Two days ago I put up a hummingbird feeder. Yesterday I put up two more, plus a thistle feeder and seed feeder. Today I put out two orange halves. So far today (and it’s only noon), I’ve seen 19 bird species in my yard alone. In addition to all of the feeders, there is also the gurgling pond and the fact that we have one of the few green oases in the area. Most amazing is the sheer number of hummingbirds that have shown up just in the past two days. Today I have seen at least 15 different hummingbirds including three Rufous Hummingbirds, three Black-chinned Hummingbirds, and the rest Broad-billed Hummingbirds. The BBHUs have been very aggressive and the males have been chasing each other around all day. How quickly they have grown territorial. I know the RUHUs will continue their migration north, but the other two species should be around all summer.
The orioles have been an unexpected delight. I knew the would show up eventually, but to come this quickly was a total surprise. So far I’ve seen both Bullock’s and Hooded Orioles and I’m expecting to see Scott’s Oriole, too. They were okay with the hummingbird feeders, but when I put the oranges out they were ecstatic.
The other species I’ve seen are two species of warbler, both Lucy’s and Macgillivray’s, Lesser Goldfinch, Vermillion Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, House Wren, Canyon Towhee, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, House Finch, House Sparrow, Cactus Wren, and Morning Dove. What a morning!
Posted by: Chris
Categories:
Birds
