Towheeblog

Grosbeak violence in our garden today. Two males in energetic competition over who controls which feeder.

Above: female Wood Duck with one of her ducklings whoi were scattered about the marsh as Albert hoped they’d coalesce, but they wouldn’t. Bushtit close-up. Peter Thiemann’s shot of Rufous, being a reconnaissance hovercraft over three dogs at the Sequim home.

After the morning’s fuss, hours later, I heard one grosbeak singing loudly behind our house. Grosbeak gallery:

At Minto-Brown on Oxbow Slough:

Thoise heron plumnes, at peak during breeding season, are why our forebears almost drove this species to extinction…feathers for women’s hats. Finally such slauighter was outlawed after efforts by the first Audubon Societies more than a century ago.

Today’s “Morning Edition” on NPR interviewed author Amy Tan and her new book on backyard birds. She read a portion that described her experience with an Anna’s Hummingbird sitting on her hand to drink from a hand-held hummer feeder. Ms Tan lives in Sausalito. Click for summary.