with their brilliant plumage, their flashing blue heads really stand out at dusk.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
In significantly reduced numbers...
this spring despite large flocks visiting the ground feeding stations during winter, the melodic songs of this member of the blackbird family have been missed. Here’s one today perched at the summit of a cottonwood doing his thing.
Male Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) belting out its song.
King of the treetops...
on a conspicuous perch, this hefty flycatcher does the work during the day that our bat friends do at night.
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis).
Maintaining a nearby nest...
keeps this flycatcher busy and it is now being frequently observed around the house.
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis).
A face that only a mother could love...
but they sure are dee-licious. Credit goes to the first person who thought to put this thing in their mouth.
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).
Paying a social visit...
around the feeding stations on occasion, this large flycatcher is caught relaxing in a cottonwood.
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis).
You can dress them up...
but you can’t take them out without teaching them some table manners. Chew your food with your mouth closed and use a napkin to be polite.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
Dispersing across the continent...
in less than 40 years, this prolific dove is a common occupier of the feeding stations, here and nearly everywhere.
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto).
Hiding in the filtered shade...
of rabbitbrush.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
Bird on a wire...
at one of the feeders. One can’t help but photograph these gorgeous finch-like birds.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
Hanging on during buffeting winds...
this tiny hummer rode the bucking rabbitbrush like a pro.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri).
Bright breeding plumage...
provides frequent flashes of color at the feeding stations these days. Here are a couple of the showiest.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus).
Talons unlocked...
and ready to launch, this Spotted Towhee leaps with extended wings and grabs its first bite of air.
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus).
Another colorful arrival...
at the feeding stations this spring. They sure love sunflower seeds.
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus).
The blink of a hummingbird's eye...
caught in a pair of images, capturing the moment when the nictitating membrane extends across the eye.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri).
The opaque nictitating membrane extended across the eye, for about 1/60th of a second.
A standout in the bush...
with its bright blue head, this is hands down my favorite bird at the feeders. Here’s the first arrival, caught in muted light.
Breeding male Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
The first hummingbirds...
arrived yesterday and they’re already zooming the feeders. This one is taking a rest after doing the aerial sexy dance for a while, displaying for a female at one of the feeders.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
Probing the nooks and crannies...
that smaller birds can’t reach with their tiny beaks, this determined blackbird is richly rewarded with a bounty of out-of-reach seed and grain.
Non-breeding male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus).
This sparrow with the distinctive topknot...
has invaded the feeding stations in great numbers this spring.
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys).
The melodic chirpy song...
of this striking sparrow with the bloodshot eyes is one of my springtime favorites.
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus).