Another Viewing Day with Cousin Carol

Cousin Carol came over Friday, May 7, and we sat in our perfect viewing spot and watched the kaleidoscope of birds for about 5-1/2 hours or so.We saw: male and female Lark Buntings, White-Crowned Sparrows, Eurasian Collared Doves, Say's Phoebe, White-Winged Doves, female Brown-headed Cowbird, male and female House Finch, European Starlings, male and female Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Cactus Wren, and a hawk of some kind.

Carol identified two additional birds: A yellow male House Finch (diet causes the variant) and a female Black-headed Grosbeak (top). They are evidently migrating through here on the way to Mexico/South America.The male was here for about five days but didn't show up on Friday. The males show up here in the spring before the females.

Tom and I had a visit from a female and three young Yellow-Headed Blackbirds yesterday (right). They were in the Mesquite tree early this morning but did not come into the yard to feed with the other birds. They stay in Texas for the summer, but maybe they are migrating to a different locale in Texas because we only saw the males for one day and have not seen them again.

My beautiful Orioles, Woodpecker, and Grosbeaks

The Bullock's Oriole has frequented the apple I put in the yard for the birds. Yesterday a female (see picture) appeared and she has been back this morning. She is not quite as pale as the picture shows.

There were two Black-headed Grosbeaks here at the same time this morning. They have taken up residence in the Mesquite tree just outside the fenced part of my yard. It looks like they plan to stay, at least a while. They have come to the feeders frequently during the day since they first showed up.

All of the birds love the apples I am putting out (except for the doves). The Golden-Fronted Woodpecker comes at least once or twice daily.

Bullock's Oriole

This beauty came to the yard this morning. At first I thought it was another Grosbeak, but it has more vivid orange coloring and a more definite white stripe on the wing. The Bullock's Oriole also has orange above the eye and a black stripe through the eye.

The Bullock's Oriole breeds here during the summer. It enjoyed a bite or two of the apple we put out before it flew away. The Black-Headed Grosbeak and the Golden-Fronted Woodpecker have both been here this morning, several times.

Black-Headed Grosbeak

I can't find a good picture that I can show. You can follow the link to Allaboutbirds.org to see this beauty. He is much more vivid than the picture shows. His orange is very bright and his black is very dark.

He has spent the day in our yard, eating seed and sharing an apple with our Golden-Fronted Woodpecker. He spends his winter south of us and is headed north for the breeding season. Thrilled to have him!