Chickadee, Vireo + Kinglet

A little breezy and overcast, but at least it was not raining. There was also a half decent crowd when I arrived at Reifel to help out this afternoon. There was not anything out of the ordinary reported from the morning,

Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco

… and along the east dyke trail it was mostly regulars like this Dark-eyed Junco.

Gadwall
Gadwall

Hard to walk around Reifel without spending some time with the waterfowl. Today it was this Gadwall.

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee

Along the inside grassy trail I found a pair of Black-capped Chickadee busy excavating a nesting hole in an old Birch snag. While watching them a beautiful Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler was flitting about overhead, but would not come lower and cooperate for a photo.

Later in the afternoon along this same stretch I notice several Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the trees along the east dyke trail. Once I had made my way over there,

Hutton's Vireo
Hutton’s Vireo

… I was delighted that the first photos I took were of a Hutton’s Vireo.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Next up was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet I originally came over to get. Both these species are usually quite busy and can be challenging to get photos of. They are also quite similar in appearance and this was a good opportunity to see them together for comparison.

Great Horned Owl

Well we had quite the wind storm and accompanying power outages last night. While it had settled down somewhat by the time I headed out to Reifel this afternoon, there was still a cool breeze. With a smaller crowd than normal for a Sunday, it was fairly quiet as I headed out the east dyke.

Brown Creeper
Brown Creeper

This Brown Creeper was busy foraging moving from tree to another. There were also some Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but none that were going to cooperate for photos. On reaching the northeast corner,

Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl

… I was pleasantly surprised to find one of the Great Horned Owls roosting in a branch a little lower than it has been of late. I set the camera up here for visitors allowing them good close up views.

While showing and watching the owl I took time out to feed the eager Black-capped Chickadees that had gathered looking for handouts.

Then it was back to the Great Horned Owl as it cleaned its talons,

Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl

… and posed with its feathers all puffed up.

Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl

There were enough visitors coming by and enjoying the owl that I spent the afternoon there.

Savannah, Swallow & Chickadee

While it was a fairly quiet afternoon on my walk there were still a couple of thing going on. One particular tree had a couple of Savannah Sparrows coming and going.

Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

Busy foraging amongst the branches with this one catching a small insect of some sort,

Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

… and then it is down the hatch.

Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

Followed by a nice contented pose afterwards.

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow

Still no young visible yet outside the Tree Swallow nest. While watching them,

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee

… a Black-capped Chickadee was also making regular food deliveries to its nest.