In October 2010, we decided to hang a feeder in the yard. We were hesitant at first, thinking it might draw "undesirables" into the yard. We overcame our initial fears and we now have an assortment of 15 feeders and 5 bird baths. Today was a typical hot summer day, so we had the usual seasonal birds for this area. Our daily visitors are Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds, Blue Jays, Brown Thrashers and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. We also have a daily dose of Common Grackles, Mourning Doves and Ground Doves. Today's surprise visitor was a tiny Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. He's a year round resident, but we only see him a few times each year.
Since we started birding, our daily blessing is a visit from our Florida Scrub-Jays. Our mated pair had 4 babies in late April. The parents brought the babies to our yard for the first time on May 11th, and nearly every day since. We enjoy their antics and are amazed at how they've grown. When they first arrived, they were fat, fluffy and clumsy. Their wings and tails were blue, their heads and necklaces were dirty gray. Now, the fluff is gone and the dirty gray has turned to blue. The clumsiness has disappeared and they've become expert fliers, just like mom and dad. With the garden hose, we spray the brush and small trees at the edge of the yard. We watch them go crazy taking "leaf baths", which resembles body surfing. They "squawk and flop" around on the wet leaves, they totally love it. The Scrub-Jays have become our favorite bird. They'll land on your head, hands or shoulders, looking for handouts, so you've got to be paying attention. They're smart, friendly, bold and inquisitive with an incredible personality.
We've read about their "endangered" status. It is estimated that there are fewer than 8000 of them left on earth. Conservation efforts have been implemented to reduce the destruction of their habitat. These steps should help increase the Florida Scrub-Jay population. We're hoping that they make a huge comeback. They're doing very well in our yard, that's for sure. Enjoy today's photos.....tweet....tweet!!
Since we started birding, our daily blessing is a visit from our Florida Scrub-Jays. Our mated pair had 4 babies in late April. The parents brought the babies to our yard for the first time on May 11th, and nearly every day since. We enjoy their antics and are amazed at how they've grown. When they first arrived, they were fat, fluffy and clumsy. Their wings and tails were blue, their heads and necklaces were dirty gray. Now, the fluff is gone and the dirty gray has turned to blue. The clumsiness has disappeared and they've become expert fliers, just like mom and dad. With the garden hose, we spray the brush and small trees at the edge of the yard. We watch them go crazy taking "leaf baths", which resembles body surfing. They "squawk and flop" around on the wet leaves, they totally love it. The Scrub-Jays have become our favorite bird. They'll land on your head, hands or shoulders, looking for handouts, so you've got to be paying attention. They're smart, friendly, bold and inquisitive with an incredible personality.
We've read about their "endangered" status. It is estimated that there are fewer than 8000 of them left on earth. Conservation efforts have been implemented to reduce the destruction of their habitat. These steps should help increase the Florida Scrub-Jay population. We're hoping that they make a huge comeback. They're doing very well in our yard, that's for sure. Enjoy today's photos.....tweet....tweet!!
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Florida Scrub-Jays
(Taken 1/16/11, Our Backyard) |
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| Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Taken 2/21/12, Our Backyard) |
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