Late Summer Yard Observations
The days are noticeably shorter (we've already lost 1/2 hour of daylight!) and the activity in the yard is changing as well.
The bees have been busy on the Purple Coneflowers as have the butterflies, including Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails.
All of a sudden, young Black-capped Chickadees, Chipping Sparrows, and Purple Finches are showing up in groups of fives and sixes.
Warblers are starting to migrate, with those "confusing fall warblers" (as they are so aptly described in the Peterson Guide) showing up daily in our yard. Click on image to enlarge and if you can help me identify this warbler, please do!
ADDENDUM: Thanks to the members of the HMBirds listserv for identifying this warbler as an immature Common Yellowthroat which is a new bird to my yard.
I have TONS of Blue Jays, and as they start to molt, some of them are losing all their head feathers at one time. This happened last year as well (read my More Bald Blue Jays post) when even MORE jays showed up bald and beautiful!
This photo really shows this jay's ear opening, which is usually covered by feathers.
Blue Flax are still blooming in the yard, even though they are typically a June bloomer.
Hummingbird visits are frequent and frantic! I'll see 4-5 hummers at a time visiting my 5 different feeders. One male is trying to guard the feeders on the east side by just sitting on a feeder - not even sitting at a porthole to feed, but just sitting there!
The Holland Hill window hummingbird tube feeder is being emptied in less than a day. It seems the females and young use it more than the adult males.
What changes are you seeing in your yard as summer comes to a close?
Nolee - at this time of year (January) it definitely is not a fledgling jay. Nor is it going through a full molt, though birds do lose feathers any time of the year.
A more likely explanation for the "fuzzy" appearance is a fluffing up of its feathers, including the downy breast feathers, to better insulate itself from the cold. Fluffing feathers creates a layer of warmth, reducing heat loss on cold, winter days.
Thanks for your comment and hope to hear from you again!
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | January 30, 2009 at 10:26 AM
It is January 28th and we have huge blue jays in our feeder. This morning I saw one that was covered in fuzz on the chest area. Surely that's not molting but it looks way too big for a baby jay. When are they born and what is this fuzz?
Posted by: Nolee | January 29, 2009 at 02:31 PM
By email:
This is a Common Yellowthroat... I'm guessing a young male due to the faint black markings on the face.
Good birding!
--Hope Batcheller
(NOTE: Hope is the engine behind the New York State Young Birders Club. Find a link to their Yahoo Group on our website at http://www.saratogasprings.wbu.com/content/show/6906)
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | August 17, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Linda - thanks for your comment. This bird had no wing bars...read on...
Lana - those jays are something else, aren't they? Thanks for the update in your yard. You can keep the hot temps, we've had a wet summer, but a comfortable summer temperature-wise.
Con - record cold? wow! Our male hummers are still around and should be for another couple weeks. And hopefully the jay head-feathers grow back before WE get as cold as you guys. Thanks for the comment and update from up even further north.
Marne - good call...read on.
Toni - it IS a good time to pay attention! Thanks for update from PA.
Rich Guthrie, frequent guest on WAMC's VoxPop program and birder extraordinaire confirmed Marne's call - my "mystery" warbler was an immature Common Yellowthroat. This had been on the list of possibilities, but I had doubted it because we don't have the right habitat for them. But during migration, almost anything can happen.
Thanks Rich!
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | August 16, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Rich Guthrie emailed:
It’s an immature Common Yellowthroat.
There are no really distinctive features, even the throat isn’t all that yellow. But overall the color and shape fit the yellowthroat.
Rich Guthrie
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | August 16, 2008 at 09:59 PM
OMG Nancy I have never seen a blue jay like that. yes lots of changes in my yard. Still very active mating monarchs. Lots of bees and flocking of birds. Amazing what you see when you pay attention.
Posted by: toni | August 16, 2008 at 08:07 AM
I'd vote for female common yellowthroat given no wingbars, fairly uniform dark/dull olive uppers and of course more yellowish throat.
Posted by: marne | August 15, 2008 at 09:02 PM
We are supposed to set record low temps here for August tomorrow.
I think some of the adult hummingbirds are already leaving here, seems early though. Still a few adult males about, but most hummers I see now are immatures.
I've seen the jays we have here (Stellers) get a little rough looking when molting but not bald. Poor bald things, what if the weather turns cold?
Posted by: Con Daily | August 14, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Look at your beautiful coneflowers! And your hideous blue jays! *LOL* (I'm sorry, but molting birds really just look so pathetic!)
Not much is changing in our yard yet. Lots of younglings getting used to the idea of being adults. Perhaps more doves lately, in particular, than usual. Other than that, things are more or less the same as they've been, really. Except, of course, for the brutally hot temps.
Posted by: Lana | August 14, 2008 at 05:19 PM
I'm thinking maybe a female pine warbler?
Posted by: Linda | August 14, 2008 at 05:12 PM