Yesterday we had a first, we saw a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. It was pounding on the stovepipe to WS's shed (he has a very small woodstove in there). We couldn't get very close, so the distant shots barely even show a bird is there. The zoom on the camera isn't any good past 3x - but here is something at a higher zoom, just enough for you to get a feel for the colors (yellow and red):
(to enlarge, click on picture)
There were 2 male Rose-Greasted Grobeaks an the platform feeder trying to scare each other off:
Later, had a male and female RB Grosbeak checking out the feeders The female is on the no-no feeder, appearing headless and the male is on the caged tube feeder):
Last night, appropriately enough, there was a male Evening Grosbeak (we've seen the female too):
As I was walking the gardens last weekend, I noticed we have a new creeping phlox. I assume that this one actually came from cross-pollination (so, Cop Car, I'm guessing they do make seed):
The Evangelina Lilac is very fragrant so I clipped some blooms to place in vases. Unfortunately, the blooms don't last long once cut (they last for weeks on the tree). Fortunately, they seem to dry well, so I have a new scent for my homemade potpouri (I usually just have lavender):
That is it for pics this week - should be more next week.
The scent of the lilacs wafted into my den, I do believe! Congratulations on all of your good birding. As usual, I'm envious. Don't the sapsuckers have a distinctive sound pattern when they do their pounding? We had one, one winter, but he hasn't been back. Neither have our barn swallows and yellow-billed cuckoos been back. About 50 new houses have gone into our sub-division in the last couple of years and I think that we have just pushed the birds out. I still think that I hear a rose-breasted grosbeak, but no sighting of the male.
Posted by: Cop Car | May 24, 2009 at 07:59 AM
I don't know about the distinctive pattern - it was pretty much a slow tapping this time. If he comes bakc, I'll pay more attention and see if there is something different.
Posted by: bogie | May 25, 2009 at 05:47 PM
As I recall, the tapping was in a syncopated rhythm!
Posted by: Cop Car | May 27, 2009 at 07:57 AM
He visited again of Friday, and evidently our bird is a nerd - he has no rhythm. Of course, he didn't stay long either, so maybe he was just warming up.
Posted by: bogie | May 31, 2009 at 06:22 AM
Perhaps I should have explained what I meant. Instead of tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap, he went tap-tap-tap-rest-tap-tap-rest-tap-tap-tap-rest.
Posted by: Cop Car | May 31, 2009 at 08:01 AM