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Tag Archives: western meadowlark

Spring Bird Song

As the days grow warmer, new birds migrate to the nesting areas and begin setting up their territories, declaring them from tree tops, fence posts and signs. During yesterday’s early morning walk, I heard bluebirds, sparrows, finches and meadowlarks. Owls wake us up at night with their hooting. There is so much to see and hear!

Here is the song of the Western Meadowlark from the Cornell website.

Morning light on yonder hills
Western Meadowlark
Mountain Bluebird
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl

More Images From Home

Lots of birds have successfully nested on our hillside this year – American Robins, Say’s Phoebes, Western and Mountain Bluebirds, House Wrens, Tree and Violet-green Swallows, Bullock’s Orioles and more. The biggest highlight has been our Nice Nests kestrel box hosting its first successful nest of American Kestrels. Four birds were raised and got out of the box and were standing around on branches up until a few days ago. That is the branchling stage. Now they are out doing flying and hunting lessons. I hope they stay here and work on our rodent population. And I hope they return next year. We have another kestrel box that hasn’t been used yet!

The wild currants are ripe
Serviceberries
Kestrel nest box
All four baby kestrels
Western Bluebird with a Bullock’s Oriole flying by
Western Bluebird
Calliope Hummingbird
Bullock’s Oriole
Two baby kestrels take in the last light of the day
Western Meadowlark

Signs of Spring – Birds and Bees

Despite what the calendar indicates, Spring is bursting out all over. The animals feel it. They are out foraging for fresh food. Insect-eating birds have returned from their winter vacations and are having no trouble finding bugs to consume. A Northern Pygmy-owl spent a couple of days here eating the voles whose dirty handiwork is emerging from the melting snow. I’d hoped the owl would stay longer to put a real dent in the vole population but it has moved on. Both Western and Mountain Bluebirds have arrived. The Western’s are checking out nest boxes and making plans for the upcoming breeding season. It is fun to watch the pairs take turns examining a box and seemingly discussing the pros and cons of each one. ‘Look this one has a nice view’. ‘ Ahh but I like that one over there with the better perch’. Well what about that one out there?’ ‘Too close to the dog corral’. And on and on it goes. The Say’s Phoebe, a pretty bird with a soft, sometimes two-note call has also returned. It is a member of the flycatcher family and easily identified, unlike some of its relatives. And high on our hill I found a singing Western Meadowlark – truly a joyous sound of spring! Most of these birds were pretty distant for photography, except the ferocious looking owl. But that didn’t keep me from trying.

And on another note, Ken took the lids off of his two beehives and sure enough, they are still alive and ready to start foraging as soon as the flowers start to bloom!

Say’s Phoebe with Northern Pygmy-owl in the background
Say’s Phoebe with Northern Pygmy-owl in the background
Say’s Phoebe
Western Bluebird
Way distant Mountain Bluebird against a bluebird sky
Singing Western Meadowlark
Honeybees
Angry honeybees
One of our neighbor’s new nest boxes on an aspen that burned last summer
Northern Pygmy-owl
Eyes on the back of its head
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