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Baby Acorn Woodpecker shows its head

6/29/2014

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The baby acorn woodpecker makes a noisy fuss from its nest in the evening of a hot day, must not have fledged yet.

Young Acorn woodpecker in nest tree near house

Parent also makes a big racket, because I am close to their nest, although pretty far down on the ground.

This acorn woodpecker nest is at the top of a dead pine tree stump, which is pretty tall.

Here's the pine tree stump, nest is at the top where an old branch used to be, just to give some perspective

As I move away, the adult woodpecker quiets down...and flies to another branch.

I believe this is the fledgling red-shouldered hawk - which would explain much of the recent hawk activity from these birds...it flew around to different trees today and called out to its parents, When the red-tailed hawks fledged last year, their behavior was the same, and they were pretty loud on a daily basis for a few weeks...

Red-shouldered hawk fledgling, in a tree very close to the house.

Red-shouldered hawk fledgling, letting its parents know where s/he is.

In the heat of the day, the oak titmouse hammers on a sunflower seed

It's almost a 100 degrees in the shade, and this oak titmouse takes a dust bath in full sun, in the back orchard

Pygmy nuthatch

The heat did not slow down the suet eaters in the back yard...

Western bluebird

Western bluebirds definitely starting a nest in the lower orchard, in one of the nest boxes. Here is the female cautiously exiting. This is exciting because I did not know they nested this late in the summer.

This little Anna's hummer at the grevillea hedge in the old orchard - no sign of any of the Allen hummers that have been at this hedge since early spring - have they migrated out of the area already?

I haven't seen the one in the back yard either for the last week, only the Anna's, which are year-round.

Red-tail hawk from the lower orchard

If this is the same hawk with the damaged feathers on one wing, they seem to be healing nicely.

Purple finch (male) at the bird bath

Female purple finch, back yard

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One small woodpecker among the nuthatches, hummers, & hawks

6/28/2014

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Young male nuttall's seems to be a regular back yard visitor...

Male Nuttall's woodpecker

Can't see his red top here, but this is the same bird

...working the same branches of the old oak tree in the back yard, is the white-breasted nuthatch...they also hide nuts and seeds in the branches, so they go back to find them again later.

Has he found something? White-breasted nuthatch, back yard

Pygmy nuthatches all feeding themselves now

Is there a family of red-shouldered hawks? Was trying to photograph one, when I saw there were two of them sitting together in the orchard trees.

This is a favorite spot in the back orchard, at least one of these hawks sits here every day.

In a tree close by the hawk in photo above this morning, a smaller hawk was sitting, perhaps a juvenile is being raised by the other two adults?

Red-shouldered hawk streaking across back orchard

Spotted towhee in the back yard.

Spotted towhee

Anna's hummer, back yard

This might be an immature male Anna's hummer, in the back yard

Same bird, doing a tongue check

Band-tailed pigeons - they love peanuts

Question: how many band-tailed pigeons can you fit into a squirrel feeder?

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happy hawk

6/26/2014

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Red-shouldered hawk in favorite spot, fluffed up - happy and relaxed!

Red-shouldered hawk, tall tree by side yard

This is the pacific slope flycatcher visiting in the back yard, got a better look today.

Pacific slope flycatcher, back yard

Anna's hummer in back yard, resting in a sunny spot.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH with a peanut from the squirrel feeder, back yard

Female black-head grosbeak at the back yard feeders - seems less shy than the male, but still very cautious

Female black-headed grossbeak, likes the suet as well as the sunflower seeds

One of the other nest boxes I installed last month is being used by the western bluebirds, in the lower orchard!

These actually are bluebird houses, it's just that swallows can use them, too.

Saw the oriole again, but it took off pretty fast once I tried to get closer with the camera. This is in the back orchard.

These are juvenile quail that I have flushed into the protection of the hedges in the lower orchard.

These are a male and female quail, accompanying the large group of juveniles they have successfully raised so far!

Closer look, male california quail, lower orchard

Female California quail, lower orchard

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After the dust and noise of the tractor....

6/25/2014

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Ash-throated flycatcher in the back orchard.

Ash-throated flycatcher

The tractor has gone through the orchards, knocking down all the tall weeds, and stirring up the soil, which turns out is good for all the insect catching birds, like the flycatcher.

Western Bluebird, back orchard

Western bluebirds jumping onto high spots to reap the great insect hunting in the raked fields and orchards

Crows, being natural scavengers, are in abundance, because the tractor yields up whatever creatures are in its way.

In a quieter spot, near Furlong Rd,, an acorn woodpecker sits the evening out...

Here's the red-shouldered hawk, early evening, in tree right behind my back yard chairs!

This hawk has definitely "adopted" the area near the house as its own territory.

Anna's hummer at the salvia flowers in the yard, where it's been relatively quiet.

The tree swallows nest looks to have survived the two days of tractor activity in its field. This is the female, probably looking for the male to replace her in the nest box.

House finch in the field, munching on tree tops, always a sign of normalcy.

Pygmy nuthatch seem unaffected by all the commotion in the rest of the orchards....

Anna's hummer by front porch, in better lighting.

Finally got a photo of this little fawn, whose mother has been parking it on my side of the yard for many weeks, so that when I go outside in the morning, I have unwittingly disturbed it, and it has run or jumped away, distressed to have to find another spot - finally had my camera when this happened! I always try to retreat so it can return to its original spot, where the mother will find it again.

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Red-shouldered hawk in the orchard

6/23/2014

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Red-shouldered hawk, back orchard

A couple of red-shouldered hawks seem to be scuffling over the rights to the back orchard and area near the house, definitely prime small bird area.

This might be the "victor," since s/he is making a much more visible presence known.

Red-shouldered hawk in flight behind the house

EARLIER, HAWK WAS ON THE UTILITY POLE CLOSE TO THE HOUSE WHERE ACORN WOODPECKERS USUALLY HANG OUT

Hawk's presence made all the smaller birds nervous, our bluebird parent wouldn't go near the nest even though he had a good spidery bug meal - just sat and made alarm chirps for a long time.

When the hawk was on the utility pole, it had been directly above the bluebird nest tree.

On earlier morning walk, saw this Bewick's wren in hedges bordering lower orchard. Very shy bird, it quickly retreated into deeper brush when I approached.

This crossing of the rest of the chicks plus the female aborted when they heard my first camera click! Only got this shot as the rest turned and ran back into the brush. They do need to be jumpy, they have many predators.

This is the lower orchard red-tail, watching me traverse the open area towards the eucalyptus trees where they might have a nest.

Front porch Anna's hummer, perched battle ready near the feeder he's guarding.

In the old orchard, near Furlong Rd,, a small blackbird chases a red-tail hawk from its perch.

Young nuthatches feeding themselves from the suet feeder, and also making the parents feed them, too!

Pygmy nuthatch on the suet feeder.

Difficult to resist this little face -PYGMY NUTHATCH

Is this a pacific slope flycatcher? Possibly.

In the midst of the nuthatch feedings, this little bird showed up to check things out, but didn't stick around once it noticed my camera.

Whoops, I've got some suet on my nose!

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Mostly the usual suspects...

6/21/2014

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Young Nuttall's male woodpecker, haven't seen as many of these lately!

Pine siskin eating grass seed from the advantage of the wire fence, back yard

Pine Siskin, back yard

Western Blue bird among the gladiolas at the farm.

Also, American robin at the farm...see more of these in the fall, for some reason.

Meanwhile, at the black phoebe nest, this one must be sitting on his siblings, and getting all the food!

This is probably one of the parent black phoebe's, of the nest at the farm.

Tree swallow

Caught the tree swallow entering the nest, lower orchard.

Also near the farm, one of the juvenile western bluebirds on a metal fence support.

A fluffled up black headed grossbeak

Black-headed gross beak, evening light, calling to its mate, near back yard.

Black-headed grossbeak

Blackbird nest still active, here is the female with a beak full of seeds, it looks like, for her nestlings.

House finch, back yard

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Black Phoebe's nest

6/19/2014

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This looks like a black phoebe's nest on the side of the main farm building.

TWO OR THREE NESTLINGS, probably black phoebe

Black Phoebe hunting for insects on tractor seat perch, near nest on the farm.

Still in pursuit of young quail photos, there was a group with this bird, but they flushed low into the brush, on the far side of lower orchard.

While on the lower orchard side of property, one of the red-tail hawks dropped pretty low to check me out, they might have an active nest!

Last year the red-tails produced two fledgling hawks from a nest in the eucalyptus grove across from lower orchard.

Red-tail hawk, lower orchard

Climbing back up after his "dive"

Red-tail hawk

While still in lower orchard, also saw our Cooper's hawk again, couldn't get any closer for a better photo.

Must be a very young dove, since it let me get pretty close. Usually these birds are super shy.

Hawks have been more active lately, it seems.

Here is the red-shouldered hawk on favorite perch, usually also keening.

Nuthatch fledglings still being fed by parents at suet feeders, on a regular basis.

PYGMY NUTHATCH

Violet-green swallow giving me the once-over because I'm standing near its nest.

The opening to their nest is on the bottom of the branch, a little tricky to navigate, but not for these expert flyers.

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS NEST IN APPLE TREE - opening is on the bottom of tree limb

In he goes -

Then there's this sleek flyer, the oak titmouse, shooting across backyard in search of sunflower seeds...

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Nest dispute

6/17/2014

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The bluebirds near the house still have an active nest, whose young are probably due to fledge sometime this week. The violet-green swallows have decided they like this nest - they often use bluebird nest holes after the bluebirds are done - however, the bluebirds, still having young birds in this nest, are a bit distressed!

Violet-green swallow female starts rushing the bluebird nest behind the house. Both swallows (a male and female couple) were circling the area, and the bluebirds were chirping their alarm sounds.

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW rushing bluebird nest opening

Male bluebird at the nest, flustered by zooming swallows.

Male bluebird just delivering a meal, when one of the swallows zooms toward it.

Female violet-green swallow lands at the active bluebird nest hole in the apple tree behind the house. They are not there to harm the birds, they just want to check nest out and claim it if it is empty.

Female swallow checking out bluebird nest

Meanwhile, bluebirds keep coming with the bugs - huge bugs, like this jerusalem cricket.or potato bug.

FEMALE BLUEBIRD BRINGS CATERPILLAR TO NEST, looking over her shoulder for zooming swallows

huge spider bug?

This bug is so huge it barely fits in the nest opening!

Female western bluebird, watching the nest

The bluebirds mostly decide to ignore the swallows, if they can, and after a long afternoon of this, the swallows leave, and the incident blows over.

Young pygmy nuthatch

Meanwhile, in the back yard, pygmy nuthatch still bringing their young for suet feedings.

Pygmy nuthatch fledgling

Pygmy nuthatches, back yard - adult is on the right

Do hummingbirds yawn?

While photographing Anna's hummer by front porch feeder, it seemed to give a big yawn.

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Pygmy nuthatch family

6/15/2014

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Pygmy nuthatches bringing their new family additions by the suet feeder as well....

PYGMY NUTHATCH FLEDGLING

Pygmy nuthatch fledgling waiting for parent to bring food from the suet feeder, back yard

Pygmy nuthatch adult getting suet from the upside feeder in back yard

A PIECE OF SUET FOR THE YOUNGSTER

FLEDGLING PYGMY NUTHATCH - these are the smallest of the nuthatches

Went out earlier than usual this morning, to see if I could find some baby quail, I did see a small flock from a distance; however when I turned around, I realized I was not the only one out looking for quail this morning.......

COYOTE, lower orchard, also out early looking for quail...he or she trotted off rather reluctantly....

Goldfinch still indulging at the farm's sunflower plants.

Goldfinch, on sunflower plant gone to seed

Goldfinch, wishing I would leave so he can eat in peace

While I was at the farm, I checked on the cliff swallow's nest, which I had just looked at still intact not more than two days ago, only to find that it had fallen down!

The worker at the farm said the swallows try every year, but the heavy mud nest never stays attached to their building.

Red-shouldered hawk, tall tree across the road from the house, I was almost directly underneath him!

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Sunflower seeds in the "wild"

6/14/2014

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Goldfinch among the sunflowers, organic farm garden on property

This is how birds got sunflower seeds before backyards had feeders

Male tree swallow in nest box, lower orchard

At the tree swallow nest box, male is inside the box.

While I'm standing there, the male shoots out and the female shoots in - super fast exchange - they must be sitting on eggs!

This is as close as I've been able to get to any quail chicks - I've surprised a couple of groups, but they've dispersed so quickly, no photos, alas!

Another squishy worm or caterpillar for the bluebird nest near the house.

Male bluebird delivering meal

There's a violet-green swallow's nest in one of the apple trees, not that far from the house. This is the female sticking her head out. Last year this was a chickadee nest.

Violet-green swallow making a quick escape from nest hole

Violet-green swallow in flight

Pretty sure this is a cooper's hawk

Can you see the hawk in this photo?

Perched above the bird feeders in the back yard!

All the small birds were chirping alarm sounds when I was inside the house, and I looked out to see him first on the bird bath.

Then he flew into the trees.

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