Just a few pics

These speak for themselves

 Bank swallows

In june, waxwings appear solo, at tops of trees. Maybe the male of a pair. They do not sing much.

An entry from my bluebirds blog

We were worried about low nesting success, but it looks like there are up to 12 bluebird eggs now in the boxes. They may not all turn into something, as last year the last four eggs were not hatched. Not sure if there was a problem with those eggs. Bluebirds tend not to abandon viable eggs.

South Side

The first two boxes have been quiet for weeks, though there was a grass nest of the bluebird type in Box 1. Now there are finally blue eggs in it. Two were distinctly blue, two close to white. The absence of feathers tells me it is a bluebird nest.

Boxes 3 and 6 had swallows inside, so I assume they are still nesting. Box 7 bluebirds did not renest, but they fledged four birds. Next door is a box I do not need to open (picture via iPhone) but swallows have hatched in Box 8:

In Box 12 there is no change, but eggs should hatch soon enough:

Box 11 swallows hatched a week ago and the box was not opened.

Box 13 and Box 14 closest to Coyote Point were the mystery. I had seen both swallows and bluebirds around these boxes in April and May.

Box 13 definitely has swallows nesting,(hatching not known). Box 14 had swallows before that fledged. It now has four WHITE bluebird eggs. They are slightly bigger than swallow eggs. I had never seen white bluebird eggs before.

North Side

There are no active bluebird nests that I know of. I checked Box 13 and the pair nesting there have not renested. It was empty. I was returning from the rounds and noticed swallows going in and out of box 13. Yet there is nothing inside, Their nest is next door in Box 14.

I became suspicious. I approached Box 14 ( I had seen nestlings there earlier) and they did not attack me. So I opened the box. Their nestlings had died and they had abandoned the box. The swallows have good success, but as we lost some bluebirds this May, it is not surprising we lost swallows too. I will need to open all the boxes in a week or two because of this.

There are a number of empty nest boxes still, so I will not inspect all the North Side boxes for another week. The swallow nestlings in most boxes are a week old, though one box had just eggs. Box 15 is typical.

Then there are the house wren eggs in Box 17. They have hatched. The young look just like bluebird or swallow young at this point:

So there are now three nests of Bluebirds still to track.

Summer birds

These are mostly residents, some late migrants. Indigo bunting.

Wood pewee

Louisiana Waterthrush, on the North end of its nesting area

Others

I don't see many of the last, a red-eyed vireo, but I hear them most outings here. Came across a new flycatcher for my list, olive sided. Note the short tail.