Like a Bullet

My orange Crocosmia began to bloom.   The orange blossoms are smaller than the red ones.

Young Black-capped Chickadees visit my backyard often.

"I like your roasted sunflower seeds a lot."

"Dart to the feeder."

Salvia, My Favorite

Hummingbirds enjoy the nectar from salvia.  The one of the red ones is called hot lips.  Now in July, they are in full bloom.

Anna's Hummingbird (female):  "I love the hot lips."

Anna's Hummingbird (female):  "My favorite is this dark blue salvia."

Rufous Hummingbird (female):  "Mine is honey suckle."

A Summer Scene

Past the 4th of July, Independence Day, the real summer arrives in Oregon.  It's been hot without rain for sometime.  We stopped over at the wetland a little past 9 am; already the sun is very bright.  In the sun, I saw a Green Heron, a summer bird,  standing on the top of a dead pole.

"Many friends already took off to the woods to avoid the heat.

At the garden area which was newly finished, there was a family of Mallard ducks.

"Be nice to my ducklings.  I have to train them on many things now."

There are many young Tree Swallows flying high and low at a full speed.

"We were born this summer."

Mid Summer Feed

It's the mid summer.  The weather has been stable and hot.  

One day we were at the wetland.  At the end of our walk, we encountered a flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding amongst the short trees.

"We are a twosome here."

"Who are you, the intruder?"

"Excuse us for our commotion.  We are just feeding here."  

Thunder in the Sky

One day thunder clouds filled up in the sky and later it started making the loud sounds without rain.  Birds do not like to fly in such.   So luckily to me, one Willow Flycatcher came down to perch on the iron trellis.

"For safety, I need to stop over."

Flycatchers are hard to identify.  I checked with my bird book, looked for the flycatchers around this area.  Willow Flycatcher was the closest I could get to.  He/she was busy catching a bug while on the trellis and each time came right back to the same spot.  Next he came to the clothesline, closer to me.

"I am getting full here."

"The thunder is gone and I can go now."