Winter food support

I've helped the Robins and Bluebirds during this cold spell with a few extra home grown meal worms. It's now time to make some bird feeding suet for the feeding baskets.  

 Would you like to hear an American Robin's sounds? Just click here!

Chickens are birds too......

Many of my Yorba Lindan friends have chickens....... So here's some  morning laughter for you.   

...."Come on Stripe, you can do it"........ Love these little girls laughter while obstacle course training their little fat hen. All animals are amazing.

Clck here>>      Little Fat Hen Obstacle Course:

Owl sound collection

Last night around midnight, we had a four-way great horned owl sound-off. It was beautiful!  We felt as if we lived far out in the country. That is the wonderful thing about Yorba Linda. It's a bird sanctuary where we are still able to experience wild bird life.

Here is the link to various owl sounds:
Owl Sound Collection 

Deadly window strikes rise when birds migrate.

I have birds flying into my windows year round, not just during migration periods.
Here is a great article, from local writer, 
Jennifer J. Meyer with some good suggestions: 

Help prevent birds from flying into windows.
Click here>>>http://www.ocregister.com/articles/window-685277-birds-tape.html 

We had a beautiful visitor today. A black headed grosbeak visited one of the backyard feeders. He stayed for quite awhile. ~ Yorba Linda, California

Hummingbird Babies

Two adorable  little hummingbird babies sitting in their nest in Yorba Linda, Ca.

Picture by Julie Astle.

Pin Tailed Whydah

It's been a busy summer and it has been awhile since I've posted. 

This little guy is so entertaining. smile emoticon While having my morning coffee, I saw the whydah bird out our front window perched at the top of the birch tree.
Then he appeared all day while I was cleaning the yard. Hope you like his pics. smile emoticon
(Pin Tailed Whydah Bird)  Click on picture once to enlarge. 

Bolsa Chica Wetlands, California.    Canadian Goose has been on the nest for the longest time and showed off the newly hatched.   Also, scroll to the Snowy Egret in flight.  :)

This is the first I've ever seen baby Canadian Geese. 

These are amazing shots, Thanks Greg Dillon.

Cooper's Hawk in Huntington Beach

Greg D. of Huntington Beach took pictures of Pretty Boy!

Some wonderful backyard pictures. Thanks Greg. 

Endangered - Light footed clapper rails

Sharing from Huntington Beach!
Endangered bird species mating in Bolsa Chica - California

Wildlife experts are excited about the idea of the light-footed clapper rail breeding in the wetlands.

Greg Dillon saw these at the bridge of Bolsa Chica.  He got some great pictures and video.  Scroll to the bottom. Please. 

(A newspaper note:A family of light-footed clapper rails and their three chicks wander around the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. It is the first documented sighted of light-footed clapper rail chicks in Bolsa Chica in decades. (Steve Smith, HB Independent / May 12, 2014)

These are terrific!   Thanks Greg!  

Hummingbird Eggs, Nesting Mama, then two little babies... by Jodi C.

5/18/15 - La Mirada, CA.  See the growth progression of two little sweet hummingbirds.

These fabulous pictures were taken by Jodi C.  

So far, dates 5/18 to 5/21/15 are journaled below.     
Scroll downward within this post for progression. 
   

5/19/2015 - A baby hummer is born!

5/19/15 - The baby hummer turned in another direction.

5/19/15 - A hungry baby.

Awaiting baby number two to hatch....................... 

5/20/15 - Here's newborn number two!

Sweet little newborn hummers are about the size of a sunflower seed.    

5/21/15 Their feathers are starting to get fluffy.

                                              

4-26-2015

June 2, 2015

Sorry to report that on Monday, June 2, 2015, when Jodi went to take some update pictures of the little hummingbirds, they were gone. It is possible a crow may have taken them or some other predator. We don't know. The nest was left empty, intact and did not look like there was a struggle of any kind, which lead me to believe a crow or western scrub jay were the predators.   

Protect backyard birds from hawks

It is important to remember that even though it may be disheartening to see a songbird fall victim to a hawk, the hawks are only playing their role in nature’s cycle and they do not kill more birds than needed to survive.

Here are some tips for protecting backyard birds from hawks.

Bewick's Wren Babies.

This is the first experience I've had with Bewick's Wrens.

We have a 20 year old bird house yard decoration that has been concealed with vines. I've been meaning to take it down, but, glad I didn't. I heard some little chirping sounds coming from it and sure enough, a bewick's wren had built a nest inside. There were 3 babies.

 Their sound is heavenly. Click here to hear>>> Bewick's Wren Sound

Adult Bewick's Wren at worm feeder. 

Homemade Bluebird Tempter Suet

Homemade Bluebird Tempter Suet

This suet is good for bluebirds, robins, nuttals woodpeckers, house and bewick wrens, house finch, western scrub jays, mocking birds, some warblers and various birds. 

1/2 cup shortening (butter, crisco, etc.)

1 cup flour

1/4 cup corn meal

3 tablespoons of peanut butter, crunchy or creamy

1/8 cup water

I mix all of the above in my kitchen aid mixer or use equivalent. It should be the consistency of cookie dough.

If it is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.

After it is mixed well, looks and feels like cookie dough consistency, roll dough suet in 2" balls and place in a baggy. Keep in the refrigerator to keep from spoiling. I take out what I am going to use 20 minutes before, so it will get soft. Place it in your bird feeding suet baskets or press into a tree trunk or where ever most suitable for you to watch your birds feed.   It's a great little meal boost for the birds during nesting season and especially during the winter when there is less food to be found. 

Happy Birding ~ Olivia

Send any questions to garden_gal101@sbcglobal.net

    

Hummingbirds

Greg D's Backyard Hummingbirds in Huntington Beach.  

So Cute!

Great Roadrunner

Greg D. Took these great pictures of  a great roadrunner in
San Clemente, Ca.  Good Job Greg!  

This is the first I've noticed that they have a red and blue marking on their head.
  

Notice how he blends into his surrounding environment. 

CLICK HERE>>>Great Roadrunner sounds