We are blessed to witness over 30 bird species that visit our corner of the world in Eastern WA. While I was enamored with my nesting Phoebes and their offspring, I also captured many other birds with my lens. They deserve their place on the blog. Think of this as part two to celebrate birds.
This week, share your bird photos, your feathered friends, and photos of wings of any kind.
Seen Around the Backyard in Spring
The Early birds
“The early bird catches the worm.” – William Camden
Dark-Eyed Juncos land in winter and feed on sunflower seeds strewn on the ground or here, plated on the lumber.
House finches enjoy their winter foraging. They are resident birds and tend to stay close to home in Eastern Washington year-round.
Spring has officially sprung when the robins show up. In this image, taken on March 1st, you can see the frost on the solar light on the bottom right. Also, note that the water in the bird bath is frozen.
Nest building for many species of birds begins in early spring. Say’s Phoebes begin their nesting cycle in March.
Spring Welcomes Songbirds and Swallows
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” – Maya Angelou
Goldfinches head for the feeders in April. They begin their nesting cycle in the summer months.
We mainly see Violet-Green Swallows here, a specialty of the far Western US. The air is lively with their darting and acrobatics! They are cavity nesters, preferring holes in trees or nest boxes.
“True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings.” ― William Shakespeare
After hubby built the garden shed, we relocated two nesting boxes under its eaves to keep the sun off the nests. I believe the swallows were quite happy!
Swiftly darting and flitting around the fields and yards are various hummingbirds. I was thrilled to capture this Black-chinned hummingbird. The green fence post on the right is an inch wide, which gives you perspective on the size of this hummingbird.
We put out the feeders in mid-April but we don’t usually see hummers up our way until May.
Summertime Splash Dance
While the Ring-Necked Doves explore the ground beneath the feeders…
…Other birds are vying for the birdbaths!
My neighbor has a large, deep bird bath. By July, various species of birds that prefer HER five acres of trees happily hang out in it.
These juvenile Western Bluebirds and a Crossbill finch seem to enjoy the cool water together.
Robins are big and gregarious enough to splash the water OUT of the birdbath!
“In the flutter of a robin’s wings, we find the spirit of joy and renewal.” – Unknown
Here’s a closer look at the Crossbill Finches. Notice their bill is really crossed at the tip.
“Using their crossed mandibles for leverage, crossbills are able to efficiently separate the scales of conifer cones and extract the seeds on which they feed.” Source
Many of you were enraptured with the saga of the summer Phoebes (Tyrant or Western Flycatcher). Some bloggers have encouraged me to write a children’s book about the Phoebe Saga. Stay tuned for that. 😊
Sharing for Birds of the Week.
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
- Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
If you are participating in the photo challenge, I can’t wait to see how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me next week as we explore TREES!
“He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge…” Psalm 9:14
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