It's probably my imagination but the birds seemed particularly active in the backyard on the afternoon of the summer solstice. There was a lot of activity at the fountain, although that didn't seem to make it much easier to get good photos. As soon as I approached the living room window, the little devils would fly off and my attempts to patiently lie in wait holding my camera didn't yield results. Here are the best of my pictures of the avian pool party.
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| This Hooded Oriole was especially camera shy |
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| I think this assembly is comprised of House Finches and a Lesser Goldfinch, although the yellow bird on the top tier appears larger than a female Lesser Goldfinch should be |
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| This male House Finch spent a lot of time enjoying the fountain by himself |
I hope your summer solstice was as enjoyable.
What a way to celebrate summer for them and for us! The yellow bird is a hooded oriole either a female or a juvenile.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ID, Jane. My mother-in-law used to help me with my bird IDs but, now that she's gone, I have to do my best with pictures in the Sibley Field Guide.
DeleteWow, fab shots of such beautiful birds! Isn't it great to see them having fun in the garden?
ReplyDeleteThe birds add another - very wonderful - dimension to the garden, Mark & Gaz.
DeleteWhat a great photo :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dewberry!
DeleteThat oriole is just stunning! I've always wanted a fountain or bubbler but don't have any way to run an electrical line without digging up the patio. That's one project I refuse to take on! If I were a bird, I'd be in that fountain, too. :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky, Tammy - we inherited the fountain with the house. In addition to adding structure to the garden, the birds love it. Unfortunately, the raccoons do too - they regularly remove the shells in the top tier, looking for who know's what.
DeleteAh you got some great shots Kris!
ReplyDeleteThese pictures were pure luck. All paparazzi-style efforts to compose the perfect shot were fruitless.
DeleteWe hear a golden Oriole in the garden too, but it is very shy and I've never seen it. I love the design of your fountain, made even better by such colourful birds.
ReplyDeleteI hope you catch sight of your Oriole at some point, Christina. The Hooded Oriole is the brightest bird we have here but, yes, he appears camera shy. Our blue scrub jays are also pretty but, for some reason, they seem to steer clear of the fountain.
DeleteBird ID. For Apple devices and coming soon to Android, this app is free from The Cornell Lab. Your location, size and color(s) of the bird are all that are required for surprisingly accurate results.
ReplyDeletehttp://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Kris, these photos are absolutely delightful, so full of color, garden magic, and beautiful birds!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog. I'm glad someone id'd the larger yellow bird for you. I have lots of Bullock's orioles here so I see the similarities. I was going to say the same thing Jane did. Your garden looks beautiful.
ReplyDelete