What birds have you see in your backyard this spring?

[MN Shutterbug]

Congrats. Firsts are always a hoot.

[eyeguy 54]

Like!

[eyeguy 54]

Add Cedar Waxwings

[Dave S]

Eastern Towhee, Dark-eyed Juncos, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings, Baltimore Orioles, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Grackles, Brown-headed Cow birds, House Sparrows, Lark Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Crows, Coopers Hawk, Sharpshinned Hawk, Red Tail Hawk, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Black-capped Chikadees, Blue Birds, Robins, House Finches, Gold Finches, Chukar Partridge, Ring-necked Pheasant, House Wrens, Mourning Dove, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, Brown Thrasher, Catbird, White breasted nuthatch, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Red Breasted Woodpecker.

[MN Shutterbug]

I just saw my first hummer of the year, and maybe my last. He came and looked at me while I was standing by the flower garden, and then didn't like what he saw and away he went. I just boiled some sugar water and when that cools, I'll hang the feeder by the Trumpet Vine, which only has 1 trumpet so far.

[MN Shutterbug]

I'm happy to report that my hummers are sticking around, although the male has pretty much placed his stake. He seems to be guarding against the female and another male that showed up today. I did buy a dozen petunias yesterday and put them in a pot next to the feeder. I'm loving it.

Also, I was absolutely shocked to find this in my yard a few minutes ago. I've only seen these a couple times in the past, and never anywhere near my yard. Maybe keeping the blackbirds at bay with my Daisy is making the feeders more welcome to the desirable birds.

[muc33]

What a cutie! I am pretty sure after spending hours in my Stokes book that the little yellow guy I had at my office a couple weeks ago was a Cape May Warbler. Maybe I am nuts, but it looks like my bird. I have never seen one before, but it was pretty clear to me! Hoping he comes back!

[MN Shutterbug]

Chad, I checked the Stokes Guide and the Sibley, and the Sibley does show it's range pretty darned close to here during migration, so I don't think you're nuts. Not about this anyway. That would be cool to see one.

[Dave S]

I can add Redwing Blackbird, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Eastern Phoebe and Eastern Kingbird.

[eyeguy 54]

Catbird finally showed up

[MN Shutterbug]

It's been almost a month. It's time to revive this thread.

I finally got my first male Grosbeak a couple days ago and my first male Oriole this morning. Also, which was quite surprising, a Cedar Waxwing landed in my Maple bush/tree this morning.

[flipper]

I wish I knew what happened to our hummers. We had quite a few of them and now nothing.

[Dotch]

Same here flipper and I talked to the lady in the grocery store yesterday who I share bird info with and she said the same thing. Dunno if they're feeding babies right now or what. The orioles have tailed off somewhat the last couple days too although I did see the male orchard oriole while I was home at noon for my nap, er, lunch.

[Dotch]

Oops! A little premature on the decline of the orioles at the ranch feeders. When I got home tonight they brought the whole family. They licked the jelly feeder clean in a matter of minutes then burped. They still have any of that cheap jelly at HyVee, flipper?

[Dotch]

I wish I knew what happened to our hummers. We had quite a few of them and now nothing.

Did a little investigating and I may be at least partially right. Appears when the female has young to tend she's busy catching small insects, spiders, etc., to feed to the young for protein like most other small animals. Once the babies can fly there will probably be all kinds of them again when Mom brings them to the feeders. The other side of the coin is the males are possibly feeding on flowers now as there are starting to be lots of them in bloom that they might like. I know the last hummer I saw here was a male feeding on the salvia in one of the patio flower pots. The dozens of red salvia we planted in the small garden by the house are just starting to flower so hopefully they will return soon.

[MN Shutterbug]

No hummers here in the last couple weeks. I'm guessing I won't see any again until late summer or early fall, if even then. They seem to have tired of our flowers.

Anyway, my Waxwing showed up again, the exact same time of the morning - 9:30. This time I had my camera out on the patio with me. It took about 15 minutes for the fog to clear up on my lens. It sure is sultry out this morning. Also, a female Grosbeak showed up and sampled the peanut nuggets and then left.

[Dotch]

Saw the 1st hummer on the nectar feeder this morning that I've seen for several weeks. The orioles are eating up a storm now they've brought the whole family to the table. There are both Baltimore and orchard oriole young gobbling down jelly and nectar.

[half-dutch]

So the orioles are bringing out their young already! My mother down in NW Iowa sorta backed off the jelly for her orioles. Apparently the local deer developed a sweet tooth and keep cleaning out her feeder and knocking it over. Recent birds she has seen are a regular redheaded flicker and an occasional redheaded woodpecker. Its been quite a while since I have seen a redheaded woodpecker, but we used to have them in the grove every summer, when I was a boy. She has flocks of goldfinches and a set of squirrels that have made it personal crusades to figure out her newest squirrel proof feeders. They managed to outwit all the previous ones.

[flipper]

Saw a young oriole feasting on grape jelly on Sunday. The hummers are slowly returning. All is well.

[eyeguy 54]

Just had a Brown Creeper crawling up the tree. All the pics are blurry. Man do they have good camo!!

[IA4PATS]

I have some of the exact same pictures I did get some better ones this spring.