Summer Residents

The calendar may say it’s still Spring, but the flowers and birds all seem to be saying that Summer has arrived. All of our winter residents (Goldeneyes, Mergansers, Grebes) seem to have left and summer residents have arrived.

This is the second week I’ve glimpsed the Cedar Waxwings at Theler, and this time I even managed to get a passable shot.

Cedar Waxwings

The Tree Swallows seem to have taken residence in nesting boxes, leaving the Barn Swallows who nest under the boardwalk to occupy the railings while not building their nests under the boardwalk.

Barn Swallow

And as I sat watching television the other evening I noticed a hummingbird resting in the front garden.

hummingbird

This is the earliest I’ve had a hummingbird stay around the yard. The crocosmia haven’t bloomed yet, and they are what usually attract the hummingbirds. This year, though, some native volunteers seem to have drawn them.

hummingbird

While I enjoy the sunshine, it generally means birding locally will dramatically slow down in the upcoming weeks, at least until the Fall migration starts.

5 thoughts on “Summer Residents”

  1. I’ll definitely agree with that, Pat, but the Pacific Northwest is a wintering ground for a lot of birds that leave as soon the mountains and Northern areas open up.

    There is also a period in Spring and Fall when birds going from North to South show up locally, adding to the excitement of birding. It’s a pretty short period in the Spring, but it stretches out in Fall.

  2. We just planted some crocosmia in our yard this year, and I’m glad to hear that it attract hummingbirds. We’ve had a hard time attracting and keeping the hummingbirds in our yard since we moved in a few years ago, and we’re not sure why.

    It amazes me how you can get such close-up, detailed photos of hummingbirds since those birds are usually moving so fast!

    1. The key to getting pictures is a digital camera and patience. I throw twenty away for every one I keep. The pictures are much better with summer sunshine so you can use a faster shutter speed than I used on this one. Of course, a telephoto lens also helps a lot so you can stand far enough away not to spook them.

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