Summer Country Birds

My husband and I are currently in the process of building what will someday be a permanent residence for us in northwest Indiana. What I find so appealing about our 21 acres is that the landscape is rich with habitats that support a wide variety of birds.

Below I feature several of the beautiful birds seen this summer on our country property.

Indigo Bunting 

These beauties have been seen singing from the treetops and also snacking on mulberries and inchworms.

Baltimore Oriole  

We are fortunate to have two pair of gorgeous orioles visiting our property this year. One couple is currently raising a hungry brood in a very large sycamore tree. The young birds should leave the nest sometime this week.

Cedar Waxwing 

  Over the past few weeks, striking waxwings have been gobbling up various berries from the trees.

Brown Thrasher 

 I most often see these handsome birds feeding in the grass. I believe we have at least three couples that reside on our land.

Yellow Warbler  

Many of these radiant warblers spend the summer in the marsh area of our property. They also enjoy searching for insects in our locust tree grove.

Gray Catbird  
This particular catbird is especially loquacious. It can be heard singing from dawn to dusk perched atop fir trees. Comical gurgles, squeaks and whistles of catbirds can be heard everywhere on our property.

American Goldfinch 
 These brilliant birds are regulars at our thistle and sunflower seed feeders.

A windblown House Wren  
This summer, these diminutive birds have raised several broods in a few of our bluebird nest boxes.

Blue-winged Warbler
The summer of 2013 is the first time I have ever noticed a Blue-winged Warbler on our property. This handsome fellow seems to answer the calls of various other birds in the area by emitting a raspy buzzing sound all day long.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo
I was surprised an delighted to see a slow-moving Yellow-billed Cuckoo two weeks ago. It was the first sighting of a cuckoo on our acreage.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
I see these handsome birds feeding in the trees and also dining on sunflower seeds and suet.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
These tiny birds can bee seen feeding and battling for feeder possession all day long. We have so many hummingbirds on our property that it is too difficult to get a count.

Eastern Bluebirds
This beautiful pair have already successfully raised one brood. They recently had to relocate because a House Wren couple took over their previous nest box. Here they are checking out a different residence. They must have liked what they saw because the female bluebird is currently sitting on eggs inside her new abode.

Baby Blue Jay
This photograph was taken just minutes after the young jay left the nest for the first time. It had difficulty flying and dropped to the ground. It soon hopped up to the top of a sand pile and then jumped onto a pine branch.

Posted by Julie Gidwitz

Nature's Splendor ~ http://naturessplendor-julie.blogspot.com/