Barred Owls and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

 I located a pair of Barred Owls recently...

They changed location a few times...

but stayed in view...

one landed on a telephone-utility pole...

the other landed in a tree...

the one in the tree was quickly assaulted by a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that likely weighed less than an ounce...

the barred owl weighs as much as 37 ounces and can be 20 inches long...

in spite of the size difference the owl remained wary of the smaller bird...

proving the old saying: "it is not the size of the dog (bird) in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog (bird)"...

 

No birds were injured during this encounter.

Thanks for visiting, be well and come back soon.

  

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager sightings have been plentiful this year...

Many years I am lucky to see even one...

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KINGLET, FINCHES and WAXWINGS

 The Ruby Crowned Kinglet is  warbler sized and never stops moving...

The red crest on the top of it's head is hard to see normally. When it is excited it often raises the red feathers that give it it's name...

They are a sure sign that summer is almost here...

Cedar Waxwings are here year round...

They are beautiful to behold but their soft calls can be difficult to hear...

The next image is a House Finch. If you put out bird seed you probably have these in large numbers...

American Goldfinches are here all year but are most noticeable when the males are bright yellow with black wings...

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Wood Warblers

Please note: I am updating this post to include this American Redstart that I found today...

They look so much like Baltimore Orioles that I bet a lot of folks get fooled at first glance...

I enjoy all of the migrating warblers when they are here...

Common Yellowthroats are gorgeous...

They sing with enthusiasm...

Northern Parula are also colorful and loud at this time of year...

          

The bird in the next image is likely a female because it lacks the black and rusty colored     chest band seen on adult males...                                              

I find most warblers hard to photograph because they won't be still for very long...                                                                       

The Louisiana Waterthrush can be difficult to identify or describe...    

It is the size of a sparrow, marked like a thrush but is actually a warbler...                      

Because it is mating season this one was feeling a little frisky...

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Northern Cardinal and Indigo Bunting

 

The male Northern Cardinal gets noticed so easily in it's bright red feathers...

I thought I would post two views of the female, which is lovely in her own right, with soft earth tones...

The Indigo Bunting is another species with similar characteristics...

The female is a dull earthy brown while the male is resplendent in a coat of deep indigo blue...

The color scheme evolved to make the female harder to detect by predators while nesting and rearing her off spring. The colorful males evolved to attract females.

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