Date: 7/12/26 10:47 am From: Bruni Haydl <bruni...> Subject: Still here
Today is the fourth day for my special White-throated visitor. Lucky me. I see it on the feeder tray with other birds as well as around the birdbath.
This is the first time I've had a Hairy woodpecker here in the summer and feeding his offspring no less. It's always surprising that the juvenile woodpeckers are almost the size of their parents. Seeing both adult and young Downy woodpeckers at the Hummingbird feeder is nothing new. Once in a while a Red-bellied woodpecker also imbibes. Yesterday a young male RB waited for the hummingbird to finish, then hopped on the feeder and started sipping. They must watch their parents and copy them.
The deer damage this year has been really bad but watching all these young birds has been such a joy and made up for the plant damage. It's easy to spot the adult Great Crested Flycatcher but the young one is a bit trickier. It is smaller than the parent and it takes him flaring his tail to show off that lovely rust color.
Coming home yesterday I found a male Bluebird, male Indigo Bunting and a young Oriole sharing the bath. A little while ago it was the Indigo and the male Towhee.
I learned that one of the benefits of having wet grass or the rock that the pedestal bath sits on, is drawing the cool Snout butterfly. They love moisture. Tiny little Blue Azures also flock to the wet ground.
Just saw a White-spotted skipper nectaring on my spotted bebalm. Along comes a Snowberry Clearwing and literally knocks him off so he could nectar. What a yellow-backed bully!
