At the end we will share Bill's up close and personal experience with the chickadees and pine siskins.
We have a number of Western Tanagers migrate through every spring. But this one stayed around and made several appearances during the summer.
wapitistanangerjune2020 023 by William Reinke, on FlickrThe Lazuli Buntings are Karen's favorite. The last two springs we have had several hang around for a couple weeks.
DSC_0004 by William Reinke, on Flickr
DSC_0009 by William Reinke, on FlickrWe've had as many as 4 or 5 pairs of the Black-headed grosbeaks in the yard at once.
DSC_0001 by William Reinke, on FlickrWe get Evening Grosbeaks in spring and fall. This one was still feeding its young into early fall. It was enjoying honeysuckle berries and the juvenille wanted its share.
019 by William Reinke, on FlickrThis third Grosbeak was a first-timer for us. We saw this Pine Grosbeak along with his mate on a hike in the Tetons last fall.
October 2020 054 by William Reinke, on FlickrWarblers are especially hard to photograph, but this yellow-rumped (Audibon's) warbler was also along a trail in the Tetons and managed to stay still long enough for Bill to get this shot.
May-June 1 031 by William Reinke, on FlickrThese Eagles were in a field down the road from our house. With Henry's Lake across the road we are treated with daily sightings in the spring and early summer, often soaring overhead between the mountains and the lake.
399 June 8, 2020 007 by William Reinke, on FlickrThe Stellar's Jays make an occasional appearance but usually don't stay around long.
399 June 8, 2020 009 by William Reinke, on FlickrThis Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker showed up last spring. We were hoping for a nest with babies nearby but we never found the nest.
399 June 8, 2020 144 by William Reinke, on FlickrThis past fall Bill went out to put a few seeds on the feeder when a Mountain Chickadee landed in the tree right beside him. He decided to just stick out his hand with a few seeds on it, and to his surprise the chickadee came down to his hand and snatched a seed. A few seconds later it was back. It proceeded to do this six times and this was the start of a lasting friendship. Bill noticed a few days later that this chickadee only had one leg and was a bit smaller than his cohorts. So maybe this was why he was so willing to hand feed. His friends took notice and soon there would be half a dozen or so come to Bill's hand. Each would make a quick grab and fly away.
car,mtn pics june 14 012 by William Reinke, on FlickrOne day Bill was out feeding the chickadees when a group of migrating Pine Siskins were nearby in the trees. One took notice of the chickadees and watched. Soon it decided this was too good to pass up. So it flew down to Bill's hand. But unlike the chickadees, this one stayed on his hand and proceeded to eat the seeds there. Well, the other Siskins decided that this was a great idea for them too. It wasn't long before Bill had close to a dozen on his hand and arm at once.
018 by William Reinke, on Flickr
013 by William Reinke, on FlickrThey were flying all over and around him. Notice the one on Bill's bill (of the cap). Another one is barely visible perched on his right shoulder.
011 by William Reinke, on FlickrAnd on the string of his sweatshirt in this shot.
010 by William Reinke, on FlickrThis happened several times with the Pine Siskins, but not with the numbers that were there the first day. The one-legged chickadee now buzzes Bill if he sees him outside so Bill carries a few seeds in his pocket to oblige.
We have thoroughly enjoyed the birds, so thought we would share.
I forgot to mention that one day early this winter season, I shoveled a path through the snow to get out to the area in the yard where I feed the chickadees. I stand very still while I'm feeding them. While looking down at one on my hand, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye coming right towards me through the path I had shoveled. It was a short-tailed weasel also called an ermine, pure white except for the black tip on its tail. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do. It was coming straight for me and I was concerned it might run up my leg or something. But I just stood there and it continued past me just behind the back of my boots and then disappeared as quickly as it had come. It happened so fast that I almost wondered, "Was this real?" But I could see its tracks and it definitely was!
--Bill