



A bird began calling from the branches and I got even closer. A small figure was fluttering and gleaning insects. I was very surprised to see a Golden-crowned Kinglet in front of me! We hardly ever get them in Central Florida.



It was difficult to get a shot through the holly leaves but exhilarating.



Heading toward the Korean Memorial we noticed a shadow speed past us. It quickly emerged from the tree, swooped over the grass and landed in a tree up ahead. This Cooper's Hawk made an easy target as it sat a few yards off of the crowded sidewalk.



We made our way toward the Lincoln Memorial and I noticed a bunch of small birds hopping around on the grass. Dozens of them were advancing across the area and I finally got myself into a good poition to figure out what they were. They turned out to be Slate-colored Juncos.



I had the Oregon sub-species out West so this was a nice add to my Life List.



Finally, another species that is all over the area is the Common Grackle. You can easily dismiss these guys as they fly in on any easy opportunity to scoop up food like this popcorn at the National Zoo. However, they are hard to ignore when they catch the sunlight just right.



Not a bad set of photos during a 'non-birding' trip! I am over my binocular withdrawal. Now I have to sort through the rest of the photos for posterity.

Sparrows and Blackbirds

Had to make yet another trip to Largo and what would a trip over there be without watching the feeders for any interesting birds? We can always count on the House Sparrows. Today, besides just feeding near the feeder, they also stopped by the patio bench to grab a drink from an overturned flower pot.

Maybe it is just me but these sparrows on the coast are more colorful than the ones I see closer to home. Especially the females.



The males are also a bit brighter than the inland birds.



I could never find what was spooking the birds from time to time but every now and then they would all take off. Sometimes they would wait in the nearby plants and then return to feeding.



Another species that has been stopping by has been Red-winged Blackbirds. These females also appear much brighter than others I am use to.



Beautiful plumage!



Always interesting.

New Bird Cam

Got a couple of fun Christmas presents this year. First was the Plant Cam from my wife which I will be using to record different plants as Spring gets closer. The other was the BirdCam which I am testing right now. The first test was setting it outside at the parent's house. I tried the bird bath first but that was quiet so I moved it to the ground under the other feeder.

Not a bad result with all of the activity at one point.



This is a crop of that image showing the House Sparrows.



Then I moved it back to the bird bath and captured a shot of the Blue Jay and Grackle.



Back home, I set up facing the tray feeder. Got some good shots of the Mourning Doves but often got too many shots of the raiding squirrels.



The only fun part of the squirrels is when they jump off and make the tray feeder spin. Makes for interesting images.



However, I want to get birds in these shots so I will have to change my position for the cam. More post from this cam to follow.