The male Painted Bunting lives up to his name with colorful patches of blue, yellow and red. This one was enjoying a snack of some kind of grass seeds in an overgrown area at the edge of a lawn.
Distinctly different than the green-brown Female Painted Bunting that I featured last month, they are a treat to see, if only for a moment.
White-eyed Vireos are small {0.3-0.5 oz (10-14 g)} song birds that are usually difficult to spot due to their preferred habitat of thickets and scrubby trees. I could hear this one singing just in front of me on a narrow path and was surprised to see him on an open branch.
And when he flew I could still see him!
Although White-eyed Vireo was my first thought, I used the Merlin Bird ID app to verify the ID.
This branch is part of a dead tree that has fallen over the edge of a pond. Various birds find it a great place to survey the area, including this female Red-winged Blackbird.
In wondered if it was a juvenile as she was having trouble keeping her balance.
And fluffed up a bit like a young bird does.
Then she announced to the world she had a grip and immediately flew off.
I returned to Beidler Forrest one morning this week hoping for another opportunity to see a Prothonotary Warbler or two. I did hear a few high in the tree tops but mostly they eluded me. The promised sun did not materialize, keeping the forest dark.
I did capture this one as it was returning to its nest, which the center staff pointed me to. The nest is down inside that Cypress knee. After a moment the adult dropped into the nest and stayed put for at least the next twenty minutes, likely laying on eggs.
May 7, 2019.
Carolina Wren’s have been a tough bird for me to capture. This one surprised me when he chose a nice open branch for a few moments.
After foraging in the grass for a bit the wren took to the trees again, landing in a sunny spot.
This Common Yellowthroat Warbler was a cheery sight on a recent cool morning.
A few days after seeing a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker investigate a tree cavity I saw a Chickadee do it.
It wasn’t as nice a day with a grey sky for a background, but the bird’s behavior was interesting.
The Chickadee went back and forth between this tree, which is dead, and an overhanging branch across the path. I’m not sure if he was looking for food or a potential nest site.
After the Chickadee flew off I went around the tree to see the cavity. I’ll be watching this spot when I pass by as spring progresses.
You looking at me?
The Tufted Titmouse is a perky bird that I haven’t seen much of in South Carolina. This one was flitting along a tree line at the edge of the swamp.
He paused for about 30 seconds allowing me a brief photo-shoot.
I heard him just as I stepped to the edge of the pond near a stand of Cattails. He saw me, but surprisingly didn’t bolt.
He looked around and assessed the situation.
A quick shift of position provided a capture that shows off his beautiful reddish-brown wings.
Good by!
This Yellow-rumped Warbler, also known as “Butter Butt” paused as he was looking for snacks along the tree line of the rice field dike.
The warblers tend to be fast and elusive, usually working the inner branches as they move along a tree line.
It’s always a treat when they turn towards the camera, even though this is not the Butter Butt’s most colorful side.
