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<p><font size="+1">Happy Sunday to all. I don't know why I rarely
associate the end of July with young birds, but there have been
so many in the past couple of weeks.<br>
</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Yesterday our second nest of robins fledged from
the honeysuckle trellis. We almost missed the start of this
brood, since it came about with far less fanfare than the
original construction efforts of the first. The first nest
produced 4, and the second 3 youngsters. The last to leave
spent half the day perched on the carport eaves, ignoring his
parents pleas to move on--somewhere, anywhere.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Early last week, we were suddenly inundated with
chipping sparrows and their ungainly foster children
(suspiciously resembling cowbirds) around the back feeder in
particular. Much to my delight, after having seen only 2
orioles this year during early migration, 3 young ones suddenly
began spending time in our back yard. I quickly replaced my
oriole feeders, but the new guys didn't seem to care--they were
all about the birdbath. Our little male hummingbird was pretty
tickled with the orange nectar feeder, however, and stopped
using the other hummingbird feeders for a while. I haven't seen
the orioles this week at all.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Now there are numerous house finch families to
fill the void, along with young chickadees. A trio of fuzzy
downy woodpeckers played King of the Hill with the front bird
feeder. A pair of cardinals with two offspring arrived in the
front yard; to all appearances the adults were vigorously
convincing the young that they were ready for an empty nest.
Goldfinches seem to not be interested in thistle this summer,
but are emptying the sunflower feeder as fast as I can fill it.<br>
</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">A small group of waxwings arrived while I was in
the yard this past week. They grouped in the maple tree, and
one flew into the magnolia over the pond and whistled to the
others. When no one came to join it, it flew back to the maple
and tried to regroup them, and then back over the pond. After
more whistling back and forth, the one gave up and the entire
group moved on. Proof, I guess, that you can lead a flock to
water, but you can't make them drink. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Finally, our first RB grosbeak of the year--a
young male has begun to visit us. My husband is disappointed to
only see him in his juvenile plumage, but I hope he remembers
where he visited and maybe comes back next year all grown up. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Oh, and my daughter and I were thrilled to see
indigo buntings last week on a walk in a local park--2 males,
sitting on the trail and singing their little hearts out. Happy
birding to all, Cindy in North Mankato</font><br>
</p>
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