For the Birds

Due to my retiring in the middle of last year, this May , and early June I was home during the day for a good part of the day.  During this time frame I was able to see in the backyard that are normally not present, and which my wife had told me about in prior years.  Most could probably nest in southern Wisconsin, but  they have chosen to move on to other locales and our back yard was but a brief stopping point.  Usually their presence in the yard was less than one week, but those few days were filled with the joys and colors of God's great creation.  

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting

My wife told me the Indigo Bunting appeared last year and so we anxiously awaited its return to our yard, even if for a brief perhaps two day stay.  A deeper blue than the sky, perhaps it is the color of the deep blue sea. 

Cat Bird

The Cat Bird and its grey morning-coat foliage also appeared.  We also had the Cow Bird, but I was not able get a photo of that bird.

Rose Breasted Grosbeack\

The Rose Breasted Grosbeak I think hung around slightly longer than the other transitory birds.  This bird is in a device usually above the feeder to protect the feeder from squirrels, but we had little luck with its true purpose.  It was in storage for years.  Birds are very messy and they drop so much seed that it made for plenty of food for squirrels, rabbits and probably raccoons and other nocturnal animals which we do not see.  This year we decided to invert the squirrel feeder protector and let it catch the feed they flip off their plate.  We have had some success, but need to dry it out when it is soaked by our rains that seem more common than not.  I have gone through much less bird feed this way.

Baltimore Oriole, female

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole, male

A year or two ago we had the Baltimore Oriole, as we did again this year--both male and female.  They too not chose to make a home in our yard,, but are not uncommon in southern Wisconsin.  My wife likes to put out some grape jelly and you can see the female in a container over that contains the jelly.  If memory serves correct, the Cow Bird was also attracted to the jelly.

Female Baltimore Oriole 

We also have colorful birds that remain for the season or year.  These include, but are not limited to: Goldfinch, Cardinal and Blue Jay.  We also have hummingbirds, but they leave very quickly that often by the time I grab a camera they are gone.  The humming bird feeder hangs off an eve to the house and they seem quite attuned to activity nearby even if it is in the house.  A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen just the other day after what seemed like a long absence.  Hummingbirds had nested in a neighbors tree, but that Ash tree came down a few years ago so I am not sure where they now nest. 

Goldfinch

Cardinal

House Finch

It is interesting watching birds move around and about.  Bird houses provide nice shelter.  But, bird houses make me wonder where and how the birds nested before houses were built?  Are there now more than before since the houses are often designed to protect the resident bird, say Bluebird, from predator birds?  While Blue Jays are rather interesting to look at they act like a bully, pushing other birds away. For all I know maybe the small birds are their dinner.  Of course, there are larger predator birds like a Cooper Hawk.  A few years ago we had several juvenile cooper hawks in the yard and I suspect that accounted for the disappearance of small birds such as finches for much of the summer.  One day I watched as a Cardinal would appear at the feeder and a cooper hawk would swoop in only to be denied when the cardinal quickly made a bee line a few feet to the nearby magnolia bush.  So, it goes with the circle of life.  When the Cooper Hawks moved on in the late summer the small birds returned once again. Don't get me started about cats which are often the demise of song birds.  It is rather ironic that cat lovers may also be bird lovers.  They seem to know what is in the neighborhood.  Perhaps they have a bird neighborhood watch program that would rival that of any human watch program.  We are all part of the wonders of nature, of which even though we may not appreciate, does not mean we should not be conservation minded.