Weekend Birding

This weekend I went back to Cooper Mountain and it was great. I got there at 7am this time. So much more bird song and fresh morning summer air. It continues to be a good spot to visit. Yesterday I went to Ridgefield and walked the Carty Unit and the Kiwa Trail. The Carty Unit was full of mosquitoes and we made it a quick walk and then went over to the Kiwa. It was mosquito-y too, but not quite as bad. Beware if you go there, I imagine it will only get worse. We got 50 species at Ridgefield, but heard more than we saw. It felt like "summer birding" there.

This was one of those weekends where the birds just didn't want to cooperate for a photo shoot. I would be just about ready to take the shot and the bird would fly. Sometimes its like that.

Cooper Mountain:::

House Wrens haven't fledged yet.

This was the highlight! Northern Flicker babies. I got in two shots and sat and waited for the parent
to come back to the hole. I must have waited 30 minutes before finally giving up. I was
concerned my presence was keeping the parents away even though I was a ways back from the snag.

Ridgefield:::

Cooper Mountain Nature Park

This Red-breasted Nuthatch caught my eye and I stopped to watch it go to it's nest cavity. It was bringing food in for the babies. While waiting I noticed a House Wren using a hole further down the snag. The wrens were much more active and entertaining.

My sources indicate this is probably a Western Wood-Pewee? It too was either feeding young or still nest building. I couldn't see anything moving in the nest.

Lots of bird action. I got there around 8:30am and it got progressively quieter. Probably getting there at 7am would be even better.

Steigerwald NWR

An evening walk at Steigerwald. Perfect temperature and lighting. It wasn't teeming with birds, but still many sightings.

Cedar Waxwings Everywhere

I keep hearing the high buzzy sound of Cedar Waxwings in my garden. They have been spending time in the front yard eating berries from the Serviceberry tree. In these photos they are perched in a Mountain Ash tree that has unripe berries.

At Steigerwald the other evening waxwings were abundant as well.

And at Cooper Mountain this morning they were enjoying Twinberries.

This Weekend

I chipped away at the bark pile in my driveway for a good portion of one day and I have to say my garden is looking darn good. I always feel like June is the best month for my garden and I spent some time appreciating it this weekend. The next day I got a well deserved massage at Breitenbush and some soaking time in the mineral hot springs. Just what I needed after moving ten wheelbarrows full of bark!

Raindrops on Roses

I'm feeling some camera deprivation so I got out the macro lens and took some shots in the garden this evening.