Scrub jay!
Birds
Watering the front yard and this hummingbird was really curious about the water and I swear the bird took a drink.
Our cultivated native California grapes are ripening! The birds will hopefully soon find them. Or we’ll enjoy them despite their massive seeds.
Hummingbird enjoying succulent flowers.
Hidden Lakes, Lassen National Forest
Saturday, June 13, 2020
We went on a hike to the Hidden Lakes in the Caribou Wilderness on the Lassen National Forest. It started at the Hay Meadows Trail Head, north of Lake Almanor, California. It was six miles of relatively flat hiking with periodic steep inclines. The trails were not at all crowded, though we brought masks just in case. We saw a male Western Tanager (bird). I cropped to zoom: A closer view, using Pixelmator Pro’s ML Super Resolution with crop:Metallic flagging and a fake hawk to discourage birds from the cherries. The blue jays are smart and eventually don’t care but smaller birds stay away. Just say no to critter killing netting.
Our cherry tree’s super close **together** buds are opening up! Soon flower buds will rapidly drop on stems, bloom, and then by late May... ripe cherries! If the birds don’t get them first.
Experimenting with our first bird feeding station. Suet with seed for a variety of birds.
Our Elderberries coming back after they scorched in the summer heat last year. Resilient native plants! The birds loved the berries late summer.
Front yarden update: California Buckwheat’s dead flowers are showy red and the Blue Oak has decided it is winter. California fuchsias still have flowers for the hummingbirds. Front of the house illuminated by mostly bug friendly amber lights. 🐞🐝
Birds gorging on sweet basil seeds.
The birds are gorging on seeds in our front and backyard gardens. So happy to provide them sustenance rather than a lawn desert!
Front yard native plants currently in bloom: Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia; red flowers adored by hummingbirds) and Baccharis pilularis (Coyote Bush; small, pleasantly scented white flowers loved by small pollinators).
Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia) keeping pollinators, including hummingbirds, happy.
Anna’s Hummingbirds fighting over native fuchsias!
