Nature Along the El Camino Real

by Carolyn Henderson

My yard has been visited by a few birds I’ve never seen live and in person before, and one I’ve seen before, but not at my house this summer. The addition of a bird bath seems to have been the big draw. 

I don’t normally put out feeders or water because I have a cat that will kill and eat birds. I’ve had many birds despite that because I have blooming plants and big trees. Due to the long hot, dry summer, I felt compelled to at least get them some water. And they came to use it.

Daily it attracted a family of American Robins. It was common to see four to five of them together in the bath. They’ve been around a while though. They like to play in the sprinkler when I run it. Blue Jays, Cardinals and Mockingbirds used it too. Those are all common here. Doves – both White-winged and Inca – also used it. 

Before I got the bird bath, I found a pretty good size fledgling trying to fly from the ground. I’d never seen one like it before. After putting the cat in the house until I knew it could fly, I put it on iNaturalist. It was not a good photo because the baby was in constant flapping motion. I identified it as a juvenile Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I thought I had to be wrong, but it was verified. Then I found an adult sitting in the tree. It was a first for me and my yard. 

Once the bird bath went in, a Baltimore Oriole showed up. It’s a female with a lot of bright yellow feathers. I had never seen one of those before either. I had it verified on iNaturalist, also. There is another Oriole that looks somewhat like it, but not exactly, so I was glad to get it verified. Based on a poll at our monthly Master Naturalist meeting this week, quite a few people saw these Orioles for the first time this year. Bird Lady of Milam County Ann Collins gets them regularly, though.

I also had a Red-bellied Woodpecker come to the bird bath and Ash tree. I’ve seen those before, but never in my yard. They have been here before because the holes are in my tree. 

All the photos are taken through a window in my house, so they aren’t great. But the birds sit still when I’m on the other side of it.

Finally, I’ve included a photo of a mystery bird. It was in a large vacant lot near my house. I took the photo with my phone. It was too far away to get a good shot. But I’m wondering if anyone can identify it. It hasn’t been identified on iNaturalist yet. 

Since the rain started two days ago, the birds have not needed the bird bath.