Backyard Bird Sightings from our Members and Neighbors
June was a great month for observations, with many of you sharing stories of fledglings and other young birds with us! And you reported three new species to All Around Town, the Hooded Oriole, Violet-green Swallow and the Black-headed Grosbeak.
Read on to discover what birds our SCVAS members and friends observed in their yards and neighborhoods over the past month.
John Edwards (Sunnyvale) sent us an update on the Anna’s Hummingbird nest that he has been documenting since April:
“The two eggs hatched around May 11 or 12. The hatchlings were getting big when we went away for Memorial Day weekend. When we got back one was missing; we’re choosing to believe it fledged.”
“This one (photo above) stayed in the nest until June 3. This is the final picture we got before it flew off about an hour later.”
Mary Ann Robertson (Los Altos) photographed this American Robin on June 19. She calls the picture “Worms Made Late by the Early Bird” :)
Becky Ewens (San Jose) says: “It's been busy in my backyard. My favorites have been the young Hooded Orioles (photo above), who just showed up at the end of June. They are quite vocal and haven't figured out how to use the feeders but the parents seem determined for them to feed themselves.”
Becky continues: “The young Northern Mockingbirds are adorable.”
White-breasted Nuthatch in Becky’s yard
She adds: “There's been a number of young Chestnut-backed Chickadees visiting the feeders throughout the month. The Oak Titmice and Bushtits are always fun to watch. There is a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Nuttall's Woodpecker that frequent the backyard too.”
Jennifer Oliver (San Jose) tells us: “We continue to see quite a few fledglings at our feeders, including Anna’s Hummingbirds. They are emptying our three feeders almost daily! Here was one shot I got of several of them ‘waiting in line’ for one of our window feeders.”
Jennifer adds: “We’ve also been enjoying watching birds in our bird bath. We see mostly House Finches (above) and goldfinches, but occasionally nuthatches, woodpeckers, jays, and crows.”
Here’s a photo Jennifer took of a Lesser Goldfinch taking off from her bird bath.
Eve Meier (San Jose) wrote to share: “My backyard Northern Mockingbird does excellent killdeer, scrub-jay, spotted towhee, and robin imitations!”
And speaking of Spotted Towhees, Deanne Tucker (Los Altos) tells us: “I saw a bird I couldn't recognize in my yard and Merlin identified it as a Spotted Towhee - obviously a juvenile. Here are some photos of it (above and below) and one of the parent!”
Juvenile Spotted Towhee in Deanne’s yard
A Spotted Towhee parent in Deanne’s yard - the adults are much more colorful than the young
Emma Shelton (Menlo Park) sent us her neighborhood bird list for June:
Canada Goose (flyover)
Mourning Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Gull species (flyover)
Great Blue Heron (flyover)
Hawk species (flyover)
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Violet-green Swallow
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick’s Wren
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Black-headed Grosbeak
Emma discovered a new bird (the one on the right) at her feeders on June 3. She thought it was a Black-headed Grosbeak - we agree!
Anna’s Hummingbird enjoying the scarlet seep monkeyflower in Emma’s garden
Here are some of Emma’s notes and photos of her observations:
“We still have a few Anna’s Hummingbirds. One to three flying in the front and back yards going after red geraniums, all the salvia species, island bush snapdragon, and the abutilon (flowering maple). Now that the scarlet seep monkeyflower is blooming, they like that a lot.”
“We have Chestnut-backed Chickadees all over the yard hanging out in trees (in the privet above the hammock is a bit unnerving).”
“I was feeling jealous that everyone had seen Bushtits on the Summer Bird Count but me! Then at the end of June twice a huge flock came through the yard. It only takes a few minutes, so it’s possible they fly through every day, but if you’re not there, you miss out!”
“We have so many White-breasted Nuthatches around our yard all day! I really enjoy their funny little call, and they way they eat upside down.”
Lesser Goldfinch at Emma’s feeder
“Up until mid-month every day, a few Lesser Goldfinches would come to the feeders from the trees around the yard. Then they didn’t show up. Then last week, all of a sudden, they returned! Said they just went on vacay.”
“Several Dark-eyed Juncos are around every day, and they and the chickadees are taking apart my rope hammock!”
We wish you more delightful bird sightings over the next month!
What birds are you seeing and hearing in your yard and neighborhood?
Send your notes and photos to backyardbirds@scvas.org. We’ll feature them in our next edition of All Around Town.
Bird species reported to All Around Town
from October 2020 onwards
(species in bold are new this month)
Canada Goose
Mallard
Bufflehead
California Quail
Mourning Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Gull species
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
White-tailed Kite
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Barn Owl
Great Horned Owl
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Acorn Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Hutton’s Vireo
Steller’s Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick’s Wren
California Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Western Bluebird
Varied Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Western Meadowlark
Hooded Oriole
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Banner photo: Juvenile Spotted Towhee by Deanne Tucker