Some new spring arrivals

The Tree Swallows have returned!  I guess that means we have enough bugs  starting to also show up for them to eat.   You don't usually see these birds sitting still for too long except on a wire high above you.  This one was resting in the warm sun so I thought I would try to capture him.  He was tough to focus on as he was  a distance away and so tiny.  His blue feathers were so brilliant in the sun though!

A Northern Shoveler  hen feeding along a bank.  

This Red-Winged Blackbird landed in front of me on the rail of a foot bridge I was crossing.  I was able to get about five feet away from him.  It was as if he wanted me to take his picture.

Just practicing capturing a moving target.  This Red-Tailed Hawk was looking for  a meal.  He was a handsome one!

While walking, we came across Osprey that are building a nest on one of those very tall high voltage towers.  This style tower  has a flat top.  Not too much will bother the nest here, just watch out for a good windstorm!  I will monitor this nesting site and see if I can post any updates on the birds in the future.

A Black-Capped Chickadee.

Today we found three Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers in our yard!  They are migrating through to their nesting grounds in the northern states and into Canada.  We spotted this female about 10AM this morning.  It is now almost 4 PM and she is still in the same spot!  She will take a drink of sap from one of the holes she drilled, wait a minute or so for more to drain and then drink again.  I am sure she was probably pretty hungry from her trip north.  

The male Sapsuckers have red on their throats also.  This is the only woodpecker in the Eastern United States that migrates.  Once in awhile, you might find a brave one who does not though.  

You can see many small random placed holes also and I believe these are from the Downy Woodpeckers that frequent my yard.  The Sapsucker holes are the larger ones in a straight row.  Last year, the Sapsucker stayed about three days before moving on.