Eastern Phoebe / Sayornis phoebe

Last night, I got the dreaded Blue Screen on my computer, so in a panic, I knew I just had to start backing up almost the last year's worth of photos! Will have to spend time the next few days continuing with this chore.

Yesterday morning, 11 June 2015, I joined a group of friends for a walk in Weaselhead, hoping to see three species of Hummingbird - Calliope, Rufous and Ruby-throated. The Calliope (5 of them) gave us the closest (but still distant) views, while the other two were very distant. It never fails to amaze me that these three species are all found in Weaselhead.

As usual at this time of year, it was good to see the huge number of Cliff Swallows, swarming like a cloud of large insects around the metal bridge over the river. In flight, they catch insects and fly back to their mud nests, that are built under the bridge, to feed their babies. It amazes me how each bird knows which is its own nest - they all look alike.

Another bird (a pair) that was good to see was the little Eastern Phoebe, back at the same location where it has been at least the last few years. This photo is the closest one I've been able to get, taken when the bird flew to a piece of driftwood in the water.

"One of our most familiar eastern flycatchers, the Eastern Phoebe’s raspy “phoebe” call is a frequent sound around yards and farms in spring and summer. These brown-and-white songbirds sit upright and wag their tails from prominent, low perches. They typically place their mud-and-grass nests in protected nooks on bridges, barns, and houses, which adds to the species’ familiarity to humans. Hardy birds, Eastern Phoebes winter farther north than most other flycatchers and are one of the earliest returning migrants in spring." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_phoebe/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_phoebe

The group divided into two for this walk and the following is the combined list of species seen. As usual, I didn't see all the listed birds, but was happy especially to see the three Hummingbird species.

Mallard-2
Great Blue Heron-1
Swainson’s Hawk-2, 1 captured juv. BBMagpie.
Merlin-1, captured a Cliff Swallow.
Spotted Sandpiper-1
Franklin’s Gull-50
Ruby-throated Hummingbird-2
Rufous Hummingbird-1
Calliope Hummingbird-5
Northern Flicker-4
Olive-sided Flycatcher-1.
Eastern Phoebe-2
Black-billed Magpie-6
American Crow-4
Common Raven-1+
Tree Swallow-12
Cliff Swallow-249
Black-capped Chickadee-3
White-breasted Nuthatch-2
House Wren-6
American Robin-5
Gray Catbird-6
Cedar Waxwing-12
Yellow Warbler-10
Spotted Towhee-1 heard.
Clay-colored Sparrow-12
White-throated Sparrow-6
Common Grackle-1
Brown-headed Cowbird-6
House Finch-2
American Goldfinch-2

Red Squirrel-3
Muskrat-1