Busy birds are here in our Shady Oaks Sanctuary!

5-5-25 Twelve Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings finally came down to the bubbler. I guesstimated a flock of 18-20 total. 

5-5-25 Orchard Oriole 5-5-25 Orchard Oriole 1st spring male

I had gone to the door to greet Dan and when I returned, there was an Orchard Oriole just taking off. A bit later, two, maybe three first spring males came in. This was the first time I'd seen young birds in this plumage. Here is a composite photo. 

5-5-25 Orchard Oriole composite

Clockwise from upper left:  adult female, adult male and two first spring male Orchard Orioles. This species averages 7" in length, a full inch shorter than the Baltimore Oriole.

5-10-25 Baltimore Oriole female
Now for Baltimore Orioles, which are seen here a lot more often. This adult female dove right into tasting the bubble of water.

5-5-25 Baltimore Oriole composite

Clockwise from left: adult female, first spring male and two adult male Baltimore Orioles. They average 8" in length.

5-10-25 Summer Tanager

A breeding male Summer Tanager enjoyed a bath. Now for the warblers.

5-6-25 Black-and-white Warbler 5-8-25 Black-and-white Warbler female

Black-and-white Warblers, the male first, a female follows in the second photo.

5-7-25 Blackpoll Warbler

5-10-25 Blackpoll Warbler female

Always glad to see the Blackpoll Warblers in spring, they are very rare in fall due to their route across Canada and out over the ocean. However, nearly twelve years ago, my very first blog post was about an immature female that I documented here on October 4, 2013, for the third Missouri fall record. 

First Blog post

5-5-25 Black-throated Green Warbler female 5-7-25 Magnolia Warbler

A female Black-throated Green Warbler showed up before I saw a male and a Magnolia Warbler perched near the bubbler.

5-7-25 Chestnut-sided Warbler 5-9-25 Chestnut-sided Warbler 5-9-25 Chestnut-sided Warbler female

Chestnut-sided Warblers have been seen on different days. The last photo is a female.

  5-7-25 Chestnut-sided Warbler and Golden-winged Warbler female

This Chestnut-sided interrupted a bathing female Golden-winged Warbler.

5-6-25 Two Nashville Warblers

Nashville Warblers are one of the more numerous warblers we see.

5-8-25 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers are still here, though in much fewer numbers.

5-10-25 Two Tennessee Warblers 5-11-25 Tennessee Warbler

Tennessee Warblers are by far the most vocal and are frequently at the bubbler and stream bed.

5-10-25 American Redstart
American Redstarts are showing up now, I heard another this morning. A few other warblers have been seen, including a Cape May in our cypress, a Bay-breasted doing a sprint around the bubbler and a Blackburnian, singing in the sugar maple after bathing in the stream bed. My dear friend, Tina Weyman found the Blackburnian and we thoroughly enjoyed the bird together on Mother's Day.

5-11-25 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Earlier that morning, I was out at the bubbler pond to adjust the flow and heard this hummingbird buzzing around me. It came right back after I returned to the camera. It was on a mission!

5-5-25 Eastern Bluebirds 5-7-25 American Robin with caterpillar food 5-11-25 Carolina Wren with caterpillar food 5-10-25 Carolina Wren chick

Our Sanctuary continues to provide shelter, insect food and fresh water for migrating birds,

nesting birds and little sleepyheads!

We are so grateful to witness this amazing response every day to our restored habitat.

Recently, I've contributed two articles to a favorite local magazine, The Gateway Gardener.

Edited and published by our friend, Robert Weaver, each issue is always chock full of good information.

The April issue will open on a new page:  Spring Birding 101

And, so will the May issue:  Birds of May And How to Attract Them!

Happy May!