Faunascrolling--what's visiting where you are?

[Steve Miller]

Do bugs count?

These are “Canadian Soldiers”. They come up from the lake every year when the water gets warm enough, land on something, and die a few days later.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0dfoCkLT8VKd25M3h9WWtFgNA

[Piano*Dad]

I didn't get a picture of it, but today while wandering the Greensprings Trail I saw a prothonotary warbler!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.audubon.org%2Ffield-guide%2Fbird%2Fprothonotary-warbler&psig=AOvVaw2H2Yj8IU3B3FDf9GZ-e5IJ&ust=1750720533694000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCOCWiLCUho4DFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

[AndyD]

Lovely colours in US birds.
We get lots of Collared Doves

And Wood Pigeons

[wtg]

They were only there briefly but I saw one of these goldfinches in the birdbath: (internet pic)

and on the other side of the birdbath was one of these, a male cardinal:

I don't have a lot of color in my shade garden, but the birds help make up for it!

[AndyD]

Looks like he's been spray painted Amazing red. We have nothing like that; our birds tend to have small patches of colour. I can think of only a handful that are bright... kingfisher, yellowhammer, ring necked parakeet and (rare) golden oriole.

[wtg]

The females (both the goldfinches and cardinals) are not nearly so bright colored as the males. And they all go dull for the winter.

[Bernard]

@AndyD Don't you have the most beautiful Bluetits, and most adorable Robins?

[AndyD]

Yes but they're subtle pastel yellow and blue.

Robins seem much more brown compared to those on Christmas cards. They are very cocky and like to watch you gardening, and even inside the house when you're sat doing nothing. Lovely loud songsters. No wonder they our favourite and national bird.

[rustyfingers]

I didn't get a picture, but today we had dinner al fresco at an out-of-the-way lobster place in New Hampshire, and we had a concert from Mr. and Mrs. House Finch on a nearby fence.

Of course I couldn't see a thing because I forgot to take off my computer glasses and put on my regular glasses when I left the house. I didn't realize I had done this and was thinking that suddenly my cataracts had gotten a whole lot worse. Duh.

Here instead are pictures of a different couple from home.

[Mik]

If you want goldfinches, WTG, feed this stuff. Pricey but the finches LOVE it. We have 6 pair.

[rustyfingers]

They also like the seeds of evening primrose if you leave the dried flower heads on. But we don't see them regularly like Mik does.

[wtg]

They also like the seeds of the yellow ligularia 'Rocket'. It's hysterical when they land on the long stalk and it bends over from their weight.

My neighbor is feeding them thistle; they come to my yard for a sip of water.

[Mik]

The birds were not eating much with the cicadas here. Now that they are fading, they're chowing down at the feeders.

[Bernard]

Mama bear and two cubs.

[Mik]

I don’t have bears yet, but they’ve been seen in the county. We have coyotes, but it seems they aren’t true coyotes, but a cross between coyotes and wolves - coy wolves. It makes sense because they are bigger that western coyotes. I see them trotting down the walking trails sometimes.

[Mik]

Fledgling birds and their mamas here. Watching a mom robin carefully monitor her fledgling. Also this morning we saw three sibling bluejays running and flying around together figuring out how to get to the feeders.

[Piano*Dad]

We went for a hike on the West Circle trail in the Hyde Memorial State Park a couple of miles north of our house in Santa Fe. Back at the ranger station, a group of Flycatchers were doing their thing. At first they were a bit stand-offish, but as they got used to me they came closer. That, plus a 300mm telephoto ...

[AndyD]

Nice photo

[Piano*Dad]

Yeah, well, I took another 20 that weren't so good ...

[rustyfingers]

Sounds about right. Nice shot