Backyard Birding: September
This past weekend I headed out to Tall Cypress to see what fall migrants I could find. Saw a couple of Baltimore Orioles and a Worm-eating Warbler, but that was about it.
My own backyard was buzzing when I got home though. I had a Cliff Swallow in a flock of Barn Swallows that flew over the lake feeding for about five minutes. Earlier in the week, I had Bank Swallows. I’m still seeing some coming through each evening.
All these pictures were taken this weekend in my yard. As I type this right now, I am watching a Brown Thrasher, some Common Grackles and White-winged Doves all take a morning bath in a puddle from last nights rain. Happy girl. 😉
This female American Redstart hung out in the yard for two days with the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and an Ovenbird:
American Redstart, female
I need to pull out this dead tree but my resident Brown Thrasher likes to sit in it at the end of the day:
Brown Thrasher
This is the favorite spot of the Green Heron. When the water level is high and the pipe is under the water, he will sit on top of the faux goose:
Green Heron
This is Marco the Muscovy. He is a junior and was born in May. He had 12 siblings but one drowned of a broken leg and all but he and four others were eaten by the Great Blue Heron:
Marco, the Muscovy
The Monk Parakeets love the platform feeders which I fill with a mixture of black-oil sunflower seed, nut and berry seed and Conure seed:
A Monk Parakeet heads for the platform feeder.
Here a pair of Mottled Ducks take flight. The top one is actually a Mottled x Mallard Hybrid. Thanks to my friend Paul for pointing that out:
Mottled Duck with Mottled x Mallard Hybrid.
I saw an immature Spot-breasted Oriole this past April in my garden. He was mostly yellow then. I think this may be the same one as he is still immature but is now getting spots and orange color. But, if it is the same one, where the hell was he all summer long?:
Spot-breasted Oriole
The Northern Cardinal visits all the feeders. He is usually the first one there, before the sun actually rises and the last one there, right before sunset:
Northern Cardinal
Right before this shot of my local fisherman, I was looking at him through the bins when a second Osprey flew in and flushed him off his perch. They flew together right in front of me and I didn’t have my camera. I went back in to get it, but alas, the second one was gone and my local Osprey was back on his perch above the lake:
Osprey on his favorite perch.
The Monk Parakeet says “Peace out!” until next time! Happy Birding!!
Peace Out!
Girl Birder 