Bainbridge Backyard Birds - Glen Wyatt

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The photos shown here were taken in my backyard on Bainbridge Island. We’re lucky to live here and have such a large variety of bird subjects, although I’ve noticed that some species such as band-tailed pigeons, tanagers, and grossbeaks don’t seem to be around as much as they were 30 years ago. We continue to see families of towhees, woodpeckers, sapsuckers, and flickers in the yard each year, and they are typically very cooperative subjects. Some of the other visitors to the yard, such as the tanager, flycatcher, barred owl, and Cooper’s hawk offer rare sightings in this woodlands environment. Every year I look forward to the return of the varied thrush in November and its departure in March usually signals that warmer weather is approaching.

The images of the flicker family represent activities observed in 2017. The adults excavated a hole in a Douglas-fir snag in the backyard in April and May, and three chicks appeared in early June. The chicks were always hungry, and the parents took turns feeding them. The chicks grew rapidly and were gone by the beginning of July. Nest building has begun for 2021 and the sparrow is building a nest in a fern at the edge of the trees.