Well, I can't say June was an uninteresting month.
Late in May I somehow managed to twist, strain, jamb or otherwise cause a problem in my lower back. The result was that if I sat down for more than three or four minutes, the pain when standing was excruciating. Birding trips, needless to say, were out of the question.
I found I could be reasonably productive by putting the laptop on the kitchen counter, and typing while standing up. The downside to this, of course, was the kitchen window that looks out on the bird feeders and the back yard. Productivity wavered.
Immediately I noticed there were still large numbers of Red Crossbills out there. Last winter was the first time these birds had appeared at my feeders, and they should have been away north to the boreal forest weeks before. We are right on the eastern edge of their Alberta range, but some breeding was noted in the city this spring.
Then I noticed an unusual number of Cedar Waxwings. They were in all the trees, on the ground and at the birdbaths. Oddly enough I never saw them actually in the water. I watched many of them walk all the way around the bird bath, dipping a foot or wing tip in the water, but no bath. Normally I get a couple of them stopping in for a quick visit, but this month they were here for weeks, chattering up the yard.
I also discovered why my peanuts were disappearing so quickly. I had been blaming greedy squirrels, not clever Black-billed Magpies.
Day after day after day of incessant rain provided some interesting views of one of my Mourning Doves, Bruiser.
Early June also provided a yard full of tufty House Finch young 'uns.
The real productivity-killers though, were the American Robins. I've no idea how many hours I spent watching their antics.
After a very soggy, flood-filled month the weather is finally turning into summer. My back is on the mend, and it won't be too long before we're out and about to see what's birdy in other areas.
For sheer appeal though, it will be hard to top this photo of a wee House Sparrow chancing the odds of a meal.
