I don’t have any new species to display but I have taken a lot of new photos.  First I should mention that as of about two days ago (5/15) the Bushtits I featured on one of my prior posts were still feeding young in the nest.  Just prior to leaving for Texas (on 4/17) the Bushtit’s nest had been substantially completed and I assumed that the young would have fledged by the end of April or shortly thereafter.  When I checked the nest on 5/ the parents were still actively feeding young.

At the same general location a couple of days ago I visited late in the afternoon and thought that I saw at least three, and possibly four, male Western tanagers on a Red elderberry bush/tree.  The berries are not yet mature/ripe, but a day later I photographed a couple of crows eating the berries.   If you want to photograph birds find yourself a Red elderberry tree with ripe berries… the trees attract a wide variety of birds.

Back in the yard, I’m having several visits a day from one or more male Black-headed grosbeaks.  On one occasion I saw a female, but it has yet to be spotted on a feeder.

About a week ago we began having visits from Wilson’s warblers, generally the most common warbler visitor to our yard at this time of year.  These are beautiful birds!

The Turkey vultures have returned to the Pacific Northwest and will be with us until again migrating south this fall.

This male House finch is a regular visitor to the yard lately and it seems to be without a mate thus far.

And finally, leaving the yard once again and back to the wetlands, I found this American robin in the bushes with a beak full of salmon berries!