Last week I spotted a rare visitor to my garden! Golden-crowned sparrows spend winters along the Pacific coast. By mid-May they migrate to Western Canada and Alaska where they nest. They feed on seeds and insects below feeders and in underbrush. Moments later a second […]
All posts tagged: backyard birds
Hummingbird Magic!
Just hanging out and enjoying the view. Oops! Everybody poops! 😉 And then … it’s off to the next flower!
Hummingbird Magic!
Here’s a moment of Hummingbird Magic! Ever since putting out the flying saucer style feeders I’ve gotten more visitors. Our local bird store recommends mixing the nectar 1 part sugar and 3 parts water. This makes it more concentrated and nourishing during really cold weather. […]
Up Close & Personal … Hairy Woodpecker Fledglings
Last summer we had a large number of woodpecker parents bringing their fledglings to our suet feeders. This year not so much! I suspect that it has probably been too hot for the birds too around here. It certainly has been way too hot for […]
Up Close & Personal … The Varied Thrush
I’ll always remember the first time I spotted one of these birds! It was on a very cold winter morning in our garden in Portland, Oregon. I had to get the bird field guide out since I’d never seen this bird before and learned they […]
Happy Friday from my Plum Tree!
The year after planting this plum tree we got a bumper crop of fruit! But ever since, when the tree awakens in the spring there are lots of blossoms, but no fruit. Nontheless, I love this tree! It provides nectar for hummers and mason bees […]
Hummingbird Magic!
A little cleaning, a little preening, there really are moments when these very active birds sit still. 🙂
Up Close & Personal … The Female Black-Headed Grosbeak
In my last post I highlighted the male black-headed grosbeak. Here are some photographs of a female black-headed grosbeak. Her overall appearance is much more plain than her male counterpart. Her body is buff colored and her wings have white markings. The white stripes on […]
Up Close & Personal … The Black-headed Grosbeak
Every morning when I wake up I thank my lucky stars! When we moved to Portland almost 16 years ago I wasn’t sure I’d like it. But sometimes we don’t have a choice where life takes us. In the end it turned out to be […]
Up Close & Personal … Yellow Finches for Trish!
For many years we rarely got more than a handful of American Goldfinches in our garden. I’d buy some thistle seed, fill the feeder and wait … … until the thistle seeds finally got moldy. Since just about all birds love black oil sunflower seeds […]
Hummingbird Magic!
If hummingbirds could talk, they’d probably say that they love salvias. This black and blue salvia is another hummingbird favorite. I love how the hummers never miss the flower openings, no matter how tiny or oddly shaped. My garden and the visiting creature always have […]
Hummingbird Magic!
When I looked out the window today I saw red! Brilliant, bright, shiny red! He looked like a red traffic signal! So I stopped what I was doing and ran outside with my camera. This male Anna’s hummingbird (and several others) have taken a liking […]
Hummingbird Magic at Christmas!
Sparkly tree topper resting, guarding, protecting, “I’m not sharing today” I recently put out a hummingbird feeder for those who stay over winter. One feisty hummer spotted it right away right and now fiercely guards “his feeder”. Then I put out a second hoping other […]
Hummingbird Magic!
“Can you see me now?” Hummingbirds never cease to amaze me! There’s an unbelievable amount of energy packed into these tiny birds. They appear seemingly out of nowhere, feast on their favorite flowers and then … they disappear again. Just like that! Sometimes if I’m […]
Hummingbird Magic!
I LOVE hummingbirds! Hummingbirds are just as curious about us humans as we humans are about them. They are fiercely territorial and rarely sit still for any amount of time. This year I spent a lot of time outside to watch them enjoy the flowers I […]
Happy Friday from my Garden!
These adorable tiny bushtits visit our garden multiple times every day. They always come in large flocks, perhaps as many as 50 and more. They announce themselves with a cheery chatter and then descent onto the suet feeders. Bushtits are small kinglet sized birds around […]
Hummingbird Magic!
Look at this tongue!! “I feel good” he chirps dewdrop bathtub freshly filled what sunrise delight. I haven’t been sleeping well since the beginning of the pandemic. Many nights I wake up, often from Covid nightmares. After a particularly awful nightmare one night, I got […]
Meditation in Moments … Please be Kind!
Yes! I’m talking to you! “Please Be Kind” said this smart and considerate hummingbird: This now new world order requires an invisible physically distant border around you and me and everyone we see along with a mask to stay disease-free. Most humans are kind and […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 