Crows and Ravens

The crows are good alarm systems that will beat any man made form when it comes to protection of our boys. They will make a racket when four legged wildlife is passing through, such as the bobcats, coyotes, and sometimes raccoons. They are even better at attracting our attention if the preditor is airbourne, such as the eagles, hawks, owls, and other raptors that may be resident, or pass through the area.

The crow at left is a special treat for us. There is a family of white marked crows, and this one is the most interesting of designs.

Evening Grosbeak

At our old home, the Evening Grosbeak was a rare sight, but here we have been fortunate to have resident Grosbeaks, including the family as they learned to 'hunt' food at the feeder. They became quite brave this past year, but disappeared with the colder weather. We look forward to their return.

At left is a male Evening Grosbeak on the feeder.

The photo at right shows underside pulmage colors.....

At left is a female with lighter coloration.

Stellars Jays

One of the first birds that came to our attention, probably because of the raucous skwalling that comes out of their mouths, are the Stellar's Jays.

What I love most about them is the color, especially in winter, when the garden needs a little brightening.

Mind you, with observation, you can develop a very clear picture of "bird brain" as a euphemism. They are also handy for keeping wasps at bay in the summer, as their favorite pastime, when they are no longer hungry, is picking off the wasps along the eavestroughs.