I had three different interesting bird experiences/observations on July 6, 2025. 

I went out in the yard to fill my small platform feeder and as I approached the feeder I noticed some movement by my feet. I looked down to see a very young Pine siskin eating a few tidbits of seed that had fallen to the ground. The bird seemed oblivious to my presence so I sat down on a rock to watch. 

The bird was right by my feet and almost exactly the size of a dead madrone leaf on the ground. As it ate I reached down and stroked its head and back with a finger, which didn’t interrupt its eating!  After taking a video and photo with my iPhone I picked up the bird and moved it to the watercourse rock pile, a somewhat safer environment. 

I’m certain the bird couldn’t fly so it must have come from a nest in one of the large fir trees in front of the house. I’ve had an eruption of Pine siskins this spring/summer and had many very young siskins in the yard, but most could fly. 

In between the interesting observations I had visits from Red crossbills, which included this male.

My second interesting observation was of a juvenile Brown-headed cowbird that appeared around the watercourse with surrogate White-crowned sparrow parents. It was intent on getting a bath in the watercourse but one of several female sparrows apparently recognized it as “bird non grata” and flew at it three or four times, with little effect. 

My last observation occurred while I was processing the day’s photos in my office. I looked out the window and saw a Cedar waxwing approaching the watercourse. Thinking I might have time to get to my camera I hurried downstairs. (In years past I would have said ‘ran downstairs’, but that ability has fledged!)  

I managed to sneak out the front door and set up the camera, but from the viewing angle I had I couldn’t see the actual watercourse and I didn’t want to risk moving to a better observation point.  Soon the Cedar waxwing flew to the Golden Chain tree for preening. As I watched, the bird made four more trips to the watercourse and each time retreated to the same exact branches of the tree to preen!  I managed about 80 photos but discarded the majority due to limbs and leaves that obscured a good view of the bird. 

I at first thought the bird was an adult, but in processing my photos I noticed the bright reddish/orange spots on the wings were missing, so this must have been a bird born this year. Cedar waxwings are usually very gregarious, so there must be others around. I’ll be waiting!