A group of of a dozen Trumpeter Swans were enjoying some sunshine on a small lake. With a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet, they are our largest native waterfowl and heaviest flying bird. That size requires 100 yards of open water runway to get airborne.
Swans in Sunshine
The American White Pelican is one of the largest North American birds and this one appeared to have been successful in scooping up a small fish for a snack with it extendable pouch as I was watching it. This pelican is a nonbreeding adult as it does not have a a yellow plate on the upper bill. If it was a breeding pelican, it would have to catch a lot more food as it takes about 150 pounds of food to nourish a chick from birth until the chick can forage on its own.
American White Pelican
The number of my normal summer birds are way low this year but a few years ago I had this unexcited bird in my yard. It was sighted for many miles as it roamed the countryside.
Roaming Peacock
The return of beavers have added more wetland habitat for Great Blue Herons. The herons often build their stick nest high in trees. The young are fed by both parents by regurgitation. Young fledglings are capable of flight around 60 days and usually depart nest between 65 and 90 days.
Great Blue Heron
This oriole was enjoying the sunshine as it sang and preened. Maybe he was getting ready for a Friday night date with his girl.
Oriole Singing and Preening
Other birds seem to enjoy the flowering apple trees too and later when there are apples, more birds will savor eating the fruit.
Oriole in Blossoms
So far this spring the bluebirds seem to be down in numbers as I have only seen a few this year. Hopefully more have returned but I just haven’t noticed them. Some years I would see them in the apple tree blossoms, which make a pretty backdrop.
Bluebird in Apple Blossoms
I spotted a brown thrasher briefly at my bird feeder today but I heard it singing a lot longer. The thrasher’s voice carried from its high perch in the top of the tree and the male brown thrasher has a very large song repertoire, with over 1,100 documented and estimated to be over 3,000. They also imitate other birds songs, especially during the breeding season.
Singing Brown Thrasher
One male Baltimore Oriole has arrived from the south as the trees are starting to leaf out.
Returning Oriole
This weekend was the opening of the fishing season and it looks like this kingfisher wanted to get in on the action. But he didn’t find any fish in my pond, or at least I haven’t spotted any this spring after the thick ice over the winter. So the Belted Kingfisher had to snack on some bugs instead. The males are less colorful than the females as the female also has an additional rusty orange band on her belly.
Belted Kingfisher
