May 31, 2018, evolved as a really good day for birding in the yard.  The birding began when I returned from my morning activities, looked out the kitchen window and saw what seemed like a rather oddly-colored male House finch on our small platform feeder.  I grabbed my binoculars;ars and discovered the first Red crossbill (this one a male) we’ve seen in over a year!  I rushed outside with my camera determined to get some kind of photo of this special visitor.  This was my first (‘record’) photo of it behind madrona leaves…

But I didn’t have to be satisfied with that first photo.  The bird came and went from the yard most of the day.

Another resident, but except for vocalizations all day long, somewhat secretive, was this House wren that elected to take a rare bath in the watercourse.  I think a pair nested in or around the yard due to all the vocalizations over the last few weeks.

Black-headed grosbeaks are regular visitors to the yard, but I see the male much more than the female.

We have both Anna’s and Rufous hummingbirds, male and females, in the yard.  Now that our salvia are blooming they provide the opportunity to photograph the hummingbirds in a more natural setting.  This female Rufous hummingbird is accessing one of the salvias.

We have at least two mated pair of California quail visiting the yard several times a day but so far we have seen no chicks, which is somewhat worrisome.

At least one pair of Brown-headed cowbirds have been with us for several weeks now.  So far we have not seen any juveniles being raised by other species.  .

On May 27 (2018) I spent some time in the yard in late afternoon after running errands.  I usually quit or take a break so that I can view the national news at 5:30pm, but on this day I decided to skip the news and just relax in the yard.  It was fortunate I did!

At 5:45pm a pair of Yellow-rumped warblers (Audubon’s) flew into the yard and proceeded to take baths in the watercourse at the same time!  Warblers have been in short supply lately so I was very appreciative of this visit.

This is the female, who made it into the watercourse first but proved more difficult;t to photograph.

And the male…

And since I took a few other good photos, Ill just go ahead and post them.  A female American goldfinch…

A female House finch…

A Chestnut-backed chickadee…

And a female (and/or juvenile) Red-winged blackbird.  They’ve been hitting the feeders hard and Ill be glad when they disperse!

Another great day in the yard for photographing birds!  I’m concerned about the lack of warblers and some of the rarer birds appearing in the yard.  It’s been months since seeing Cedar waxwings, Red crossbills or Western tanagers entering the watercourse.  But while waiting for some of the rarities I make do with regular visitors.

Here are two male hummingbirds…

The Anna’s, some of which are year-round residents…

And the Rufous, which is a spring/summer visitor.

I again had a male Black-headed grosbeak visit the watercourse in the afternoon and I was in the yard with my camera to record the event.

The female Black-headed grosbeak has proved much shyer and has been much more difficult to photograph without obstruction.

We had a male House finch appear somewhat closer than usual and I obtained many good photographs of it.  Take special note of the bird’s beak.

This is a Pine siskin, which could be confused with a female House finch as both are roughly the same size, of sometimes similar color and both have vertical stripes on the breast.  However, note the Pine siskin’s beak is very sharp, a distinguishing feature.  I think this particular Pine Siskin is a juvenile.

We’ve had many Red-winged blackbird visitors this spring, both male and female.  These are breeding pairs that apparently are nesting in the cattails down the hill by the wastewater treatment plant.  A quick flight up the hill to our feeders is much more efficient than having to leave the nests unprotected and forage for seeds or insects.  I’m fairly certain that we are beginning to see fledglings.  This first bird is an adult female and I suspect the second photo is a fledgling of, at least by me, undetermined sex.

Another SPOILER ALERT… the next two photos (taken in the yard 5/12/2018) are NOT of birds!

I had interested participants in my beginning birding course over to the house on May 19.  There was a lot of birding activity in the yard but not many unusual birds. Late in the day I saw a single Orange-crowned warbler pass through the yard, but that was the only warbler for the day.

On May 20 I had a banner day though disappointing from a photographic standpoint.  It began with what appeared to be a female Wilson’s warbler but in processing photos I’ve decided that it was probably a male.

Later in the day I saw what was definitely a male Wilson’s warbler.

Just as it was getting almost too dark to take photos, a Hermit thrush showed up in the yard and proceeded to bathe in the watercourse.  I went outside with my camera but when the thrush emerged from the watercourse it flew straight out of the yard without giving me a chance for a photograph.

But during the day we had a pair of White-crowned sparrows,

a pair of Dark-eyed (Oregon) juncos and a pair of Golden-crowned sparrows,

all of which I presume are nesting in the neighborhood.   I was quite surprised to see the Golden-crowned sparrows since the others in the yard left 2-3 weeks ago.

I had a better day on May 21.  It began again with a male Wilson’s warbler, followed by the first Brown creeper I’ve seen in the past couple of weeks.

Later a male Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon’s) entered the yard and then another (or possibly the same one) returned later in the afternoon.

But possibly the best photographic opportunity occurred when a male Black-headed grosbeak entered the watercourse for a bath, the first time that’s occurred when I was in the yard with my camera.  I had a full, unobstructed view of the bird and took full advantage of the opportunity.

I spent time in the yard on the afternoon of May 9, 2018, hoping to photograph some spring migrants, but they were few and far between.  I had two brief visits from an Orange-crowned warbler and two more from a Wilson’s warbler (didn’t even get close enough look to confirm the sex, but I believe that both were probably males), but nothing I was able to photograph.  I did get a few unobstructed photos of our male Black-headed grosbeak, my first unobstructed photos of that species of the season.  

The worst part of the day’s birding was that a male Brown-headed cowbird arrived in the yard today.  In past years cowbirds have parasitized the nests of White-crowned sparrows, Dark-eyed juncos and Spotted towhees.  

I went inside for the national news at 5:30pm and after the news (about 6:20pm) I checked the watercourse from the kitchen window.  A female Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon’s race) was bathing in the watercourse and she was soon joined by a female Wilson’s warbler.  So despite failing light I resurrected my camera and sneaked outside.  By that time, both birds had left the yard.  

It was cool outside and I was only wearing a t-shirt, so I wasn’t going to stay long.  After awhile a pair of Spotted towhees visited the watercourse a couple of times and a female Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon’s race) visited our stone bird bath on the far side of the yard from me. 

I was just about to go in when movement of a larger bird near the sunflower feeder caught my attention.  I eyed the bird through my camera lens and found it to be a female Black-headed grosbeak, our first female of the season and about a week behind the arrival of our first male.  

So from an observation standpoint, and ignoring the unproductive photographic possibilities, I had a fairy good day… three warbler species (Orange-crowned, Wilson’s & Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s)), the first arrival of a species (Brown-headed cowbird) and first arrival for two different sexes of species (female Wilson’s warbler & female Black-headed grosbeak) .  The migration is on! 

Here are a few more photos I took on the same day…