Photo: Immature Black-crested Titmouse fed by Parent
By Jaya Ramanathan
Once Warblers and migrants depart, I prepare myself for a listless summer. But nature fills summer monotony with surprises – baby birds, dashes of color, fauna sightings, sunflowers, and birding connections.
Baby birds steal the show. An immature Black-crested Titmouse is fed by its parent, flutters to announce itself, takes short flights between branches, and eventually feeds on its own, dropping seeds messily. Other immatures delight us like Carolina Wren on the seed feeder dome, House Finch on the bath and atop Acacia, and Red-bellied Woodpecker on an electric pole.
Immature Red-bellied Woodpecker and Parent
An immature Red-Shouldered Hawk stares right at me when I photograph it. Its distinct call greets me on many mornings. Blue Jay fearlessly chases it, constantly calling to warn other birds. As the day warms up, even a typically active squirrel just lazes in the shade. A Northern Cardinal pair cool off by dousing themselves with water droplets left on Plumbago by the sprinkler.
Immature House Finch
Migrants add color. Mississippi Kites look golden at sunset. Black-Chinned Hummingbird dances on our Desert Honeysuckle, fluttering constantly, sipping from one flower and then another, competing with Gulf Fritillary. The male hummer plays peekaboo with its gorget in the morning light, displaying its purple color only when it takes flight.
Mississippi Kites lit by sunset
Some unexpected behavior from backyard fauna: Green Anole sips from the copper bath, then takes refuge in hydrangea blooms. I learn it turns brown when inactive, in moist and cool conditions. Gray Fox hurriedly hops off our fence when it spots me. Another scares me by suddenly peeking from near our hydrangea. Rabbits, munching grass, stay still when I stroll nearby. Butterflies and pollinators feed at their favorite Lantana and Verbena.
Black-chinned Hummingbird feeds on Desert Honeysuckle (left) and displays its purple gorget in flight (right).
Sunflowers always surprise us, four different blooms one year, plants taller than us once, and multiple blooms from a little one. Backyard birds created this year’s surprise. Ever since our son introduced us to seed feeders, we keep them stocked. This spring we noticed tiny plants below one. We identified them as a sunflower patch, planted by birds by spilling seeds. White-winged Doves and squirrels that typically forage on these fallen seeds had left some uneaten. Several sprouted in spring, each blooming just once. The last standing one bloomed several times, even in summer, in spite of squirrels gorging some of its buds.
Sunflower planted by birds
Green Anole peeks out of a Hydrangea
Gulf Fritillary feeds on Lantana
We are attuned to birding connections during summer travel. In North Cascades National Park, we spot birds we have seen in our backyard, both migratory like Yellow Warbler, and winter migrants such as Cedar Waxwing, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Rufous Hummingbirds competing over a feeder brings us memories of Hummingbird skirmishes back home. Violet-green Swallow reminds us of Chimney Swift, and Western Tanager of Summer Tanager.
Nature enriched our summer with surprises. I hope this blog inspires readers to reminisce about their own nature experiences this summer.
All photos courtesy of Jaya Ramanathan.
