May 2017 (yes, 2017!) birds at Hazel Run

[hazelrunmama]

I'm stuck editing the very large file for October 2016 and it'll take me forever to get to the birds of May 2017 if I go chronologically, so I made an executive decision and determined to at least process the birds from this month right away.  Because it's the Memorial Day weekend, there are lots of campers and ATVers in town, all sucking up our limited DSL signal, so I may not be able to post everything today...this may be a thread that gets added to over a number of days, or even weeks, with our connection!   

At any rate, here we go with a brief snapshot of the migration of May 2017:

White-throated sparrow from 3 May--they lingered long enough that I was wondering if they were going to nest here, but they seem to have moved on, now:


Hairy woodpeckers are here all year long and currently are nesting.  They spar out near the feeders every morning when I'm putting out seed and suet--it appears we have at least 3 couples nesting nearby, all of whom want to claim the feeders as theirs.  This pic is from 10 May:


The Ruby-crowned kinglets were rather cooperative (for kinglets, anyway) so I've got a couple of pics for you, both from the 10th.  (Second one will be first in the next post....)

[hazelrunmama]

We have a Chipping sparrow this year with a partially leucistic crown--quite distinctive:


And what would May be without the arrival of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds?

[hazelrunmama]

We've got dozens of Rose-breasted grosbeaks--these are both from 11 May:
   



It's been a very cool, wet spring.  The Baltimore orioles spend a surprising amount of time at the suet when it's cold.  12 May:

[hazelrunmama]

The orioles also are gluttons for grape jelly:


Our Broad-winged hawks are back, nesting in the same spot.  One of these days I'm going to brave the ticks and go looking for the nest, but I have to work up my courage, first!  LOL:


The Eastern phoebes have a nest under the deck again this year.  JD watches them with interest from the window, but they don't seem to be put off by his attention.  Maybe they feel safer being guarded by their own cat!   

[hazelrunmama]

Warblers came through later than usual...in fact, they're still coming through now.  A young male Cape May warbler was kind enough to visit the backyard and pose for pics on the 17th:




More warblers later...

The woodpeckers have been so entertaining.  They wait for their suet every morning and greet me at the feeders.  While they're waiting, they interact quite a bit...fun to watch!  This male must have very sexy wing pits because the female was mesmerized!

[hazelrunmama]

Another warbler, a male Yellow warbler, paused just long enough for me to get a pic on the 17th:


After the first early arrivals, we saw no more new hummingbirds until mid-month.  Finally, though we started to see the flock grow.  These pics are from the 18th:

[hazelrunmama]

More warblers, these from the 19th and 20th. 

A male Wilson's warbler:


A Chestnut-sided male and a Chestnut-sided female:

[hazelrunmama]

The Eastern bluebirds are back and nesting somewhere nearby, but I haven't had time to go searching for which box they're in.  Eventually, when they're feeding babies, it'll be pretty obvious


In the past few days, I've been seeing Philadelphia vireos--always a treat:

[hazelrunmama]

Another surprise visit from the Red-headed woodpecker came on the 23rd!  I got a rather craptastic shot of it this time from a distance:


Can you handle another warbler?  The Mourning warbler male has been singing for days now.  I hope he found a lady friend!


And, finally (surprisingly, too, because I'm having no trouble uploading today!  O.O), one of our breeding Sandhill cranes circling overhead, vocalizing--I believe it's a territorial display:

[l2b]

May 27, 2017 14:32:02 GMT -5 hazelrunmama said:

Another surprise visit from the Red-headed woodpecker came on the 23rd!  I got a rather craptastic shot of it this time from a distance:


Can you handle another warbler?  The Mourning warbler male has been singing for days now.  I hope he found a lady friend!


And, finally (surprisingly, too, because I'm having no trouble uploading today!  O.O), one of our breeding Sandhill cranes circling overhead, vocalizing--I believe it's a territorial display:

Your photos are always wonderful Hazel, congrats. on the red headed woodpecker.

[l2b]

May 27, 2017 14:03:20 GMT -5 hazelrunmama said:

We have a Chipping sparrow this year with a partially leucistic crown--quite distinctive:


And what would May be without the arrival of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds?

First leucistic chipper for me, he's so unique.  Great catch!

[l2b]

May 27, 2017 14:07:23 GMT -5 hazelrunmama said:

We've got dozens of Rose-breasted grosbeaks--these are both from 11 May:
   



It's been a very cool, wet spring.  The Baltimore orioles spend a surprising amount of time at the suet when it's cold.  12 May:

So that's where all the Grosbeaks are, only had a few this year.

[l2b]

May 27, 2017 14:17:14 GMT -5 hazelrunmama said:

Warblers came through later than usual...in fact, they're still coming through now.  A young male Cape May warbler was kind enough to visit the backyard and pose for pics on the 17th:




More warblers later...

The woodpeckers have been so entertaining.  They wait for their suet every morning and greet me at the feeders.  While they're waiting, they interact quite a bit...fun to watch!  This male must have very sexy wing pits because the female was mesmerized!

Wonderful photos of warblers, so calendar worthy.  Good Job!

[l2b]

May 27, 2017 14:11:49 GMT -5 hazelrunmama said:

The orioles also are gluttons for grape jelly:


Our Broad-winged hawks are back, nesting in the same spot.  One of these days I'm going to brave the ticks and go looking for the nest, but I have to work up my courage, first!  LOL:


The Eastern phoebes have a nest under the deck again this year.  JD watches them with interest from the window, but they don't seem to be put off by his attention.  Maybe they feel safer being guarded by their own cat!   

Love those insect eating Phoebes, hoping to see some here.

[hazelrunmama]

Thanks, l2b! Glad you enjoyed the pics. Sort of a sad day today--we got an influx of new hummers up from the south and amongst them was a sickly female. I dropper-fed her for a bit and put her in a protected place in the garden, but she was in rough shape and died just a little while ago. I hate when that happens. Not sure if she ran afoul of someone's dirty feeders on the way north or if there was some other underlying problem and the stresses of migration did her in. Made me sad, though.