The Birds of May

I just got around to putting out a suet feeder and a tray feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed.  Sunday, May 1, was the third day I'd had the bird food out on my back deck and was constantly stopping other work to try and take photos of all the different species of birds.  I had the first purple finches I've seen in about 20 years, goldfinches, with the male in stunning and glorious yellow, pine siskins and extremely spiffy white-crowned sparrows. Dark-eyed juncos showed up and the eastern phoebe and blue-headed vireo called almost constantly. I heard and saw mourning doves but haven't seen them at the feeder yet.

A male white-throated sparrow  in fresh feathers

American goldfinch - probably a young male

American goldfinch in eye-blinding yellow

Junco's have found the bounty

These are purple finches - haven't gotten to see them for over 20 years

Ms. purple finch

I found my niger feeder, so bought nigher.  The pine siskins are fighting over it and only occasionally allow a goldfinch to access it.

Pine siskins are so bold, they will let me get about 8 feet of them

A very spiffy and shy chipping sparrow - that's my hammock straps on the back deck

A singing song sparrow

And I caught up with a few birds that will be with us this summer the last few days of April.  On April 28, I started seeing hermit thrushes and by the following day, they were everywhere. And I started hearing ruffed grouse boom, and then watched one display on the road while I was checking water levels.  We have had ring-necked ducks since I've arrived but one pair was obviously courting.

Hords of hermit thrushes showed up April 28

NOW I understand why he is named ruffed grouse

This pair was doing some courting displays

And of course,  our resident eagle will still be here. I'll give you an entire blog in a few to several more weeks. Currently I'm watching the nest from around six o'clock until about seven-forty or so, when I go to "work". My favorite picture so far is of mom feeding the two chicks.  I'm working at the very end of my camera's ability so they are not my usual quality.

Eaglets morning of May 3

Monday I saw the first hooded mergansers, although they live here year around.  And yesterday, I heard a few catbirds, and have been hearing blue-headed vireos for a few days. Still waiting for a look at them. 

I just realized I've been running so fast, I didn't notice that I passed my 500th blog milestone. This is blog number 502. Thanks for reading and commenting on them.  You comments feel like I get to visit with you. 

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