Red shoulders and red tails

Spring migration has been a bust, at least for me. Cold, windy and rainy days have kept me inside and may have encouraged the birds to fly around or ahead of the storms. This week I had to settle for summer resident species, not bad at all. 

Indeed, on Monday I was treated to an aerial show over the back yard, as a crow bombarded an immature  Red-tailed Hawk.

The hawk was circling lazily until a single American Crow protested the invasion of its air space:

The next day, the local pair of the smaller Red-shouldered Hawks paraded above the lawn...

...followed by their two recently fledged youngsters, which called incessantly:

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were quickly emptying the feeder. I have seen as many as three drinking the nectar at the same time, all females so far:

Eastern Towhees have returned and will nest in the shrubby edges of the forest:

This male House Finch was in bright breeding plumage:

On May 11, the trees in the woodland surrounding the house were beginning to leaf out:

On May 22, lush foliage encircled the back yard:

Late in the afternoon, rays of the sun pierced the rain clouds:

On our morning walk, we viewed the tranquil surface of Diamond Lake:

= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________

Spring migration and Flower Moon eclipse

The northward migration of land birds is highly anticipated by birding enthusiasts. I have childhood memories of trees festooned by several species of warblers. Spring migration is shorter and more intense than the southbound fall migration. For many bird species, the plumage of spring migrants is more colorful than in autumn. 

Over the years I have noted a decrease in numbers of migrating birds, a trend which has been documented in many studies.* The overall population of neotropical migrants has decreased, although some species have increased in number, probably due to differences in their adaptation to changes in climate and loss of habitat in breeding and overwintering areas.

Because of nasty weather and also some health issues I have not been able to take full advantage of this season. Nearly all my observations have been confined to the back yard and adjacent wooded areas. My yard list has grown to 58 bird species, of which 25 are neotropical migrants, all but 5 of which I have been able to photograph. 

This past week my sightings have included...

Male Northern Parula:

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, at the feeder...

...and singing from a treetop:

Male Yellow-rumped ("Myrtle") Warbler

Female Black-and-White Warbler:

Red-eyed Vireo:

Male Brown-headed Cowbird, a short-distance migrant:

Yesterday I put up our hummingbird feeder. Only a few seconds after I walked away, a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird landed on it and began feeding. I quickly retrieved my camera and obtained these poor shots through the door window:

My attempts to obtain photos of the total eclipse of the Flower Moon on May 15 kept me up until midnight, but the clouds interfered, allowing me a few poor partially obstructed shots...

...at 11:28 and 11:31 PM...

...and finally, just before the last reflections of sunlight, at 11:38 and 11:40 PM

The trees in the Loveland Preserve which borders us just to the west, have leafed up between May 7...

...and May 17, as storm clouds gathered:

The storm passed overhead rapidly. A few drops began to fall as I snapped this photo from the upstairs patio:

The sky quickly cleared, providing one last look at the sun as it sank behind the distant hills:

Radiating from below the horizon, the sunbeams illuminated the cloud tops:

*REF: Vanishing: More Than 1 In 4 Birds Has Disappeared In The Last 50 Years: Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone

______________________________

Linking to:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World
________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________

Kissin' Cardinals

Male and female Northern Cardinals form a strong pair bond and remain together all year long. While divorce does occur, they usually mate for life and seek a new partner only after death of a previous one. Although we have seen several tolerate each other at the feeder during the winter, a single pair now dominates the yard.

The head crest is a striking feature. The male crest is usually fully raised while singing, though this may also signal fear or excitement: 

Female with crest raised:

As breeding season approaches, the pair strengthens their bond by engaging in courtship rituals. Here, both lower their crests as the female begs to be fed and the male complies. These poor photos were taken through a window, but they were too precious to not share:

The range of Northern Cardinals extends over the eastern half of the lower 48 states, into the US-Mexico border area and much of Mexico.  Interestingly, late in the 19th Century, cardinals almost disappeared from part of their original breeding territory in the northeastern US. 

The reason for this retreat is uncertain, whether it was disease or the loss of natural habitat due to rapid urbanization. Cardinals are non-migratory and sometimes suffered massive die-offs during severe winters. Yet, after about 1930, their breeding range began expanding and they repopulated the northeast, very likely because they adapted to the suburban environment and benefitted from the increased popularity of bird feeders. They were breeding in southern Connecticut by 1952 and now are found in Maine and Nova Scotia.

While the bluebirds have occupied the nest box in the side yard, competition for the second box on the back lawn continues:

The House Sparrows stopped adding nesting material after I cleaned out the box twice a day for three days in a row. Now the pair of bluebirds, though not yet building a nest, chase away the Tree Swallows which attempt to enter the box:

The swallows often sit passively on the fence near the nest box. This is nice comparison between the plumage of the female with that of the more colorful male:

The male bluebird keeps watch:

 

Bluebirds often forage on the ground. 

Male American Goldfinches have molted into their bright breeding plumage:

Migrating arrivals included a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher...

...Black-and-White Warbler...

...Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler...

...Gray Catbirds...

...Great Crested Flycatcher...

,,,and a Baltimore Oriole balancing a bit of suet cake on his tongue:

Along Diamond Lake, the trees are putting out leaves:

= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =
Linking to:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________