From My Window

Members of the Colorado birding group have been speculating for a couple of weeks now that this year's migration is phenomenal. Just in the last few days, they've begun to reason that perhaps we're seeing more variety is because we have more time to watch our winged celebrities.

I have had bird condos and a bird feeder outside my living room and bedroom windows for years now. One feeder pole is nearly a decade old! We've had to replace feeders every couple of years, and we have to clean out the birdhouses every year. I've had two different hummingbird feeders over the years, but we've never had many hummingbirds. At least not that I've seen.

Now that I get to watch out the window every day while I work from home, it was worth investing in a couple of new hummingbird feeders. I get to see the hummingbirds this year!!!




I've also been able to enjoy other birds trying to get a sip of what the hummingbirds are drinking. This is about the most fun I've had all year!!!


I've captured some spectacular shots of birds from my bedroom window over the years, but the variety this year has left me absolutely spellbound. Last year, I got to see grosbeaks for the first time ever, right in my backyard.




I haven't seen those same grosbeaks yet this year, but I got a new to me grosbeak.


I've thoroughly enjoyed the songs of meadowlarks, red-winged blackbirds and house wrens, and we've enjoyed watching not-quite-as-eloquent singers such as common grackles, cowbirds and even Bullock's orioles, which I'd seen once before at Barr Lake. I am stunned when the orioles visit my hummingbird feeder at almost the same time every day!


The oriole's sharp beak apparently allows it to sip the nectar.


I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes, but those tiny little house wrens with big, gigantic lungs and powerhouse voices are known to harass other larger birds and empty their nests, even throwing out eggs! Thankfully, our annual tree swallows didn't have eggs yet, but I watched this little brat nearly destroy the tree swallows' nest!!!






The tree swallows watched for a few minutes, then decided to take on this little hoodlum. Within minutes, the house wren was outnumbered and chased away. Mama and Daddy took turns guarding the nest from that point on.






Western bluebirds had not made a visit to our backyard sanctuary, at least that I know of. Back during our Easter blizzard, we hosted no less than nine western bluebirds in one birdhouse. (They couldn't squeeze their plump little bodies through the smaller condo openings. We put up a second birdhouse the second day of the storm as they buzzed our heads. I guess western bluebirds don't like the smell of a new house. They all piled into the old one again.) No social distancing for them!!!

Man. are they ever beautiful birds!!!






We get goldfinches every autumn. They like the seeds on my sunflowers and chicory, which generally don't bloom until the end of summer. This spring, the goldfinches have been at the feeder and in the birdbath, too. They may have visited in springs past, but I wasn't home to see them.






And oh, the birdbath!!! I am so glad I put it so close to my bedroom window. It's just about the best attraction in my bird amusement park!

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