Backyard Birding: Hooded Oriole

The hooded oriole is a month early to our yard this year. Yesterday, we did some backyard birding, sitting out on a lounge chair with a glass of wine, binoculars and camera, and waited for birds to come. We got some good looks at the male hooded oriole. He even brought a female with him to the bird bath, but she was too shy to spend much time out. We didn't know they liked to eat from the aloe plants.

Baby Hummingbirds

It's that time of year again.

Birding the OC: Eurasion Widgeon at Tewinkle Park and swallows at San Jaoquin wildlife refuge.

A Eurasian Widgeon had been reported at Tewinkle Park in Costa Mesa and that would be a life bird for us. Mike had to fly out of John Wayne so he stopped by before his flight. The bird was easy to spot in the "cement pond" and easy to photograph.

Eurasian Widgeon


American Widgeon

There's not much to do at Tewinkle other than see the Eurasian Widgeon, so there was a little time to drop by San Jaoquin Wildlife Refuge where the tree swallows were out in force.


Tree Swallow

More at the Palm Tree

When we lived on the east coast we never imagined that Robins or Waxwings feasted at Palm Trees.


Robin


Cedar Waxwing

Birdy Weekend

On Saturday, we noticed some rare visitors, bluebirds and cedar waxwings, coming to our bird bath. So, on Sunday we took the camera out with us.



Here's a photo of this unusual pair, a Western Bluebird and a Cedar Waxwing.



Cedar Waxwings usually travel in large flocks. Here's three at the bath.



The Scrub Jay is also a infrequent visitor to our yard.



The Nutmeg Mannikins have been making nearly daily, often brief visits. We are hoping for a nest somewhere.



We're not sure how much longer the Dark-eyed Junco will stay before heading to Oregon for the summer.




We eventually found the reason for the Waxwings, Bluebirds (and robins). A nearby palm tree was providing them with food.

A Clean Clapper Rail

We went to Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach. The most interesting find was a light-footed clapper rail bathing in front of the footbridge.

Yucaipa Regional Park

We dropped by Yucaipa Regional Park on the way to a nursery. We got some good views of red-breasted sapsuckers. The female hooded merganser eating a fish was interesting too.