I hadn’t planned to bird June 20, 2026, in part due to the bright sunshine we had. At some point midday I looked out the kitchen window and saw a Brown creeper taking a bath in the watercourse. This is a fairly unusual phenomenon because the Brown creepers usually prefer to use a birdbath that is considerably further out in the yard. Sighting of the creeper motivated me to get my camera and spend some time in the yard.
While I was out the/a creeper returned to the watercourse and I was able to get some good close-up shots. I’m fairly certain that this creeper was a juvenile.
During the afternoon I was also able to obtain nice photos of one or more Rufous hummingbirds.
a female Yellow-rumped warbler,
a juvenile Spotted towhee,
a juvenile Dark-eyed (Oregon) junco
and a pair of Bushtits, always difficult to photograph due to their activity level and usual reluctance to be attracted to water. This Bushtit is a female.
Later, while in my office processing the 243 (!) photos I had taken that afternoon, I saw a juvenile accipiter enter the yard and perch by the watercourse, but I didn’t have my camera and wasn’t able to get what could have been an exceptional picture had I been in the yard.
There’s no creature safe from †he camera! This Lorquin’s Admiral landed within photographic range and so became camera fodder!
I’m trying to keep detailed logs on spring migrants and rarities visiting the yard this spring. This includes not only logging visits but also documenting the visits with photographs when I can. The volume of photos is overwhelming and I’m seriously behind on my processing. I generally spend more time in the yard on overcast days because photographic conditions are better. The highest rate of arrivals seems to occur in mid-to-late afternoon which is generally more favorable lighting conditions for my photography.
The early migrants beginning in late April were were Yellow-rumped warblers and Orange-crowned warblers. They have now given way to (male) Wilson’s warblers.
Male Purple finch on April 19 -21, the first I have ever identified in the yard.
Female Purple finch on May 10, a very rare visitor and my first really good photos of the female of the species.
First seasonal arrival of a Black-headed grosbeak on May 8 with two visiting together the next day. (I have yet to see a female.)
Arrival of a female Western tanager (no good photos) early in the migration and a male on May 7.
A glimpse (and lousy photos) of a vireo (probably a warbling vireo) on May 6.
A single visit from a female Black-headed cowbird on April 21 and again on April 28.. On the latter date the female cowbird was happily bathing in the watercourse among the neighbors’ House sparrows. Two pairs visited the yard/platform feeder May 11.
On May 12 this male Brown-headed cowbird briefly visited the yard.
On May 10, I had a visit from a small accipiter which, along with sun, shut down birding for most of the day. I obtained a photo of the raptor through three sets of fencing with no hope of identifying a specific species.
There are still at least two to three weeks of migration left with the possibility of seeing other arrivals, but arrivals have tapered alarmingly over the past few days!
I’ve had at least one pair of Bewick’s wrens visiting the yard on an almost hourly basis for the past month or so.
A pair of Black-capped chickadees seem to be using a birdhouse I had planned to scrap.
None of my salvias are in bloom yet but the dominate Golden Chain tree in the front yard is in full bloom and has just begun shedding blossoms.
On April 15, 2026, I spent time in the yard hoping for migrating warblers. It didn’t seem a good day for spring arrivals but I had a little time on my hands and, as the saying goes, “Hope springs eternal”. (That pun snuck up on me!) During the time I spent in the yard the weather was overcast, cool and with a slight breeze blowing…not the kind of day I would associate with spring migration.
I began the afternoon watching my resident Orange-crowned warbler repeatedly access the suet feeder which is across the yard and at the edge of my acceptable range for photos. Since I was getting few birds on my side of the yard I decided to move my location closer to where most of the action was. It was a good decision. I first obtained photos of the resident Orange-crowned warbler.
In the same feeder area were at least three Red-breasted nuthatches.
Also present in the same area were a pair of Bewick’s wrens which I’m fairly certain are raising young nearby.
An American crow landing in the top of a neighbor’s tree caught my attention and in photographing it (with a telephoto lens) I realized it was transporting nesting materials in its beak.
A pair of American goldfinches arrived after I had resumed my original location. The female accessed the platform feeder (peanut dices and shelled sunflower seeds) while the male watched. They didn’t remain in the yard long and didn’t visit any of the water features. The goldfinches have traditionally been a staple of spring/summer yard birds, but last year (2025) I never counted more than four in the yard at any one time, so I’m curious about what this year will bring. My Golden Chain tree has formed tassels which will soon bloom, making the finches more difficult to see but potentially offering some interesting photographic opportunities. (I only obtained one photo of the male goldfinch and it’s not worthy of posting.)
Late in my brief time in the yard a migrating Orange-crowned warbler briefly visited my nearest water feature but was scared off by the sound of the mirror on my camera. I differentiate this arrival from my resident warbler by its arrival point and behavior… a skill set I’ve developed by spending too much time in the yard!
All in all I label this as a good day. Moving to a new location in the yard gave me better access to some of my regular visitors,
And a coupe of other photos… a Black-capped chickadee...
This morning (April 14, 2026), I managed to find the Common loon that has been frequenting the Cap Sante Marina and get within decent photographic range. In past years when I was able to get photographs of a loon it was always in winter plumage, not displaying the bird’s beautiful breeding plumage. This year a loon remained in the marina long enough †o morph into full breeding plumage and this morning I managed to photograph it.. in the rain!
In this next photo the bird is in “fishing mode”, peering underwater for prey as it paddles along the surface.
Shortly after I arrived the loon departed for the dock complex where it becomes virtually inaccessible. It can swim under a dock and resurface 50′ further away, while requiring me to walk 200 yards just for a CHANCE to photograph it. It’s especially frustrating in that it often surfaces and lingers very close to someone working on a boat, unaware of the loon’s proximity. I learned many years ago that trying follow one through the dock complex is usually a lost cause.
I spent some time in the yard on April 6, 2026, and photographed a bird I suspected might be a male Purple finch. I wasn’t sure because I’ve never knowingly photographed a male in the yard in my 25+ years living in the Cap Sante neighborhood. I say knowingly because the male House finch is quite similar and sports a broad range of red, especially during the breeding season. I sent photos of this bird to three different birders whose skills I respect and they all confirmed it’s a male Purple finch! (Thank you birding friends!)
In late morning on April 13, 2026, I got a quick glimpse of a dull brown bird flying into the main (truncated) Madrona tree in my yard. I got a very quick glimpse of its breast before it parked its front half behind the main trunk of the tree, leaving only its rear half viewable. My curiosity piqued, I viewed the bird through my telephoto lens and arrived at an identification with only the back half of it showing. While there’s a possibility that the bird is a Swainson’s thrush, the contrasting reddish-brown tail would indicate it’s a Hermit thrush, probably on its way to other environs for the breeding season! This is quite a rare bird for the yard and I was glad to see and photograph it for documentation, even though I only got only half the bird!
The afternoon was cool (51 degrees), overcast and with a light breeze. I arrived in the yard a little late (about 3pm). Initially there were very few birds in the yard. I finally counted four Golden-crowned sparrows but they seemed unusually reluctant to approach me.
I was excited by seeing what I thought might be two warblers enter the yard but they were on the far side of the yard in bushes and quickly left. A while later I saw our winter resident Orange-crowned warbler on the suet feeder but it didn’t remain in the yard long.
Shortly after 4pm I glanced towards the watercourse as two birds appeared simultaneously. One was an Orange-crowned warbler and the other a male Yellow-rumped (Audubon) warbler! Both here and in Texas I have observed that different species of warblers often seem to travel in ‘waves’ and arrive together. Adhering to the old adage, “Strike while the iron is hot”, I took over 60 photos of the Yellow-rumped warbler! Ironically, both of these warblers are named for features that can be difficult to discern in the field.
Both birds were intent on accessing the watercourse… the Orange-crowned warbler was first but stayed only briefly. The Yellow-rumped warbler took a minute or two to reach the watercourses but took its time bathing. It then flew to the Golden Chain tree and preened for a few minutes before returning to the watercourse for a second bath!
I saw my first Yellow-rumped warbler of the season (also a male) in Washington Park on March 31 and this is the third one (all males, 4/3, 4/10 & 4/13) I’ve seen in the yard this season. As far as my yard is concerned, the male Yellow-rumped warblers are usually the first warblers to arrive each spring. My most numerous warblers are the Wilson’s warblers but they have yet to start arriving. And it’s still early… May is warbler arrival month in my yard.
