byob: birding your own backyard - Hawks, Hummingbirds and Wrens

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- "​God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon." I Kings 4

Red-tailed Hawk

Sunday, 3:45 PM - A nice break from the pattern of high heat and high humidity. It is a noticeably cooler, breezier and less humid Sunday afternoon. I got in an hour-and-a-half of patio ebirding between morning and evening church services.

While getting my john-boat ready for a friend to borrow, I heard a piercing keeeerrr come from overhead and another call from back in the field. Overhead circled an adult Red-tailed Hawk with a beautiful orange tail highlighted by the overhead sun. The Red-tails haven’t been as prevalent as the Red-shoulders lately, so I was surprised to see these adults today and the juvenile yesterday.
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The trio of Brown-headed Nuthatches are so loud and busy back by the bird feeder. It seems they are always stirred up about something. I tried a little playback to draw one to the patio for a shot. They came, but only into the tops of the Crepe Myrtles on the side of my patio and never into camera range. But, of course, the inquisitive Carolina Wren always comes to check out the MP3 bird singing on the patio!

Sunny, with a high near 84. East wind around 5 mph. 
Sunrise Today:6:29 am, Sunset Today: 8:47 pm
Daylight Hours: 14 hours, 18 minutes (-45s)
Moon: 25.2%, Waning crescent
Ebird checklist: S47073598

Carolina Wren perched singing in Crepe Myrtle tree. July in Athens, Georgia, Clarke County, USA. The Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus is a common species of wren that is a resident in the eastern half of the United States of America, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico.

Carolina Wren perched singing in Crepe Myrtle tree. July in Athens, Georgia, Clarke County, USA. The Carolina wren Thryothorus ludovicianus is a common species of wren that is a resident in the eastern half of the United States of America, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico.

Female Ruby-throated Humminbird hovering on green background. July in Athens, Georgia, Clarke County, USA. The ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird