Birds of Wrightwood [Slow loading-lots of photos]

[Calindy]

My hummingbird feeders have been busy too here in Phelan. This is the FIRST year that I have had 2 new birds that I had never seen here before. A Scott's Oriole & a Downy Woodpecker, and they feed off of the hummingbird feeders! The Scott's Oriole is hard to get a picture of on the feeder, he does not come by but a couple times a day, and he is skiddish.

[Nolena]

Great pictures! 

[Stitches]

Yea, I've got woodpeckers at my hummingbird feeder too.   They pick the flowers right off because they need a bigger opening.    Maybe they have cooties and the hummingbirds are refusing to come because of the intruder.    I miss my hummers.

Nice picture of the Oriole.

[Calindy]

Thanks. When the Woodpecker started coming, he still had pin feathers on his head, so he was a baby. He has become full feathered now, and he comes around once or twice a day. We have 3-4 hummers too. I am down to one feeder, I have 2 more on the way by mail (the others started leaking). The woodpecker is not shy, and if he shows up and we are on the patio, he "thinks" about it standing on the roof of the patio, and then he comes to the feeder. It will be interesting to watch them all share one feeder for the next few days!

[Calindy]

I caught the male Scott's Oriole today at the feeder! Not the best picture, but I love the colors!

[makgirl]

You have to post a pic or it didn't happen ;-)

OK, well, no pic of the chickadee, but here's one of a Jay (sorry it's blurry):



The orioles just love the hummingbird feeder.  Problem is, when they push off to leave, they spill a ton of nectar.  That's one of the main reasons I have to fill them so often.  Not to mention when two get on opposite perches and start that "see saw" motion while drinking...

[makgirl]

Don't see these Mt. bluebirds too often, but they sure are beautiful...

[Calindy]

Beautiful Bluebird, the last one I saw was in Indiana (a non-Mountain one)!

[makgirl]

You have to post a pic or it didn't happen ;-)

Ok, here you go....Mountain Chickadee on the hummingbird feeder

(sorry for size, I tried for 45 minutes to download cropped photo from photobucket, but it kept using the original photo  )

[Calindy]

I think this is a Scott's Oriole with a deformed beak?

[FIGHT ON]

Red-tailed Hawk?

[be8dad]

[MMB]

That last picture is really gorgeous!

[Domingo]

What is the name of the bird in the last photo?

[Tall Trees]

I am not sure what the name of the bird is in the last picture but, I am fairly confident that it is not a regular resident of Wrightwood since I have never seen it before and cannot locate it in any of my bird books.  If you look at the photograph it apears to be some kind of Blue Jay or Scrub Jay roosting on a thorn branch.  I don't think this is a north american species and is probraly a photograph someone took while on vacation in Austrailia or some other country.  If someone wants to post photograps of exoctic species from other countries perhaps they start a new thread.

[ski ya later!]

This is a great picture of a beautiful bird!  But, what kind of bird is this?  And where was the picture taken?

[be8dad]

hi guys, I don't get on here very often...

My appologies, I clicked on that guy in error
(its a south african Lilac Breasted Roller),

 I was trying to download a local humming bird I caught on the feeder just before sunrise with his wing expanded- (attached)

and some other locals...

[Tall Trees]

Wow be8dad, Thanks for the clarification about the bird, lots of people wanted to know what it was.  The south african lilac brested roller is a wonderful bird and very beautiful, when I looked it up on the internet I was amazed at its wonderful colors.  The pictures of the hummingbird, the acorn wood pecker, the northern flicker and the steller' jay found here in Wrightwood are much appreciated.  Now that the end of summer is upon us we should start seeing some of the migratory birds showing up pretty soon.  Once the Oregon Juncos show up I know that the fall season is soon to arrive.

[jek134]

This past week I've found two dead birds on my stoop. The first bird was a tiny black, gray and white bird that was torn apart. In the morning it was gone except for one wing. Last night we heard a ruckus and saw a medium sized bird similar to the picture above the bluejay lying dead. What could be killing these birds? Owl?

[Up Sheep Creek]

An owl would most likely eat the bird.  Could be a house cat, they like to leave their prey by the door.  My late Samantha would leave me dead lizards on the door step.  A feral cat would probably eat it.  We have so many critters out at night.  Please let us know what you find.