While we revel in the wildlife around us, it always shocks our heart when they exhibit the behavior that keeps them alive. It is so hard sometimes..................... Maybe the Shrike won't come back.

The Mockingbirds have been busy. I have noticed they join forces with the Blue Jays to chase Fish Crows and Grackles out of the yard. Normally they just keep in their own little area. Then I saw them with the twigs, and being more vocal then normal, and covering more ground than usual. After I read up on them, I understood why they were going to different bushes with nesting material. They commonly build three nests; if something happens to the first one, they move to the second, and after their babies fledge, they begin another clutch, making them somewhat of a rarity in that they have two clutches a year. So far, I have seen them in the Viburnum, Hibiscus and Indian Hawthorne. So, they hit all three of their marks.

Great photos and interesting about the 3 nests! I wonder if other birds do that too.

Wow! I never knew that before about Mockingbirds. Interesting.

When I worked at my Nature preserve, we had nesting Saltmarsh Wrens! Really cool little birds. They would build nests in either cattails or Phragmites ( Giant Reed). The male would build "dummy" nests out of plant material woven together. These were the size of small coconuts. Only one nest would have an opening. The other nests, 1-3 typically would not have openings! What a smart little bird.

We do have a wide variety of birds here. red birds an blue jays an several others. the ones that are funny to watch are the red headed wood peckers. They hang on the side of the feeder an grab a sunflower seed then fly over to a limb an whack it few times to open it. I only put black oil sunflower seeds in my feeders, an theirs a ton of those little titmouse birds around. Their cute little birds with a top knot like a redbird.

I think one of the chickadee parents is trying to teach the kids how to eat from the feeders.

So. Kind of exciting. There are two little Solitary Sandpipers that are migrating and have stopped off in the refuge. In a ditch on the side of the road. And I found them! Lifer for me for sure. I have not processed all the pictures, but my settings were wide, so I know I did not get both of them together. But I did get One!
Two Mottled ducks flew over while I wasn't paying attention, as usual.
And then a stroke of luck when I had to peek through pond fronds to see a Great Crested Flycatcher about 150 away and up in a big pine tree and still make out what it was. We call that dumb luck!

Thank you @WebTucker

Sooo, Chi Chi is going to favor us with a new nest in the Hibiscus? Last time, she abandoned it, maybe this time she has decided to use this one. She was steadily working all day yesterday Johnny said, and she continued when I got home from work. Fingers crossed........................

those wings, what great pictures!

Oh wow Suz, fantastic! Keep us updated with news and photos.

Wow, gorgeous pictures!

Oddly enough the White-Crowned Sparrows are still here, probably all different ones passing through is my guess. I wouldn't think they'd stick around to be the same few. But I've been seeing them quite often at both bird baths.

Well, i got sum pitchers of my pecker.....ohhh.shoot.....calm down ladies....calm down....my wood pecker.... sorry about the pitchers, i had to hide behind a staghorn.

That's an interesting pecker. I can't tell if it's a girl or a boy though. I seem to see the girls more than the boys here. They're both chatty though. They don't like it if we're outside (we could be clear across the yard) and will vocalize their disgust.

It's a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, pretty sure male. Although the top of its head isn't clear, it does look more red.

Yeah, there isn't enough of a good look of the top of the head for me to tell.

I too think it is a female. Look at the last image. Unless my "old eyeballs" are mistaken, the red does not stay red all the way from the nape to the base of the beak.
Just enlarge the image a touch.

Nancy, how cool the sparrows found your house! Phil, I remember you had the painted buntings last year............ Nice lil woodpecker.
Thank you Christine