New arrivals and fledgling hummingbird

[Lisa Millbank]

We had a Chipping Sparrow pay a brief visit to the yard today, along with a bright yellow male Orange-crowned Warbler.  Usually we see both of them in the last week of March.  In addition, I could hear Ospreys calling off in the distance towards the river.  At first I thought I was hearing our local Red-tailed Hawk pair's Osprey-like call that they often give during courtship.

I was sure that we had some Anna's Hummingbird nests around here somewhere since I saw a female collecting nest material in February.  We had some old Fireweed seed pods and she was pulling out the silky fibers.  Anyway, a fledgling Anna's Hummingbird hung out in our Red-flowering Currant bush most of the day yesterday.  It was fun to watch the fledgling trying to figure out the world by tracking insects flying by, probing various non-flower items such as a fluorescent pink pin flag, awkwardly licking willow flowers, and trying unsuccessfully to beg from Mom when she came near the bush.  I held out the hummingbird feeder and the fledgling gave it a thorough inspection, but I guess the feeder was just too confusing to figure out, and it was easier to just stick to the currant flowers.  It seems that the mother has had enough of her fledgling(s) and is beginning to act aggressively like she would toward any other hummingbird.  I was very impressed that the fledgling chased away a male Rufous a couple of times.

Lisa Millbank

[Mary Garrard]

I heard my FOS Orange-crowned Warbler near Forest Dell Natural Area this morning. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were singing too, as well as a Varied Thrush. I had been hearing the thrushes earlier in the year, but hadn’t lately until today. 

Happy spring birding!

Mary 

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