Lotsa birds

We have lots of birds hanging around, often in a half-grown state.

Here are a couple of half-grown robins:

...with an alert parent bird nearby, keeping an eye on things:

At this stage, the fledglings are still being fed by the parents.

Here's a swallow fledgling (possibly a bank swallow, but it was very far away) clamoring for food.

This is an immature barn swallow.

I photographed what I thought was a pair of sparrows perched on a wire fence, gobbling grass seeds. Note the streaked breasts.

These are what my ornithology professor used to call "LBJs" (Little Brown Jobbies) in class because there are so many anonymous little brown birds which are notoriously hard to identify. I thought at first they were Fox or Lincoln sparrows...

...but note the dull yellow streaks in the wings and tail. I'm thinking they're pine siskins. Anyone know for sure?

A pair of hoary redpolls (male and female).

And a showy male, by himself.

And a couple of half-grown California quail.

It's fun to watch all the babies grow up.

Random pix

Some random pix from the last few weeks.

Early June: super green fields.

Bumper sticker.

Extremely apt cartoon.

Quail on a fence post.

Morning sunshine on eggs and seedlings...

...and a cup of coffee.

Swallow. I think it's a barn swallow.

Rainbow through the trees.

Morning sunshine through the Virginia creeper leaves.

Younger Daughter returning from a walk.

Petunia, one week old.

Lydia being lazy.

More quail.

Eastern kingbird.

Dusty at two weeks of age.

A chickaree under our eaves.

Early morning in the barnyard.

Polly and Petunia. Petunia is about two weeks old here.

I think this might be a female Evening Grosbeak, but I'm not sure.

Evening traffic jam, country style: cows in the driveway.

Matilda with four calves (none of them hers).

Caught in a sunbeam. Can't... move...

Calves and tires. Symbols of our farm.

Zzzzzz.....

Thirsty chickens.

This weird insect landed on my glasses. Okay all you entomologists, what kind is it?

This weird insect landed on my shirt. Okay all you entomologists, what kind is it?

(It's about 1.25 inches in length.)

"You talkin' to ME?"

Cedar waxwing. A very handsome species.

A novel method of evangelizing.

Casual Friday.

Major in the yard.

This takes us through the first day of summer. I'll post more random pix later.

Flying the coop

I came in from the garden the other day and saw this in the driveway.

It was a little baby swallow that had apparently fallen out of its nest, poor thing.

He was right below this cliff swallow nest, so I put two and two together and concluded this was where he belonged.

So I got a ladder, gently picked him up...

...and slipped him back inside the nest. I went away feeling smug and righteous.

For about five minutes. Then he was back on the ground again.

Kind of reminded me of this old Sergio Aragones cartoon.

Well duh, silly me. Apparently he came from the barn swallow nest in the barn, not than the cliff swallow nest under the house eaves.

See? One fledgling. Should be two.

Trouble is, that nest is 18 feet off the ground. So I str-e-t-c-h-e-d our tallest ladder...

...climbed up, and slipped him back inside the nest.

Meanwhile the parents hovered anxiously.

See? Two fledglings. They even match.

Half an hour later, he was back on the ground.

Meanwhile his sibling looked ready to leap. Okay, catch a clue. They're supposed to be doing this.

"Jump, Junior!"

Pretty soon both babies were on the ground.

So was our barn cat...

...who, to his credit, paid the fledglings no attention.

Well, for the last few days we've had those babies literally underfoot. We have to be careful where we walk lest we step on one.

We never know where we'll find one.

Lydia has been fascinated. Doubtless they'd make a good snack.

The parents are still feeding the babies... wherever they are.

See the butterfly?

Mmmm-mmmm good.

It's been awfully fun watching these babies as they gradually learn to fly the coop.