Mountain Chickadee

This cute little Mountain Chickadee was fun to watch but nearly impossible to photograph, he was so busy.

Mallard (male)

We also saw some Mallards. They came all the way across the lake to see if we had any food.

Hairy Woodpecker (female)

Today we went on a nature walk along the Silver Lake Interpretive Trail at Brighton. We saw this Hairy Woodpecker busily knocking on a stump, foraging for insects. -Amy

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Woodpecker.

Woodpecker who?

There's a woodpecker knocking on your door!

- Kennedy

Barn Swallow

My friend Hope told me about some Barn Swallows that had built their mud nest above her porch. So we went over to get some pictures and peek in the nest. There were four eggs inside!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (female)

Whenever we look out, there is something exciting to see.This is one of them. -Kennedy

 I was hoping we would have some more birds interested in the suet feeder and here's one! This female Yellow-rumped Warbler came back a few times today and we're hoping to see a male. -Amy

Western Tanager (male)

I've been hoping to attract really pretty birds like this Western Tanager, and here he was this morning! He seems interested in the suet and I hope he'll keep coming back for more. -Amy

When Mom hurried to the window with her camera, I thought she might have seen a new bird.  She called Kaden and I to come quietly.  His red head helped us identify him. -Kennedy

Just wanted to update this post with a better photograph taken almost a week later on May 23rd. He wasn't in town for long, but we sure enjoyed seeing him while he was here!

Black-headed Grosbeak (male)

I think I know why they call it the Black-headed Grosbeak. It's because in French "gros" means big, and the beak really is big and he has a black head. - Kennedy

It's so cool to see such exotic looking birds in our own back yard! We had three males here at the same time. One of them pecked at the suet for a few days, but now they all come to the ground feeder for seeds. -Amy

Lark Sparrow (adult)

Sparrows are boring, right?  I used to think so, but now that I'm looking more closely, I see how interesting they are.  This Lark Sparrow actually has a very pretty song and also a very interesting face pattern.  He didn't come anywhere near the feeders, so the picture is from high up in a tree in the back corner of the yard.  -Amy

This Lark Sparrow is cool because it has a white asterisk* on his face when you look at him from the front.  -Kennedy

Bullock's Oriole (1st year male)

We saw a female Bullock's Oriole last August and we finally saw a male today! He was interested in the hummingbird feeder. This is a first-year male. If we see him next year, he will have a darker orange color. -Amy

This is a BEAUTIFUL sight! I think it's fun to blog things. -Kennedy

Lazuli Bunting (male)

Wow! Isn't he handsome? At first I thought it was a bluebird, but the white wing bars tell for sure that this is a Lazuli Bunting. He ate some safflower seeds out of the ground feeder. There were also at least two other males with him. 

White-crowned Sparrow (Adult)

I think this may be the same White-crowned Sparrow we saw here last December! He is all alone again, foraging under the hanging feeder. (Amy)

American Robin (male)

Hello, Robin!

He seems to be wondering where Spring is, just like we are.

Western Meadowlark (male)

Too-tee-too tiddle-you!  There's no mistaking the Meadowlark's pretty song.  Especially when he's right outside your window!  The black "v" on his bright yellow chest is unmistakable too.  This is the second "new" bird of spring to come to our yard.

Mourning Dove (adult)

We've been watching for the first new bird of spring to come to our yard. And here it is - a Mourning Dove! I was expecting a Robin and trying to attract Bluebirds, but any new bird is a welcome sight to us. -Amy

When I was playing with my brother Kaden, we heard Mom say there was a new bird in the yard. It was a pretty sight! We don't know if it was a male or female because they look the same. -Kennedy

Sharp-shinned Hawk (juvenile)

These two photos were taken fifteen minutes apart. In the first one, he is perched on the fence near our feeders. In the second one, he is eating his lunch on the back fence.

Sharing the Feeder

This is what a typical day at the thistle seed feeder looks like. We have "Petie" the one-eyed house finch (top left), a pine siskin (bottom left), and two goldfinches on the right.

Below are "Petie" and a goldfinch trying to stay warm in the Aspen tree.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (juvenile)

Our yard has been a popular hang-out for predators this morning! Less than an hour after the Merlin swooped in, this juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk came to take a swipe at our feeder birds.

Merlin (female)

This Merlin swooped in for a surprise attack on our Goldfinches today. The first things I noticed about her were the shape of her wings in flight (very angular and pointed) and her overall small size.

The goldfinches took off in such a hurry that one of them smashed into my patio door window and lay stunned on the porch. Apparently, it recovered just fine because when I went out to pick it up it took off before I could touch it.

House Finch (male)

I just had to post these cute pictures of house finches. They and the goldfinches are the only birds that come every day to the feeders without fail.