Back Yard
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Back Yard
These are some scenes from out back this spring. Along with the usual birds and chipmunks visiting our feeder, we’ve been enjoying a red squirrel nest in the stone wall. There are at least 4 babies that have evolved from peering out from the crevices to practicing their climbing and walking.
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Sapsucker Stories
Dad greets Mom 
Shift change 
Mom ready to hold the fort for awhile 
Dad needs some fresh air 
Youngster 1 
Youngster 2 pleads for food 
Mom gets ready to launch for more food 
3 youngsters 
#1 ready to fledge 
Mom feeds #1 after a successful first flight 
3rd or 4th youngster still looking for delivery 
We have enjoyed being able to observe this woodpecker family in a dead tree in the back yard. At first we thought they were downies, but before long it became apparent that we were seeing Mr and Mrs Yellow-bellied Sapsucker switching off the incubation of the eggs. How many were there? How long would it be before we saw youngsters?
Eventually they switched from incubation to feeding, and by mid-June the pace had picked up tremendously. The nest cavity emitted urgent cries for food constantly. Then finally, using not the front door nest cavity we’d been observing but a secret trap door to the roof, Youngster 1 emerged! #2 and #3 followed soon after, each one eventually taking off to sail to a nearby walnut tree. We saw 3 in all, but the mother appeared to still be feeding a 4th chick that didn’t launch till the next day.
We’re kind of in sapsucker withdrawal now, since they don’t return to hang out at the nest cavity. I spotted one yesterday, looking like a small piece of moving bark as it moved up a tree trunk. I trust they’re all making their way in the big, unprotected world now! Hopefully we’ll enjoy some sightings over the next few months.
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Out my window
We spend a lot of time at this table, enjoying the wildlife passing through. Today I took my camera and joined my daughter outside at the picnic table to wait and see who showed up from a closer vantage point.
We have at least three male grosbeaks. This one looks the most polished. But the award for the most blotchy goes to this guy. Maybe he doesn’t have all his adult plumage yet:
This one looks like a mixture of the two — a few speckles, but close to the elegance of the first one:
Naturally there are plenty of rodents around, too.
More visitors arrived than I could photograph, but it was peaceful being out there and having the creatures eventually realize they could go about their business and we wouldn’t hurt them.
Rain finally drove us inside, but I’ll look forward to more times of enjoying the back yard and learning more about my camera at the same time.
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Dinner Theatre
From our table, we’ve enjoyed seeing this red squirrel doing its Spiderman imitation on the stone wall across the lawn.
Is there a nest with some baby squirrels inside the wall?
No way to be sure at this point, but it’s fun watching such dramas play out — and inspiring to see such incredible core strength.
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Cooper the Stalker
The Cooper’s hawk is not my favorite — especially when he shows up, as he periodically does, at our bird feeder. Though usually he’s unsuccessful, it seems exceptionally uncivil to turn our efforts to help his fellow birds maintain a food supply in winter into an opportunity to kill and eat them. Nevertheless, I have to admire his handsomeness and athleticism. This series captures one of his visits, when he landed on the feeder and then noticed what must’ve been a mouse on the ground near the woodpile. He left empty-taloned, but his thought processes were easy to read.
This is where the appetizers usually get delivered, right? 
Waiting, waiting… Hey, what’s that on the ground near the woodpile? 
Here, mousy mousy! 
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Caught in the act
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Prayer before meals
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Mrs Hummer
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Big leaf, small butterfly
For the first time in the 15 years we’ve lived here, sunflowers actually came up. Always before the chipmunks ate them when they were mere sprouts, but these are at least 12 feet tall and just starting to bloom.We have a hedge of shorter varieties too.
I join the goldfinches, bees, and butterflies in my fondness for these bright flowers.
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Sights and sounds of spring
It was 27 degrees when we got up this morning, but the sky was blue and it was destined to warm up into the seventies. Who wouldn’t take a walk?
Today it was more about sounds than sights: tiny rustlings that turned out to be kinglets, squirrels, cardinals or chipmunks. A distant woodpecker. A faraway wood thrush. The vigorous sound of running water in the thawed creek. I did see some deer, but only for a split second before they fled.
Then I saw a pair of quiet, elusive birds. I wanted to sit still and see if they’d come closer, and behold, there was an inviting bench just to the side of the trail.
It just happened to be near the tree where I got to watch some nesting chickadees a couple of years ago…
It won’t happen again — not in that tree. It was lying beside the trail, fallen over the winter.
But it was neat to get to see the inside of their home. The top of the tree had broken off so the soft nest cavity was visible. I also admired their wall decor.
Finally the other birds came close enough to see. There’s a chance they were oven birds, but I’m pretty sure they were veery. They made no sound so I couldn’t confirm by their voices. But I enjoyed the way they accepted my being there as they hopped around flipping over leaves and looking for breakfast. They’re birds more often heard than seen, so it was a treat.
When I got home we had more excitement: a redtail rose out of the brush beyond our house. A moment later, the leucistic redtail rose up too, and we saw its blazing whiteness as it circled high into the air. We ran outside in our socks to watch, and discovered there was a third redtail — which the white one chased, screaming and seeming to collide with it. It chased it three or four miles away and then turned, tucked its wings, and sped back at incredible speed. What would have been a ten minute drive took about 15 seconds. I guessed it was a male, defending its nesting territory and and its mate.
I got some awesome pictures, but you’ll have to take my word for it, because after I had excitedly snapped them I got inside and my camera informed me there was no card inserted. I had taken it out to download the pics from my walk! None of my pictures were saved.
Fortunately my daughter got a few pics with her point and shoot, and she says it’s okay if I share them.
It was an amazing sight! I’m hoping for another chance — but meantime, it’s thrilling to have the memory.
