great birds lately

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile... so I have some catching up to do. A few weeks ago I noticed a young family of Carolina Wrens made a nest in my hanging pot by the back door!

I am amazed by the diligence of these tiny birds, coming every few minutes with a tasty bug for their increasingly noisy family

One day it became quiet out there, so I knew they had fledged. I heard them out in my jungly yard, and the parents continued to feed them.

Last week, the birding was pretty tough as we had strong south winds. Bad news for birders, as the birds don't stop here at the coast! I did find a female orchard oriole.
And a solitary sandpiper.
The blue gray gnatcatchers were like blue gray streaks at the tree tops.
Uhmmmm, this is pure eye candy!
Well, today, there was a north wind after the nasty front passed by, and it blew me down to Galveston. Here are some fulvous whistling ducks, common loons, and a bonaparte's gull.

I liked this shot as it shows the enormous wingspan of the brown pelican!
Maybe someday this common loon's body will catch up to its bill?

They are something to see.

Off to the woods, and today they were teeming with color. I found Baltimore Orioles,
catbirds,
and a Rose Breasted Grosbeak who looked like he forgot to put on his bib.
Yea! A blue winged warbler!

...and a black throated green warbler.

Can you spot the bee on the wild rose? (I am always thankful for a zoom lens)
There were still some Northern Parulas around.
Yes, I have warbler neck, but it was worth it to see a Chestnut Sided Warbler.
Ok, by this point my senses were on overload. What a lovely Summer Tanager.
I was admiring the male summer tanager, and honestly, the female flew into the photo.

I could hear the white eyed vireos singing, finally I got a photo of a busy one.
I don't know what this plant is, but would like to have one in my yard.
Woa, a yellow billed cuckoo appeared out of nowhere.
And then a black billed cuckoo! (So counting me there were 3 cuckoos in the woods)
What a beauty!
Here is another Chestnut sided Warbler.
I noticed this yellow crowned Night Heron as I was sadly leaving.... what a great time I had.