Highlights of April!

Red-eyed Vireo

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Northern Parula

Yellow-throated Warbler

Black-throated Green

White-eyed Vireo

Brown Thrasher

Hooded Warbler

Hermit Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Black and White Warbler

Indigo Bunting

Yellow-breasted Chat

Nashville Warbler

Baltimore Oriole

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Summer Tanager

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville W.

Blue-winged Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Tennessee

Blackburnian

Blue-headed Vireo

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I have been enjoying spring, summer birds and recovering from an upper respiratory "bug".  I am happy to be feeling better and am enjoying the new visitors to the yard.  Our Sparrows, Song, Fox, Lincoln, Chipping, and all except two White-throated have moved on. We are not seeing any American Goldfinch or Cedar Waxwings this week.  The American Robin, Pine Warbler and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker are also gone.  It has been a couple of days since we enjoyed a visit from our Hermit Thrush. We will certainly miss them in the evening and early morning.  We had a few new visitors in late March. This week has been hectic and busy at the water and in the woods.  Our Warblers to date are The Tennessee, Nashville, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Blackburnian, Blue-winged, Black-throated Green, and Yellow- throated.  The Black and White Warbler and Hooded Warbler are summer residents.  We see them at the water each day. Others in the yard at this time are Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Summer Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Blue-headed Vireo as well as Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos.  Some of these will stay for the summer, others will move to their breeding grounds.  We are overjoyed to have them for a visit! Blessings!

Nashville Visits

Well, as you have probably realized, we birders get very excited as migration begins.  I find myself peering out windows and doors constantly.  I have a tough time getting into projects around the home.  Laundry is put off for as long as possible.  I might miss a species foreign to my part of the world!  I do realize that I can not sit on my rear on the back porch all day, well not too many days. .. Our yard is buzzing with Hummingbirds, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadee, Brown Thrashers, Black and White Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Mourning Dove, and I am sad to say, Cowbirds.  They are not favored here.  The Brown-Headed Cowbird is considered a brood parasite.  It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.  They lay from 10-36 eggs per year, one in each nest. We only see them at nesting time each year.  On a lighter note, my post today is about the Nashville Warbler.  On one of my "porch sitting" afternoons, this glorious little guy came to the water to bathe.  I had a few seconds of camera time before one of our territorial Cardinals frightened him from his bath.  What a beauty he was, small and compact with a fine sharp bill.  His white eye ring and chestnut crown patch, yellow throat, gray head and no wing bars made him easily identifiable for me. He never returned to the water and probably moved on.  I felt thankful that our water was available for him and other birds needing a drink or bath on their journey.  Blessings!

Flamingo Wildlife Habitat

The last week of February and first two weeks of March we were on the road once again.   We enjoyed the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada.  While in Las Vegas, we enjoyed a visit to the Flamingo Hotel's Wildlife Habitat.  I wanted to share the beautiful water birds we saw there. It is such a great wildlife area.  There are currently 60 exotic birds, 20 turtles and about 400 large fish.  Be sure and visit if you have the opportunity.  We actually visited twice, once without our cameras and again with cameras to photograph these gorgeous birds.   I especially loved the Ducks. There are a pair of Wood Ducks.  The male is 19 years old. He has a cataract on one of his eyes.  I find it amazing that this Wood Duck is enjoying a life this long.  There were White-Faced Whistling Ducks, European Shelduck, Common Shoveler, Ringed Teal, Northern Cinnamon Teal, Radjah Shelduck, Red-Crested Pochard, Australian Black Swan, Hooded Mergansers, Chilean Flamingo, Sacred Ibis and others. The Wildlife are fed twice a day.  The fish were also beautiful. The experience of seeing all the birds in such a beautiful setting was great. This habitat was truly a highlight of our trip! Blessings!

Australian Black Swan

European Shelduck

Red-Crested Pochard

Northern Cinnamon Teal

White-Faced Whistling Duck

Female Hooded Merganser

Male Hooded Merganser

Chilean Flamingo

White-Faced Whistling Ducks

Ringed Teal

Northern Cinnamon Teal

Radjah Shelduck (Australia and New Guinea)

Common Shoveler

Female Hooded Merganser

Sacred Ibis (Africa)

Wood Ducks