In the Backyard

Spring has definitely arrived in Fairbanks and is rushing headlong into summer as it usually does. Yesterday and today hit 70 degrees, and the forecast is to be in the mid 70s by Saturday and for the next week. Songbirds have arrived , one of the most noticeable the Robins. The first shot I took out the kitchen window this evening. Then a little later the pair that has claimed our yard as their territory were feeding and appeared to be searching for nesting material.

They don't seem to be too concerned when I'm in the yard, and allowed me to be quite close to them.

I also saw a White-crowned Sparrow who darted under the deck after the seeds that had been scattered this winter from the feeders. I've also spotted Juncos heading under the deck, but so far no photos.

I have been hearing and seeing a number of Yellow-rumped Warblers all week, but they tend to be high in the trees and are not cooperating for my photo sessions. For a small bird they have a very large voice, and although I can hear them I can't always see them. I like the photo that I took yesterday of one singing up in a tree as they spend a lot of time doing just that.

That photo was taken at 11:30 in the morning, and you can see the leaves were just starting to peek out. With the temperature warmer yesterday afternoon and today the leaves are really starting to pop. They are not open fully yet, but things are beginning to look green. This shot was taken about 8:00 tonight.

Things grow at a phenomenal rate with our long hours of daylight. Sunrise today was 4:18 a.m. and sunset was 11:17 p.m. and we are gaining 7 minutes of daylight a day. Of course, civil twilight ends at 2:23 a.m. and begins at 2:23 a.m. You've got it, it's not getting completely dark now. We'll keep getting more sunshine until June 21st, and then we'll begin the long downhill slide. For now, though, we're going to be cramming as much as possible into every day!

White-crowned Sparrow: The Star

Oh, look, that lady is taking my photo! Finally someone has noticed how beautiful I am. Should I ruffle my feathers up a little?

No, I think I'll go with the regal look, to match my crown.

You might want to bring it in a little closer. I'll hold still while you get a good shot.

Hah! Eat your heart out, Cranes. I'm the star this time!

It's about time!

Upstaged by the Cranes

Hey, there's some people with cameras. I'd better get to a good spot so they can take my photo.

They aren't paying attention.

Okay, I'll get to a post.

Okay, guys, I'm ready. Fire away.

Hey, over here!

What the heck are they looking at?

Oh, good grief, it's those stupid Sandhill Cranes again.

Why do people always want to take photos of them? They aren't near as lovely as a White-crowned Sparrow.

Hey, the photo op is here. Look at me!

That's it! I give you a good opportunity, and you just don't have sense enough to take advantage of it.

I'm outta here!

An Afternoon at Creamer's Field

Yesterday we went to Creamer's Field Wildlife Refuge. My companions were Mona and Mandy and Zack. We had a delightful walk across the fields and along the Boreal Forest Trail. Below are some of the sights we saw. Sandhill Cranes.....

Wild Iris being visited by a bee....

Spruce trees full of cones.....

Branches....

Fireweed.....

Mona walking along the boardwalk on the Boreal Forest Trail.....

A cupola on the old dairy barn.....

More Sandhill Cranes across the field.....

A Ladybug.....

A White-crowned Sparrow.....

And the fence surrounding the front field......

If you've missed my previous posts on Creamer's Field, you can find more posts by going to my labels in the sidebar.

White-crowned Sparrow

Saturday when I was at Creamer's Field I walked around the Boreal Forest Trail , which is a 1.5 mile loop through the trees. I heard a lot of songbirds and saw several, but most were not cooperative about having their photo taken. However, one little guy posed for me to take quite a few shots. It was a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow, and had obviously not learned to be afraid of people. At times it was within about 4 feet of me and was totally unconcerned that I was there.He hopped around the observation platform that was built along the edge of a meadow, searching for tidbits to eat.

White-crowned Sparrows breed in Alaska and Canada, so most of you will see it during the wintertime as it is common bird throughout most of the U.S. The juvenile bird's head is striped with rusty-brown and gray. The adult bird has a black and white striped head.

The feather pattern on the back is quite attractive and looks much the same as the adult.

This little guy really looks to have a bit of an attitude, but then I think a lot of baby birds do. He appeared to be on his own. At least I didn't see an adult bird around.

The White-crowned Sparrow has a very pretty song. You can hear it at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website by clicking here.

You can also learn more about this little sparrow at the Cornell website, and I recommend the website if you want to find out more about any particular bird. I especially like that they you can listen to the songs of the various birds.

Sparrow Camouflage

This White-crowned Sparrow has the perfect camouflage suit.