Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak

Here are some photos that Chris took of some of our favorite migrating birds.

Spring migrants at the drip

The spring migrants have been trickling in. We spotted a new yard bird, a red-breasted nuthatch, who visits the drip daily.




The black-headed grosbeaks are earlier this year. Here's a female before and after a bath







The hooded orioles have also returned.

Backyard birds, spring 2017

Wren

Black-headed grosbeak

Hooded Oriole

Spring Migrants

Black-headed Grosbeak


Lawrence's Goldfinch

A few days of photos from our birdbaths

Finches and Goldfinches



Leucistic Goldfinch


Hummingbird


Black-headed Grosbeak


Hooded Orioles


Lawrence's Goldfinch


Band-tailed Pigeon

Black-headed Grosbeak

Mountain bluebirds

We couldn't decide whether to go see the mountain bluebirds that had been reported in Riverside by the Gage Canal near Citrus State historic Park. We had seen the mountain bluebird before, but upon reviewing our prior photos we realized it was a female and the males are more colorful.

The weather was nice, the directions were good, and about 25 birds had been reported. We are glad we did go out because the males were particularly colorful. We also saw an acorn woodpecker with an acorn.

Black-headed grosbeak

We always like it when the grosbeak comes by. He's just an occasional visitor enjoying loquat in the spring and now some seed as the fall migration is starting.

Birdy Morning

We had plans, but first the thrush appeared, then the vireo, the grosbeak and finally the western tanager.


Western Tanager


Thrush


Black-headed Grosbeak


Warbling Vireo

Black-headed grossbeak, Hooded Oriole

Black-headed grosbeak


Hooded Oriole

Birding at James Reserve

Anna's Hummingbird


Stellar's jay




Black-headed grosbeak


Western Bluebird


Mountain Chickadee


Butterfly


We went to a small party Friday night and ran into Jen who mentioned that white headed woodpeckers had been spotted at the James Reserve near Idyllwild. We were planning on birding Saturday morning but had not decided where and that settled it right then and there. Jen was a great host and we had a fine time, even though we didn't see the target species. That just means we will have to come back some other time.

The Mountain Chickadee was new to Chris and we only had brief glimpses of the black-headed grosbeak before. The western bluebird is similar to eastern bluebird except that it wears sandals and is a vegetarian. Actually, it has a little more brown.