Thursday, July 21

One of the adult red-headed woodpeckers

The young red-head has learned there is food here. Hopefully next year he will be back.

I have at least 5 regular blue jays that visit every day.

I know a lot of people consider the grackle a nuisance bird, but I think they are really pretty. but I think this is the 2nd batch of young this summer and they eat a lot.

Wow, can you say HOT? Makes me want to head back to Alaska. We haven't done much this week. I worked at the zoo on Tuesday and yes, there were visitors there braving the heat. Oh, and we removed a black rat snake from the aviary. It was a small one, only about 2 feet but they will eat not only eggs out of the nests but also birds. Mr. B actually did some mowing today despite the heat. After we finish up tomorrow, I doubt we will have to mow again for a long while if it stays this hot.

I have had a pleasant surprise this week. We have a family of red-headed woodpeckers visiting our feeder. We used to see them all the time but it has been more than 15 years since they have brought their young and visited the suet I put out. Check out the pictures, the one with the gray head is a newly fledged juvenile. Between the woodpeckers, blue jays and grackles and go through an entire block of suet each day. But they are beautiful to watch.