Tranquil Nesting Place

Good friend and neighbor Jane S. took these pictures of a nest being built in her peaceful patio. Each Spring Jane has birds building nests in her tranquil yard.

Click once on picture to enlarge. 

Mothers' Day Surprise

May 12, 2013 - Returned home Sunday, Mothers' Day to find this sweet little surprise. They are so cute. Stay tuned to see their growth.

I returned from a wonderful time in Nature Land, Mariposa, Ca. to find these 5 little beauties. Stay tuned for some hatchlings.

Canadian Geese at our local Santa Ana River

Click on pic to get a closer look.

Click here for Canadian Geese Sounds



American Gold Finch

 American Gold Finch happily enjoying their thistle feeder outside friend Jenelle's art studio.

We're so fortunate to live in Yorba Linda's wild bird sanctuary.

Photo by Jenelle 

 

 

Click on >American Goldfinch sounds

Great Egret

Photo by Julie A. - of  Yorba Linda
It visits her yard's compost pile so it's not a wonder why he looks so healthy. 

Thank you Julie, for this wonderful treasure.

Click once on the pic to enlarge.

Find out a little bit more about Egrets and click below to hear its call sounds.
It sounds similar to a frog croak:
 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_egret/id  

The Big Babies are back - All Five

Two males and three females.

To hear a western bluebird, click here

 

Female Woodpecker

This picture taken through a screen, a bit foggy but you can see it.

Mystery Bird ?

Can anyone tell me the name of this little bird. It is about sparrow size. Notice its bright orange beak. I can not find anything like it in my audubon book. Email me at garden_gal101@sbcglobal.net   THE MYSTERY BIRD HAS BEEN RESOLVED! Thanks to Valerie at Wild Birds Unlimited, the bird is a juvenile pin tailed whydah. See the last picture below and then a mature pin tailed whydah following.

 

Pet Hummingbird Video :)

              

Click hear for the Cutest Pet hummingbird video

Exciting Bluebird news

It's been some time now, but I believe all five of the baby bluebirds are back... They are teenagers now, large with spots awaiting their adult feathers... They come for worms and cranberries when I whistle. The same whistle  before I fed them as they were growing.  They seem to let me get within about 3 feet, whereas, others fly away. Also, they aren't afraid of the barking dogs as they heard the dogs barking from the time they hatched.  There are five that stay together.  They've probably always been around, I just haven't kept up with a regular feeding schedule as they needed to learn to feed on their own.   It's rewarding to know all five were able to survive and are back visiting. They are so beautiful. :)  I hope to have a picture of them before too long. My Canon camera is broken and have to take it to be repaired.
                 Scroll Down to Saturday, May 12, 2012's post below for their growing journey....

Hummingbird in Hand

Daughter Shannon is holding a baby hummingbird. She works at a garden center in Montana where she saw this little bird apparently exhausted. It was given some water and before long it flew away.

 

Bluebird House-1st Egg, Sat. May 12, 2012 (Scroll downward for bluebird progression) Enlarge Pics by double clicking on them.

With much gratitude to Linda Violett who has been my bluebird mentor, sharing her experience and professional knowledge.  

                       

                                        
Bluebird Box with newly constructed nest inside.

First Bluebird Egg appears on Saturday, May 12, 2012

The mated pair of  bluebirds land on our french door handles looking inside the house to catch our attention to refill their chopped cranberry container.  Yes, I said chopped. 

'Who has who trained?'

Sunday, May 13, 2012, Mother's Day :)

A second egg in the nest pictured below.

I placed the hawk feather you see, outside the nest box yesterday and found it in the nest today.   

Monday, May 14, 2012

Egg number 3

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Egg number 4

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Egg no. 5,

THE LAST EGG

Now waiting on 13 to 14 day incubation period for a hatch which may be May 29th or 30th.

See you all back here then.

DAY ONE. :)

We are back! Right on schedule too.

It's May 29th and at this point 4 eggs have hatched by 12:06 noon. Not sure if the last egg will hatch.

Good News!

(well maybe)

Below, the 5th egg has hatched by 6:20 p.m.  I'm hoping it's not too weak.

Now for the challenge of the parents to keep them all alive. Hopefully worm feeding assistance will help all five survive.

May 31, 2012
Below: Blues get a new two-holed mansion box.
It  took only 30 seconds to switch the old  bird  box  for the new one along with the nest.
I was very concerned the parents wouldn't go in their  new two-holed mansion. Linda assured me they would. Sure enough, the parents didn't  hesitate to fly right in and check on their kids.  The new box will  be roomier once the chicks start growing.  
(Double entry holes  to provide a defense from house sparrow invasion.)
Developed by Linda Violett. See my favorite sites above, tab titled-"Linda's Bluebird Boxes"

Snuggling in their new home.

Day 6 below.
All five chicks are alive and healthy.
At this point they look like they are all beaks.
So cute!

June 6th.

Eyes are starting to open. 

What a difference a few days make. This pic was taken on June 11th.

The chicks are starting to hop around in their nest box.  Unfortunately, nature has taken way. 

June 9th was the last time the male bluebird was seen. I'm certain he lost his life to the area coopers hawk. The mother bluebird is feeding the chick all on her own now. He was much help to her. 

  

The bluebirds fledged while Robert and I were on vacation, Sunday, Father's Day June 17th.

Our pet sitter Karen not only watched our two hounds but also helped feed the bluebirds cranberries and meal worms.  Karen thinks worms are yuckie but she braved it through assisting the mother bluebird in feeding  her kids as the helping father bluebird fell prey to the area coopers hawk.  

We appreciated Karen's daily texts and picture account of the birds while we were gone. Here are her Pics of June 17th's fledge. 

Good Job Karen. :)

So here we go with the count down below..

   

June 17th, Count 5 

June 17th, Count 4 

June 17th, Count 2 (missed count 3 pic)

June 17th,  And then there was ONE.

So long sweet bluebirds.......Please come again.

American Robin Video (Turdus migratorius)

Click on video link after picture.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

American Kestrel

This little bird is packed with power. He's so small it's hard to believe he is of the raptor family. He perches in our front yard birch trees awaiting his prey.
Hear his call by clicking on the sound link below.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_kestrel/sounds

Western Scrub Jay

This pretty Scrub Jay comes to get his daily peanuts from our fence.

 He's quite friendly. Hear his song by clicking on this link: 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/western_scrub-jay/sounds

Spice Finch

These three spice finch come by when I place thistle and millet seed in our covered feeder.  Click on the youtube link below to hear its song.

youtube.com/watch?v=9r9sJF8z1io

Swainson's Thrush

This Swainson Thrush (fledgling) was trying to learn to fly in our backyard. He got stuck in a plant so I lifted him out of the plant, placed him in this small bird feeder. Soon the parent bird landed by him and coaxed him to fly away.  That was a good day. :)    

Here his song by clicking on this link    :http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/swainsons_thrush/sounds

Northern "Red-shafted" Flicker Woodpecker, 10/17/2011

I first heard an unfamiliar bird sound and then saw a  Northern flicker   in our pine trees.  I did not know what it was nor had I heard its sound before yesterday... I'm working to get my own  picture. For now here is a link to show you what it looks like and its nice sounds. Sometimes I feel as though I'm in the country or in the forest thanks to the birds around town.   http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_flicker/sounds

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped_Warbler/sounds

These little Yellow Rumped Warblers follow the western blue birds around the yard. I think they wait to see if the blue birds have found food then they fly in to get their share. He is perched on the yard mealworm dish stand.

Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas)

This Little Male Yellow Throat Warbler was seeking insects in our Angel Trumpet Plant. I shot the pic through our glass slider and screen doors so it is a bit fuzzy. Notice the black mask which signifies it is a male. I notice when I have seen this bird that it is usually in a lower growing plant. 

:

Common_Yellowthroat/sounds