August 4

Birds: cedar waxwing

July 10

Went for a walk in the local conservation area.

I saw: swallow?, cedar waxwing?, redwing blackbird, night heron, egret, cardinal (pair), chickadee, mallard duck, gull, tern, song sparrow?, and several little birds which were likely either kinglets or warblers (or a mix). 

June 7

Common birds: house sparrow, robin, mourning dove, grackle, starling, cardinal, red-tailed hawk, mallard duck

Spring visitors: redwing blackbird (pair), cedar waxwing

August 18 / the sprinkler

This evening I saw what I think was a group of cedar waxwings.  It was hard to tell, between the light conditions and their constant moving around.  I did see the crested head, so they were either waxwings or cardinals, and in a group waxwings is more probable.  Earlier in the afternoon, I ran the sprinkler to water the garden, and managed to get in the way of the water almost every time I moved it to a different spot. 

Common birds: cardinal (pair), house sparrow, goldfinch (male), starling, robin, chickadee, mourning dove

Overhead: gull

Uncertain: cedar waxwing??

the veggies / July 14

The beets have been growing, the leaves have a few insects.  I brought in a handful of peas, and a couple of small tomatoes.  Heard some birds I am not really sure about, maybe hawk, maybe red-wing blackbird, and maybe mourning dove - also heard the blue jay.  Saw birds in the big evergreen, cedar waxwings, and what was probably a house finch. 

Common birds: house sparrow, robin, cardinal (pair), starling, goldfinch (male)

Summer visitors: cedar waxwing

Previous Year's Birds / May 2011 & May 2012

May 2011

blackburnian warbler (male)
chestnut sided warbler
black throated green warbler (male)
rose breasted grosbeak (male)
flicker
woodpecker
goldfinch
robin
starling
cardinals
sparrows
chickadee
mourning dove
juncos
white throated sparrow

May 15/2011 - blackburnian warbler (male), chestnut sided warbler (pair), black throated green warbler, yellow rumped (myrtle) warbler, northern parula warbler, red tailed hawk, blue jay, house finch, rose breasted grosbeak (pair), nashville warbler, nuthatch

May 16/2011 - magnolia warbler, nashville warbler, black and white warbler, chestnut sided warbler, yellow rumped warbler, yellow warbler, blackburnian warbler, parula warbler, black throated blue warbler, goldfinch (pair), grosbeak (pair), red tailed hawk, white crowned sparrow, hummingbird, veery, baltimore oriole, nuthatch, housefinch, sparrow, chickadee, crows, blue jay, red-wing blackbird, cowbird (pair), robin, cardinal (pair), mourning dove

May 17/2011 - nashville warbler, magnolia warbler, yellow rumped warbler, chestnut sided warbler, northern parula warbler, yellow warbler (male), grosbeaks, starling, grackle, chickadee, cardinals, robin, sparrows, white crowned sparrow, cowbirds, oriole(?)

May 18/2011 - magnolia warbler, nashville warbler, chestnut sided warbler, yellow rumped warbler (male), tenessee warbler (?*), sparrow, blue jay, grackle, chickadee, woodpecker, grosbeaks, red tailed hawk, nuthatch, cardinals, robin, goldfinch (pair)

Note: tenessee warbler may instead be philadelphia vireo.  

May 19/2011 - orioles, yellow rumped warbler, parula warbler, nashville warbler, magnolia warbler, chestnut sided warbler, black throated green warbler (?), cowbirds, grosbeaks, blue jay, cardinals, sparrow, white crowned sparrow, grackle, robin, starling, mourning dove, goldfinch, chickadees, nuthatch

May 20/2011 - chestnut sided warbler, nashville warbler, northern parula warbler, sparrow, cowbird (male), mourning dove, cardinals, goldfinch (male), robin, blue jay, chickadee, grackle, gull, crow

May 21/2011 - robin, grackle, cardinals, sparrows, red-wing blackbird, goldfinch (male), cowbird (male)

May 22/2011 - robin, grackle, sparrow, cardinals, cowbird (male)

May 23/2011 - yellow warbler, nashville warbler, robin, grackle, sparrow, cardinals, cowbirds, crow, blue jay, red-wing blackbird, oriole, goldfinch (female), housefinch, mourning dove, starling, hawk

May 24/2011 - robin, grackle, sparrow, cardinals, cowbird (male), red-wing blackbird, starling, mourning dove

May 25/2011 - robin, starling, sparrow, woodpecker, cardinal (male), orioles, chickadee, goldfinch (male), blue jay, grackle

May 26/2011 - starling, chickadee, red-wing blackbird, oriole, grackle

May 27/2011 - starling, grackle, sparrow, cardinal

May 2012

palm warbler
yellow rumped warbler
black throated green warbler
nashville warbler
grosbeak
cedar waxwing
western kingbird/great crested flycatcher
ruby crowned kinglet (?)
oriole
hawk (ID?*)
hawk
woodpecker
white crowned sparrow
goldfinch
house finch

Note: the usual hawk is the red-tailed hawk, also saw one which may have been a juvenile, or something else. 

June 25 / the blue butterfly

I saw at least four butterflies today - the cabbage white, which is common, the swallowtail that I have been seeing often this spring, something orange, but it was so quick I can't tell what sort, and a tiny little pale blue one.  I saw one like it last summer, this is the first time this season.  This evening I ate my dinner outside, since it was so nice out.  A hawk was circling overhead, and after I brought out the binoculars for a look at it, I also saw two cedar waxwings up in the tall evergreen. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), starling, grackle, robin, goldfinch (male)

Summer visitors: red-wing blackbird (male), cedar waxwing

Overhead: red-tailed hawk

Heard: mourning dove