Migration

You never know who's going to show up  at this time of year. Flitting in and out, a female redstart.

By the lake a sweet peewee

Fatty, the male black throated blue warbler with food.

On the prowl, not migrating, a young redtail hawk at Strawberry Field.

The doves

The young doves are still hanging around below the nest space. They can peck for their own food now. This is a good area, because they're protected from any possible attack from above.

Other side of the garden terrific sun flowers. The finches will be attracted to the seeds. For now the bumble bee is in residence.

Ejecting

In the back garden. Gorgeous young robin. spectacular spots. Standing at attention.

Faster than I could have photographed it spit out a pit. It's not deliberate. The body ejects what it can't digest. I saw the pit fly out. For pictures it's great that the pit was orange. 

The robin didn't leave. In about ten seconds it ejected a second pit. I saw that. What I didn't notice till image was in computer was that its body also eject pits at the other end. I've never seen that before. Good lesson is systemic removal. after about thirty seconds the robin flew off. This is in no way distressing to a bird when its body does a cleansing.

The larger raptors also eject pellets. This is a pellet from a great horned owl. The picture makes it look enormous. The pellet was only about the size of a peach pit. Scientists can analyze the content of a pellet to find out what the bird has been devouring. Sometimes it's discovered that something has been eaten that nobody knew lived in the area.

I knew that raptors eject pellets, but didn't know that nestlings can also eject pellets. The parent robins bring their babies huge quantities of stuff. Mixed in with worms and bugs can be dirt and twigs. It's that accumulated "stuff" that the tiny bodies can't process. Out comes a pellet. If I didn't get the pictures my pals wouldn't believe me.

Again, this is not distressing to the bird.  The body is in charge. Can't be processed? Out it goes.

The cardinals

On the rocks at Wagner Cove. Cardinal family know me. Time for some peanuts. Papa is collecting nuts for the kids.

The kids are proficient but like the handouts.

Mrs. Cardinal enters the scene.

Juvenile found a worm. Protein.

If I miss a day posting it's because I'm busy at work. In opera house, not park.

Mrs. Grosbeak

The hummers love the jewelweed. So do the rose breasted grosbeaks. Females at this time of year eating the seeds. Not always cooperative. Camera shy female. She wears her ID on her breast.

The ovenbird nibbled across the path. That's what they do best, plod along like little old men

Beautiful maturing robin. The spots will vanish soon as adult feathers grow in.

Not yet adult

It's fun looking at the behavior and feather pattern of the young birds, here the juvenile blue jay.

The parent was watching from above.

The female cardinal looked just right among the berries. I  never noticed the spider web until she flew off.