Bennington Lake today

After being rained out on Tuesday, the birds really put on a show today for us.  Nesting season is in full swing now and the sights and sounds were fantastic.  Many of the house wrens have fledged and were rustling around in the brush.  We saw three osprey, three buffleheads, two double-crested cormorants and two great blue herons on the water.  We also saw five great horned owls today – both adults and young. Several killdeer were along the dam, including one very tiny youngster.  Yellow-breasted chats were calling loudly and I got really good looks at one.  The calliope hummingbird was in its usual spot along the west side of the lower trail and there were at least three willow flycatchers along the canal. Add yellow warblers, western wood peewees, Bullock's orioles, black-headed grosbeaks, Bewick's wrens, song sparrows and black-capped chickadees to the musical chorus, and it made an orchestra of birds!

It's getting hot now, so the best time to see the birds is early morning or evening when they are the most active.  Ginger 

Oh The Birds We Saw....

Bennington Lake this morning was teeming with birds.  All the summer birds were there and they were all singing a happy song because it wasn't raining. Bullocks' orioles, black-headed grosbeaks, gray catbirds, yellow-breasted chats, western wood peewees, willow flycatchers, yellow warblers, house wrens, western tanagers – the list goes on and on.  How fun!  In addition to the usual birds we saw some unexpected visitors as well.  The southeast corner of the high trail seemed to be our best location for the unexpected.  In that area we saw a least flycatcher, a olive-sided flycatcher and two lesser goldfinches.  The rain returned shortly after we finished our walk so we were lucky to have the good weather.  It was also good to have all of our regular walkers back from their birding jaunts across the country.  Ginger

Summer birds

Many of you have sent me emails about birds you are seeing in your yards and while out walking.  Western tanagers and Wilson's warblers have been reported several places.  Lesser goldfinches have been seen both at Rooks Park and Bennington Lake.  I saw a pileated woodpecker at Rooks Park. The sights and sounds of summer birds are everywhere.   A peregrine falcon has been seen above the Whitman Hotel several times in the past two weeks.  Ospreys and Swainson's hawks are nesting.  Red-tailed hawks have chicks and great horned owl chicks have fledged.  I hope you will get out and enjoy all the wonderful summer birds.  Ginger