By Jaya Ramanathan
June 2024
Earlier this spring, I mused that I could not wait for the fresh beginnings of spring to blossom into its full splendor. Nature fulfilled my wish, with plentiful garden blooms, delightful birding sights, and spectacular juvenile shows.
Vitex blooms for Mother’s Day, Rain Drop on Rose of Sharon
Our garden is now a canvas of color. Vitex blossomed a purple bouquet for Mother’s Day. Rose of Sharon, newly planted, just a couple of feet tall, wraps itself in pink blooms. Canna Lily hues a splendid red around our mailbox, Turk’s Cap around our backyard water hole. Blues dot Plumbago, attracting Black-chinned Hummingbirds. Multi-colored Lantanas entice butterflies and bees.
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s preening look. Sora among reeds in Old Settlers Pond
Migrating birds bring fleeting, yet delightful moments. Ruby-throated Hummingbird offers a new preening look. Magnolia, Black-and-white, and Black-throated Green Warblers, constantly move, challenging me to find them in dense oak greenery. Yellow-throated and Prairie Warblers, appear when we visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park, special treat, as they don’t visit our area, when migrating on Atlantic Flyway. We imagine Eastern Wood-Peewee’s northeast migration, spotting it both at Smokies and Brushy Creek Trail. Other delights include, hearing Common Nighthawk, and spotting Savannah Sparrow, American Bittern, and Sora, in Old Settlers Park.
Great-crested Flycatcher pair. Mississippi Kite
Some migrants stay through Fall, joining all year residents, to charm us. Great-crested Flycatcher visits, as a pair. Mississippi Kite, lands on backyard wire, and spreads its wings. Painted Bunting colors Brushy Creek Trail. Red-shouldered Hawk perches in yoga tree pose. Ladder-backed Woodpecker pecks deep, and Belted Kingfisher catches fish, in Old Settlers Park.
Juvenile Summer Tanager catches a bug. Nesting Cave Swallow on Brushy Creek Trail, young and parent.
Juveniles are aplenty. Migrant Summer Tanager loves bugs, while Brown-headed Cowbird prefers seeds. Cave Swallow juveniles huddle in nests, on Brushy Creek trail, fed by visiting parents. House Finch sports a tuft that will soon disappear. Red-shouldered Hawk calls atop chimney, startling Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Black-crested Titmouse, flutters and gapes. Carolina Wren family crowd brick bath nooks. Gray-billed Northern Cardinal enjoys feeder, until pecked and shooed away by adult male.
Juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker fed by parent, explores patio Tree of Life
Red-bellied Woodpecker family steal the show. First, they perch on pole, parents taking turns, departing to fetch food, and returning to feed little one. Then, they introduce young to seed feeder, feeding, and training them. Juveniles practice by pecking open leftover seeds in oak grooves, imitating parent’s use of tongue, catching bugs, sometimes dropping them. Once, entire family visits, including two little ones. Sibling skirmish soon ensues, and one parent departs with a juvenile. Soon, young visit on their own, exploring trees, calling, pecking, figuring out how to perch on, and procure seed from feeder. Still, when parent is around, young beg to be fed, like children visiting home. Later, parent feeds juveniles sporadically, chasing them otherwise. Soon, just parents are on pole, young now independent.
Juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker bends to peck, inspects oak grooves
Fresh beginnings of spring did blossom into its full splendor. As temperatures rise, birds crowd bath, five at once. Will they peacefully share, or skirmish? One dusk, we spot male and female Black-chinned Hummingbirds together at feeder. We had suspected nesting, as we did not see females visit. Have young fledged? Will we see them? Many such surprises await us in summer.
