One of the tiniest birds in Oregon next to a hummingbird is Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Last winter I did not see any, so I thought I lost that one. But last spring I saw another one frequenting here. And, this one just returned to my backyard for the coming winter months.
In the fall, the leaves of blueberry bushes change into beautiful red. The first year when we moved into this house, we did not know what kind of a bush has such a bright red leaf and in the summer we found out it was a blueberry bush.
The neighbor's maple leaves are now yellow. Can you find a little Anna's Hummingbird perched on top of one small branch?
On a nice day, birds like to clean their feathers. Dirt on the feathers increase their overall weight affecting the flight. Hidden bugs can cause skin problems. So it is best to stay clean.
The other day, I saw a juvenile Red-tail Hawk perched on a tall pole, spending a good 30 minutes cleaning every feather on the tail. Quite a few people walked by and some took photos. But he was kept busy with the chore.
At the wetland, there are not many birds at this time of the year. Most of the birds must have left for their migration.
Here is a male Anna's Hummingbird who stays here all the year around.
A male House Finch shares the same feeling:
Many sparrows are halfway migrants who move between the woods in summer and the coast in winter within the Northwest or just Oregon. One of them is a White-crowned Sparrow.
Cooper's Hawks returned to town from the woods where no food is available now. On a sunny fall afternoon, I saw one hovering high in the sky.
So do American Goldfinches.
When the weather gets cold, Bushtits fly in a dozen or two at a time. They come in like a grey cotton ball blown in by the wind.
