Window Birdwatching

I was doing a little window birdwatching this morning. The hummingbirds continue to increase around the feeders. This morning, even with the rain, I had 10 to 12 buzzing around. It won't be long before they're really thick. While watching the hummingbirds, several other birds flew into my backyard. A Great-crested Flycatcher perched in one of the trees and showed off his flycatching skills for me. Six Eastern Bluebirds flew in and came to my birdbath to quench their thirst. A male and female Baltimore Oriole flew in and feasted on the hackberries along with a Northern Mockingbird. A little bird was flitting around in the trees. I suspected a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, but that wasn't what it was. I never got a really clear view of it, but what I saw reminded me a lot of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. If that's what it was, he would be a month early. Hopefully as it cools more, I'll start getting out to see what kind of fall migrants are coming through. My first warbler on the property was a Canada Warbler in September 2003 just after we moved here.

We spent the weekend in Fredericksburg with my mom and step-father and extended family. We go every year to their place. I didn't get a chance to do any birding this year, except for what I saw in the backyard. There wasn't much to report. I did see some Black-crested Titmice. The boys and I slept in a tent and early on Saturday morning a Great Horned Owl called from somewhere to our east. I am still amazed at the numbers of White-winged Doves. They are everywhere there. What amazes me more is how they have naturally expanded their range from the Rio Grande Valley to areas far north of their historic range. I commented to my step-father that if we had been there 15 years ago and saw a White-winged Dove, we would have jumped up and grabbed our cameras to document the occasion. Now, they're just everywhere.