Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts

Gloria's Birds: "Mine, all mine" sayeth the Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Sunday, March 10, 2024

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

"Mine, all mine!"


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Gloria's Birds: Gertie's unfolded wings are something to behold

Friday, March 1, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

(Ring-billed Gull on the beach at Lake Washington)

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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Gloria's Birds: Despite his mom's admonishments when he was a chick,

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

Gus the seagull preferred biting the water...none of this sipping nonsense.
(Spotted Gus on the shores of Lake Washington)

--Gloria Z. Nagler



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For the Birds: The spiderwebs were deliberate

Monday, February 19, 2024

Hard to get the spider web from toes to nest.
Photo by Jan Hansen

By Diane Hettrick

Remember the charming photos of a hummingbird picking spiderwebs out of her toes?

We thought she had accidentally flown through a web.

Offended hummingbird. Photo by Jan Hansen

She was a little offended at the assumption. 

According to For the Birds columnist Christine Southwick this is a female Anna's Hummingbird, who is in the process of building her nest!

Anna’s Hummingbirds nest starting as early as late December, although as cold as it was I suspect most waited until about now.

The females build a nest for their two small eggs using spider webbing to bind it together and to allow the nest to expand as the nestlings grow.

The whole nest is only about 1 1/2  inches across. 
 
Keep your feeders clean and active and you should see some juveniles in about a month.

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Travels with Charlie: A raft of coots

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Story and photos by Gordon Snyder

Valentine's Day looked like a typical grey cloudy dull-looking day when I took Charlie for a for a walk. Seemed like nothing going on. Boring. All this happened in five minutes.

Then a huge raft of Coots caught my attention. They were moving like a black blob just offshore of the North Lake Washington shore by the beach along the Burke Gilman Trail.

There must have been thousands as they swam and fluttered to get closer together.

What the heck?


Looking around for a minute or two, I spotted why…

A Bald Eagle was cruising above and making them crazy. (upper left above the raft)

Safety in Numbers!

As the eagle flew over them they formed a tighter line formation.

The Eagle landed in a tree and just watched them frantically move their raft away.

All of the Coots stayed tight and moved away even without a leader.

All they wanted was to get outa there.

The eagle finally just resumed the soaring flight…

No Coots were harmed in this story.


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Gloria's Birds: Toss of the Townsend's Warbler...

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

 (He nabs bits of the suet but, in order to swallow it, the warbler tosses it into his open beak.)

--Gloria Z. Nagler



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Gloria's Birds: "Dagnabbit, Gus," said Gertie as she leapt out of his way, "you've GOT to work on your landings!"

Sunday, February 11, 2024

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

(Ring-billed Gulls make a splash on Lake Washington this week:)

--Gloria Z. Nagler



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Sometimes things get sticky

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Photo by Jan Hansen

This hummingbird flew into a spiderweb. Trying to get it off his feathers, the web get stuck in his beak.

Photo by Jan Hansen

He tried rubbing it off on a branch, then used his claws.

Photo by Jan Hansen
The bird version of picking its teeth with his nails was a success. 

--Jan Hansen

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Acrobatic flying

Monday, February 5, 2024

Between the branches
Photo by Jan Hansen

Didn't miss a beat
Photo by Jan Hansen

Jan Hansen says "This northern flicker had a tight flight in my backyard this morning, but made it."


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For the Birds: Who’s That Singing in My Yard?

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Resident Bewick's Wren foraging in the snow
Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

If you have a small boisterous brown bird with a white eye line flitting through your shrubs, stopping every so often to belt out lovely warbles, whistles, and trills, you have a Bewick’s Wren. 

He and his mate are probably year-round residents.

Those lively buzzes, trills, warbles and bubbly songs of these wrens bring such joy to my ears.

The male Bewick’s Wren sings to protect his territory, which he takes quite seriously, and to attract a mate. 

This is a full-time effort, especially since he must endeavor to win his mate by melodiously belting out up to 22 different songs in his repertoire, and to keep other males away.

Active nest box near house
Photo by Craig Kerns
Since the majority of these local wrens stay paired they are usually the first perching birds (passerines) in this area to start nesting.

Once he has won the affection of this year’s mate, the male fashions three or four nests full of twigs for the female’s approval. 

These are often in the most unusual places; hose bib covers, boots, corners of carports, all hidden near human habitation. 

Bewick’s Wrens will readily use a nest box near/against your house. They don’t like high-traffic areas and won’t make nests out in the open.

When the female has selected the preferred nest location, she will finish it with feathers, hair, leaves and mosses and a soft warm cup for her eggs.

While the female sits on her 4-6 eggs the male brings food to her, and he helps feed their offspring. The female often has a second brood.

Score a spider
Photo by Craig Kerns
These spunky hyperactive little birds, with their tails cocked over their backs, can be found climbing on branches, skulking in blackberry brambles, sometimes upside down, and investigating the leaves on the ground, looking for their buggy delicacies, especially those tasty spiders.

If you go too close to them while they are searching for food, they will often scold you.

Extermination at your service
Photo by Craig Kerns
Fledgling Bewick’s Wrens are the same size as their parents when they leave their nests, only their tail feathers still need to finish growing. 

Since their eyebrows are rough and uneven these juvies look unkempt until they molt into their adult feathers the next year.

Your yard is being used by one of the best insect and spider eliminators, so don’t use pesticides which will likely kill these delightful super-bug-eaters. 

Let these energetic birds be your bubbly exterminators.



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Ducks on Ice

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

 
Photo by Martin DeGrazia

Someone forgot to tell Ronald Bog about the temperature warming. The bog was still frozen Monday morning, January 22, 2023.

The ducks appear to be a little puzzled.

--Diane Hettrick


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Gloria's Birds: Zombie crow!

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

(aka nictitating corvid. Birds, among other animals, have this membrane that they draw over their eyes for protection and to prevent dryness.)

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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Gloria's Birds: Whoops, Chelsea failed to stick the landing!

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

She should've heeded her mom and practiced more often. (Chelsea the Chestnut-backed Chickadee righted herself and took off again with the largest nut she could find:)

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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Hummingbird feeder alert: birds can't drink frozen juice

Saturday, January 13, 2024

By Gordon Snyder

I’m a hummingbird fan. I love watching and photographing them.

We have had feeders in the front and back yards for years. When it’s very cold like now, our resident hummers are dependent on us keeping their feeders thawed out. They can’t drink frozen juice.


Photo by Gordon Snyder
As soon as I hung this thawed feeder, I got a quick "Thank You Look” from this Anna's Hummingbird.

Notice the feathers are fluffed to make the warmest down coat. He was even flying around the feeder all puffed up to stay warm as possible.

Heated hummingbird feeder
Photo by Gordon Snyder
Next, I set up a heated hummingbird feeder and within seconds a Boss was guarding it selfishly.

All our hummingbird feeders were frozen solid from this cold front. To thaw them out, put them in a sink or container because they will leak sugar water as they warm.

As the warmed feeders were rehung, they were in high demand. But as usual, the hummers began setting territories. Our Anna’s Hummingbirds don’t share…

Thaw feeders in a sink because they will leak suger water as they warm.
Photo by Gordon Snyder
After thawing out and setting up a couple more feeders, the Anna's managed to share. But only between flights chasing each other away from “their” feeder. Then, during the chase, another one snuck in and filled its belly.

Please, it’s going to be cold for the next several days and nights. If you have hummingbird feeders, bring them inside at night. Then, put them outside in the morning.

The hummers will be waiting for you. You will bring joy to them and yourself.


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Not everything was gray

Thursday, January 11, 2024


Hurray!
Just to say,
not everything was gray.


An amazing display
from this hummingbird today.


Photos and poem by Jan Hansen



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Gloria's Birds: Why do humans insist on saying "Birds of 'a' feather flock together” photog?

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

No such thing exists. Take me for example: head feathers, shoulder feathers, tail feathers...all different shapes and patterns. 

You guys give us no credit for the diversity that is nature!

(Cora Crow’s a mite testy, but seems to me she’s got a point! There are no birds of a feather!)

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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Gloria's Birds: True, I'm not between a rock and a hard place, photog,

Saturday, January 6, 2024

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

but still I feel hemmed in, said Beatrice.
(Bewick's Wrens are here year 'round, for which I'm grateful.)

--Gloria Z. Nagler

 

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Gloria's Birds: Tallulah looked a good way into the distance to see what 2024 might bring...

Monday, January 1, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

[Tallulah the Townsend's Warbler is not one to spill the beans, though; the rest of us will just have to wait and see! 'Till then, Happity New Year from Tallulah and me.]

--Gloria Z. Nagler


 

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Gloria's Birds: Hermione hurried off for some last-minute holiday shopping...

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

(Probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk because of the squared-off tail, rather than a Cooper's Hawk with a rounded tail.)

Bird folks are telling me this is a Cooper’s Hawk, and they may well be right!

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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Gloria's Birds: Hey, Nadia, I didn't know you'd be here today!

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

Wanna hang out over a cuppa joe after lunch?

(Red-breasted Nuthatches can be the friendliest sort...)

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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