I can’t believe another week has gone by already. While it seems like time should be moving slowly, I am finding it to be the opposite as my days at home fill up with work and chores. It’s as if I never left my schedule. And yet because I am home, it sometimes seems like I don’t have a schedule.
Winter returned twice this week and I was going to post a few pictures of birds in the snow but time got away from me and I’m not feeling too nostalgic for snow at the moment. It’s still chilly overnight but I think we are finally going to start warming up. And of course the question lurking right behind that is, Then What?
I went to the Portage last Saturday and Sunday mornings, because both days turned out fairly decent weather-wise. The variety of species differed somewhat between the two days, in that the Yellow-Rumped Warblers who posed for pictures and the one Ruby-Crowned Kinglet were present on Saturday but not detectable on Sunday. That sort of thing. On the other hand, I had the Bluebird on Sunday. So it goes.
I’ve been seeing Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers (I call them “Sappies”) in the neighborhood all week, and had one in my yard last weekend, but this is the only one I’ve been able to sort of capture so far.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
There were a lot of White-Throated Sparrows, or at least more of them than the other species. Below this grouping is a short recording of one of them singing. He had a really nice version of their song, which has always been one of my favorites.
White-Throated Sparrow 
I had no idea what was going on with these Red-Winged Blackbirds on the trail as I approached them on Saturday, but on Sunday I noticed that someone has been leaving a little pile of birdseed, so that explains the gathering and likely the behavior. Feeding the animals is a no-no. But I imagine there are more people walking the trails these days than normally do, and I think that’s a good thing. Maybe we will all treasure being outside more after our quarantine subsides.
The Tree Sparrow was seen on Saturday and not on Sunday. I don’t expect to see one again until late fall.
American Tree Sparrow 
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
The female Red-Wingeds have now joined the males and everybody’s ready to start working on the next generation. On Saturday I must have had more than 50 Red-Winged Blackbirds at the Portage. I don’t think I ever saw that many last year. It could be some were passing through. It will be interesting to see how many remain to nest.
Female Red-Winged Blackbird 
There was one male Blue-Winged Teal hanging out with a couple of Mallards.
I only got a glimpse of the crown on this Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.
Woodpeckers – there were a lot of Northern Flickers. And Downy Woodpeckers are always present. I always hear a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, but don’t always see one. It was also nice to see a Hairy Woodpecker. I keep hoping I will see a Red-Headed Woodpecker here again.
Northern Flicker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Hairy Woodpecker 
This looks like a young male Red-Winged Blackbird. He must be a late-bloomer.
Robins are everywhere.
As things are just starting to turn green, mosses were attractive.
People have been reporting Hermit Thrushes so I was happy to see one. I miss seeing half a dozen of them at once downtown in the city, but maybe it’s better to see one in the woods than a lot of them on turf grass.
There were two Turkey Vultures flying around, at then at one point they landed in the trees.
A lovely Mrs. Cowbird. What more can I say?
Female Brown-headed Cowbird 
The trees are starting to bud and this will all burst into green soon.
If you click on the dove pictures you can see nesting material in its bill easier.
Mourning Dove 
There are a lot of Cardinals at the Portage but they’re not always easy to capture, especially this time of year when they’re busy setting up territories.
So here is the Bluebird of Happiness. I don’t get to see Bluebirds too often, so this was a special treat.
I plan to go out this weekend and with any luck, there will be even more birds to see. Migration continues, and I suspect the birds are having a better time of it without so much human interruption.
Forecast for next week, days to be warmer. It was a cold last week for us. I’m sure the Portage is going to be teeming with all kinds of birds. Great shots, my favorite is the RWBL fighting. 🙂
Thanks, H.J.! We are warmer today, it’s beautiful out. Hoping it holds. I felt confident enough to unplug the birdbaths. 🙂
Thank you for showing us the bluebird of happiness. It is much needed. I am sorry about the recurrence of winter but it must end sometime.
I think we are finally out of the snow woods. A couple cooler-than-preferred mornings but that is all. It’s almost warbler time, but the trees have to get their leaves first.
Great variety of sightings, Lisa! Nice!
Thanks, Donna. I keep hoping for more species as the days get longer. This will keep me distracted enough for a while. 🙂
Fantastic shots of birds in flight, starting with the Red Wing Blackbird. And great capture of the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. Those things are almost impossible to photograph.
Thanks! I am still going after the Kinglets. In the past they have been a lot easier to photograph in the parks downtown without a million twigs in the way. But one thing that makes them sort of cooperative subjects is that they tend to stay in the same tree and at mid-level for quite a while, so even though they’re moving very quickly they aren’t totally disappearing. 🙂