Change of Seasons

This morning, a flurry of fast wings back in the trees, and then in a few minutes, a confirmed sighting of our Sharp-shinned hawk. Yesterday afternoon, a male spruce grouse in one of the spruces right behind our backdoor. And Monday, another sighting of our male Downy Woodpecker. Since frost two nights ago, a few less birds, but we're still seeing Juncos. White-crowned sparrows seem to be all gone, as of about a week ago.

A Collection of Sightings

Three or four days ago, Northern Harrier - sitting on a utility line along K-Beach road, and swooping down, talons extended, obviously narrowing into a little varmint in the grasses below.

Yesterday afternoon, a beautiful male Hairy Woodpecker, backyard, on a feeder.

Two days ago, two teenaged spruce grouses in the ditch in front of our house.

And now, at 7 AM, the ratcheting call of the stellar's jay, reminding us that they need peanuts.

Another Visitor Traveling Through

Yesterday afternoon, a brief sighting, but today a confirmed sighting of a Fox Sparrow on our nearest feeder. They are around our area all summer but we rarely have them in our yard. Seems as though we often see them in late summer - early fall for a day or two. They do have an incredibly beautiful song, which some people might find odd. A lot of people tend to think that sparrows only "chip chip chip" like the house sparrows many of us saw as we were growing up in the lower 48. But here in Alaska, some of the most beautiful songs we hear in the summer come from sparrows, Golden-crowned sparrow (whose song should be the State Birdsong), White-crowned sparrow, the song sparrow, the ubiquitous call of the savannah sparrow when you're out on the Kenai River Flats, and Lincoln sparrow. Fox Sparrow too, not heard so much by me personally, but it's out there - and beautiful.

Morning Visit

Early this morning, we saw our brown creeper, creeping up and down the spruce tree trunks near our feeder. Later yesterday afternoon, another sighting of the Downy Woodpecker at the water trough.

Still about 40-50 pine siskins, our friendly chickadees and nuthatches, Stellar Jays and gray jays. An occasional magpie.

Air Show

This morning, while eating breakfast, we watched as a sharp-shinned hawk chased or was chased by a magpie, tearing through the trees and around the yard. Hard to believe that the magpie was being so cheeky, but the hawk is almost the same size. As they flew over the eaves and on north away from our yard, a stellar's jay cruised up, totally nonchalant, begging for peanuts.

Yesterday my husband saw a red-winged blackbird in one of the ponds at the golf course. We went back this morning for another look, but no blackbird, only 3 muskrats, also a wonderful sighting.

Small Packages

Yesterday afternoon we glanced out in the back, and on one of the lower branches of our nearby spruce tree sat a Sharp-shinned Hawk. So beautiful. But up close, pretty darn small. When I think of how they veer through the branches and pick off an unsuspecting bird on the feeder, and in the same smooth movement, continue on out the opposite direction, it's amazing how powerful, how dangerous and yet small they are. After watching him sitting there for just a few seconds, one of our brash squirrels ran down the tree trunk towards him and the hawk left. The squirrel must not have felt any threat. It would seem as tho the hawk could kill a squirrel, but they must be just a little too big.

Sunday the 11th

This morning, a beautiful Hairy Woodpecker visited our "annex" bird feeder. Other than him, it's been a very busy morning with dozens of pine siskins. We're keeping our eyes open for migrating or visiting newbies.

Swans on the Lake

This morning our backyard feeders and birdbath were filled with hordes of pine siskins. Probably 60 -70. And on a trip to Kenai, we saw two beautiful elegant swans on one of the little lakes formed out on the flats following all our rains. Along with a handsome caribou. Beautiful fall morning.

The Flicker is Still Coming In

Have been seeing the flicker every day for quite a long time each day, ever since Sunday. And this morning we also had a male hairy woodpecker in the yard. Love seeing the woodpeckers.

Sunday Sightings

This morning we saw a yellow-shafted flicker at one of our feeders - he has stayed around pretty much all day. We have only had a couple of flicker sightings ever in our backyard, and in fact, only about three ever in the Kenai area. And then later this afternoon, I spotted an immature crossbill. Along with our usual 40 or so pine siskins, boreal and black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, gray and Stellar's jays, and magpies.

Then later on, near evening, a brown creeper! Our last one here was sometime in early spring or later winter. We are certainly enjoying all the different birds visiting our yard this past week.

Several Surprises

This morning watching the 50 or so pine siskins at our feeder and watering system, we suddenly saw a darting yellow flash, and realized we had a male Wilson's Warbler visiting our backyard. He flitted around for about two or three minutes and then left, too much competition, I suppose. In late summer, early fall, we often see Wilson's and other warblers as they are moving around, I am presuming, preparing to migrate.

This afternoon a male Downy Woodpecker was at the birdbath and the feeders. So nice to see him too.

And later on, two spruce grouse, one displaying his beautiful tail, under the trees far back in our yard.

Voyeurs

We were watching the two Stellars Jays this morning, who were watching us. We sat at our kitchen table looking out the window, and they sat out on the deck, on the backs of our lawn chairs, looking in at us. Every move we made they followed with extreme rapt attention. If we made a move towards the door, they flew to the tree branches awaiting our possible step outside to provide them with peanuts. We went back to the bedroom and there outside the bedroom window, on a ladder propped against the eaves were the two jays, sitting on two rungs, about a foot between them, one facing west and the other east, both looking in the window intently. They are so intense about it and so persistent that we finally give in and hand out some more goodies. A reward for their watchfulness. Don't know which of us is exhibiting learned behaviour.