Wild Fidalgo

Dies caniculares , the dog days of summer have provided warm, sultry temperatures to South Fidalgo Island.  After a week of hot weather, the weekend brought overcast skies and a cool down.  Activity at the two BirdCam stations brings the usual late summer pattern.  A lot of juveniles are making their debuts while summer and year-around residents are looking a bit past their prime.  In the morning twilight, an oregonus Spotted Towhee male enjoys some suet for breakfast at BirdCam Two.  In early morning and evening, I would hear calls that resembled a coach's whistle  coming from the trees.  I finally figured out it was one of the Spotted Towhee's vocalizations. A group of Chestnut-backed Chickadees is called a banditry.  These little guys are bold and energetic and their visits come with a lot of chatter.  I get dozens of them in the Madrona trees where they forage for spiders and insects. The Black-headed Grosbeak is our only...

"Ahh, now for some good sunflower see....What the...?"  I thought I would try some safflower seed at the BirdCam.  I read that the squirrels and starlings don't like the taste.  The Eastern Gray Squirrels have been getting a little greedy at the BirdCam lately.  Sure enough, one of my resident Grays showed up right on schedule expecting to find sunflower seeds.  When a squirrel gets angry, it flicks its tail up and down: "OK, who's getting cute with my snacks?" If nothing else, squirrels are persistent.  We use the word "dogged" for tenacious stubbornness, but "squirrelled" would work just as well, aside from its meaning to hoard: "I know there are sunflower seeds here somewhere." The ploy seems to be working, but the squirrels still check back occasionally, I guess, to see if I changed my mind: "Oh please, please, please may I have some sunflower seeds?" While the squirrels might be disappoi...