Hummingbird Numbers Down & Butterfly Garden

The numbers of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at my feeders is way down this year. We haven't really had a cool front push through to help bring them down, so maybe that's it. Maybe it's the lack of flowers because of the drought, and they're just passing on through without stopping long at the feeders. Yesterday and this morning I have noticed more birds around the feeders, probably ten to twelve. Normally by now, I've got 50+. Here's what I had last year on September 20.




Yesterday, the kids and I worked on making a butterfly garden. I got some blue mist flower and some lantana from the Texas Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg when we were there over the Labor Day weekend. I also planted some lantana that I rooted in it as well. With plants and all, the whole thing cost about $50. I'm really looking forward to seeing what butterflies we get when the plants are fully blooming! Here is a picture of our new garden and a picture of a male Queen butterfly I took on some of the blue mist flowers at the Texas Wildseed Farms.

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.

First Hummingbird of the Season

This last week I finally saw my first hummingbird on my feeders. I took the day off on Monday and looked out at the feeders when I got up and there was a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting on the feeder I had up. I put another feeder up with the hopes of attracting more hummers to them. So far I've seen up to three at a time with the male still standing guard over the two that are there. They seem to be a little late coming in this year. I wonder if the drought has anything to do with it.

I would like to get out and see what kind of fall migrants are coming through, but the mosquitoes are really bad right now, and it's still pretty hot. I may wait for a cool front to push through before I try getting out and doing much birding on the property.

Long, Hot Summer

Birding in the summertime doesn't happen very much between the craziness of my schedule and the heat. But I do get some birding in while I'm at camps and doing different activities with the teens. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Painted Buntings were everywhere at the Gulf Coast Christian Youth Camp just east of Columbus. I could hear them singing all over and found several of them.
• While doing a door-knocking campaign in Mont Belvieu, a Swallow-tailed Kite flew above us for several minutes, giving me the opportunity to point him to people who would have never seen him.
  
• An Eastern Bluebird pair build their nest in one of the poles at the camp. I saw the female leave the nest cavity one day. I decided to investigate and four four eggs in it. I haven't been back since then, so I don't know what happened.
• The Northern Cardinals are bringing their young birds to my feeders. It's always fun to watch the young ones beg for a seed and for the adults to patiently crack one open and feed it to them.
• I decided to take the slow way to work one morning and as I drove along, a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers landed on a tree just ahead of me. I stopped the car and was treated to great looks at them for several minutes.
  
• At the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, there were several Black-necked Stilts, a couple of Purple Gallinules, lots and lots of all the common herons and egrets, several Roseate Spoonbills and a few Wood Storks.
  
• Yesterday, lots of Black-bellied Whistling-ducks flew over us as we had a water fun day at a house right on the San Jacinto River in Highlands.

Normally I dread summer because of the lack of activity and the heat. But this summer I decided I was going to enjoy the birds wherever I was. It was fun!

The Purple Martins that nested in my gourds successfully fledged all four young birds. Just before they fledged and right after, lots of SY martins would come and check out the cavities and just hang around the housing in general. I'm hoping some of them decided that they like what they saw and join the pair that was there this year.

Fall migration will start happening soon. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes through. I have my hummingbird feeder out ready for them to show up. So far I haven't seen one. I'm going to try and get out in the woods more this fall to see any warblers and other neo-tropical migrants that come through. Hopefully I'll start blogging more about what I see.

Property Stuff and Church Camp

On Saturday, June 6, I kept hearing a warbler-like call and finally found a male Yellow Warbler in the trees to the west of the house. I know I've never seen one here that late.

The juvenile Purple Martins are doing well. They should fledge between June 16 and June 18. Yesterday was the last day I could safely lower the gourds to check on them. The general rule of thumb is not to lower the housing once the babies reach 20 days old or you run the risk of premature fledging. So, I'll have to just wait and see what happens. Here's the last picture I got of them. It was kind of bitter-sweet seeing them for the last time. I'm looking forward to years of having Purple Martins nesting with me!



I spent Sunday through Thursday at the H.E. Butt Foundation Camp north of Leakey, TX at a church camp. I completely forgot my binoculars, but as it turns out I didn't need them at all. The most exciting bird I saw was an Ash-throated Flycatcher. He was life bird #368 for me. I was sitting by myself in the pavilion and he flew into a tree about 15 feet from me and sang. I listened to their call on my iPod and it matched perfectly. Two other pretty exciting birds for me were the Zone-tailed Hawk that flew along the cliffs that overlook our campsite. I could hear him early in the morning calling from the tree or rock where he perched and then he would fly and call. Also, Golden-cheeked Warblers were everywhere. Here's my list of birds I saw at the camp:

HEB Birds (27 species): Green Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Zone-tailed Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Chuck-will's-widow, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Painted Bunting

I checked the bluebird nest box yesterday and there is no sign of a second brood being started at all. I'm surprised they haven't even started constructing a new nest. I'll keep checking.

Purple Martin update

I checked the Purple Martin nest today. The babies are between four and six days old. They're really growing quickly! Here's a picture. Notice the dragonfly in the mouth of the one furthest to the right.


I also took some video of the parents going in and out of the gourd. Some slow motion of them doing both. It's pretty cool to see how graceful they are!

Purple Martin Hatching Day!!!

Knowing the Purple Martin eggs were to hatch this weekend, I went out this morning and hoped I'd see some chicks in the nest. I wasn't disappointed! Below are pictures from my first ever Purple Martin hatching in housing I provided for them.




Needless to say, I'm very excited about this! I'm looking forward to watching them grow and fledge successfully. If all the eggs hatch today and tomorrow, we are looking at a fledging date of of June 16 or 17.

In other news, the Eastern Bluebirds haven't started their second nest yet. It shouldn't be too long. I have seen the parent bluebirds busy catching insects, but haven't located the juveniles yet. I have an idea of where they are, but haven't actually seen them. It won't be long before they're coming to the water in my birdbath in my backyard.

A Swallow-tailed Kite flew over yesterday giving me some great looks at him. I ran inside to get a video camera, but by the time I found it and got outside again, he was just going behind the trees across the street. When will I learn this time of year to have a video camera handy so I can get some shots of him?