The school schedule (traffic) has encouraged me to leave earlier, miss the mess, and spend some morning time on the deck at the office with the birds. It has been interesting, as well as seeing the migrating birds recently. Enjoy this week's offering.
The friendly Chickadee is always a steady visitor, and is there as early as anyone.
And they'll come to the seed for a quick hit.
The Goldfinches aren't too sure about my presence on the deck, but nothing much keeps them away from the thistle feeder.
A male and female Lesser Goldfinch.
This morning I spied a really large bird out there.
It kept coming my way, and ended up touching down just across the creek in what normally would be the boat ramp area of Cypress Creek LCRA Park. They took it down, packed it up, and were gone in minutes.
The Titmouse shows up with the Chickadees, our hit-and-run artists.
The hummingbirds have been very active in the morning on the deck, but the light makes it hard to get an action shot. This is a female Ruby-throated hummingbird.
With the dry weather, I've been putting out a dish of water. The male Cardinal will take advantage from time to time.
Later in the day, Dan beckons me to the window with, 'Come here, this is something different!' It's a female Oriole, either Orchard or Baltimore. We only see them at migrating time.
So she graced us by coming up to the water dish. We never saw the male.
This female Baltimore Oriole came to the hummingbird feeder at the house. The male was feet away, but I couldn't get a picture. We since have put out jelly feeders, and are hoping for a second chance!
Saturday morning saw an activity level of hummingbirds at the house that we have rarely experienced. At one time, there were 6 hummingbirds at one time sitting on the feeder.
I missed that shot, but for us, it is rare to even see 3 hummers at the feeder at once.
This bad boy was watching one feeder all day long. The coloring of his ruby throat created a look of a bed of coals on his neck.
Look Ma! No electric lighting involved! Yes, it is truly amazing, and another reminder of God's glory revealed in His creation.
So now we're in the dog days of summer. That actually has to do with the constellation, not the fact that we all feel like crawlin' under the porch and sleeping til fall! As usual of late, I'm way behind on my posts, so enjoy the catch-up, dating back to those baby Bewick's wrens that launched from the porch and survived.
Some years ago, some Carolina wrens launched from the same house, but stayed a little too close to the ground for comfort, especially when there are multiple cats hanging around. But the Bewick's flew very nicely to the nearest live oak, and congregated in a fork of some large limbs.
They spent a little time there continuing their chirping for food, but we didn't see too much more of them. Now the Bewick's are more noticeable in the yard, and I even see them foraging around areas they didn't seem to visit before.
Earlier in the summer, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron was regularly on the pond in the morning, and not at all skittish like the Great Blue.
He afforded me many photo ops, before the pond was covered with scum.
Like his relative, a stealthy hunter/fisher.
This is a Downy Woodpecker. His twin the Hairy Woodpecker is a few inches longer.
Now that I have my new id book, The Crossley Guide, I will change my label of this bird to the Great Egret. The Great White Heron does not have black legs, though otherwise difficult to tell the difference.
The Great Blue Heron just won't work with me on posing, so I had to get this one from the door of my car as I was headed to work in the morning.
A rare shot of the Green Heron, who is also quite skittish. I know, not much green, but I don't name these birds!
Back at the office, a Blue Jay pauses a second after filling its craw with peanuts.
When the pond was down to a few wet spots, the Kildeer were hanging out, and blessing us with their call that makes you feel like you're at the beach.
Sadie, our Miniature Australian Shepherd/Black Lab mix, was still long enough for a portrait. She chews everything, but hasn't started on the house siding yet.
Mirabelle is still running herd on Sadie, but it won't be long until Sadie is faster, and then we will see a contest. As it is, they provide great entertainment with their antics in the yard, especially trying to herd 'W' the stray cat.
The male Painted Bunting gave me a few choice poses at the office.
Some magazine recently nominated some oriole for 'most colorful' bird. I thought to myself, 'Come on!'
A female Painted Bunting over the moon feeder at the house.
This male was enjoying the sprinkler being on the antique rose bush.
A big brown moth at the office. Linda Jacobson found this is the Black Witch Moth, and has quite the folklore that comes with it. Largest moth of North America.
The drought has been tough on the deer. This 'Bambi' was enjoying the run with mom. Mercedes always points out Bambi to Papa Wes.
And when the pond dried up, GG drug Mercedes new pool out and filled it with water to help the deer.
After getting a sip, they head back to the woods.
We'll finish up this installment with some hummingbird pics. They have been very active at the feeders. This is a female Ruby Throat at the office.
The Black-chinned caught on my porch when the sun was going down.
A female Black-chinned in the tree at the office, waiting her turn at the feeder.
And when she came, she gave me a nice pose with the wing spread.
