Birds of Spring

We are having a great Spring of bird activity.

There are nesting Eastern Towhees in our backyard Pampas bushes. It has been thrilling to catch glimpses of them popping out of the Pampas or watching the juveniles' short experimental flights. They are cautious nesters. We hardly ever saw the parents fly directly into the Pampas. They would fly into a nearby Camellia, and then swoop low (and undetected?) into the Pampas. Perhaps this circuitous route was intended to elude predators.

Juvenile Towhee

This is the first photograph I've ever taken of a Towhee without a window between the camera and subject. This young one was unsure of his flying skills so he lingered in a tree squawking while I lined up the shot.

 Pampas: Towhee Nesting Site

Bluebird House

For the first time in 16 years, we have baby Bluebirds in a house on our property. The adults have often explored our houses, but never settled in. We are thrilled, and I'll try to get a photograph of the birds.

The fabulous thing about recognizing bird calls is you can identify bird species that are high in the treetops and/or behind foliage.  Some of my favorite species have returned from their South American wintering grounds. I rely on their calls because they are treetop dwellers and nearly impossible to see. This includes the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and the Summer Tanager. Their names are linked to web pages that offer audio of these birds.