Fledglings abound

     Every morning now I take my binoculars with me for the walk to breakfast.  Fledgling birds are hopping about everywhere.  The wooden fence that separates the employee area from the campground is a favorite perching location.  I have a list of 15 species of juveniles seen here in the past 10 days.  Western Tanagers have been successful,  Robins have their spotted breasts, White crowned Sparrow babies flit in the Fir branches, Juncos, Kinglets, a Red-naped Sapsucker young one in an Aspen tree, and a Brewer's Blackbird little one in the parking lot looking lost. It could fly but did not know where to find breakfast.
      The grey and yellow fluffy Tanager juvenile likes the trees near the parking lot.  Twice I have seen mama Tanager feed it Honeysuckle berries.  Dad Tanager, once a brilliant yellow, is molting into a dull yellow with a less bright red head.  They have been singing/ calling all summer.
     Despite the efforts of the Maintenance team, both Barn and Tree Swallows have been successful in raising young.  The swallows had to select odd locations behind the buildings out of sight of park visitors for nesting.  I opened the back door of the store last night and was met with a flurry of chittering and swooping from the Barn Swallow family.
     The Hairy Woodpecker fledgling knew to hit the tree trunk with its bill, but was still following the adult around making little almost-woodpecker sounds.
     I was surprised the Pine Siskins already had their yellow wing edges and tail edges.

     Photos of Common Merganser family I found on String Lake while paddling my kayak.





The same family sitting on a large rock.

I have seen an American Wigeon female with ducklings, Coots with little ones, and the Barrow's Goldeneye photos were included in a previous posting.

Flat Creek runs through the Elk Refuge north of Jackson.  I have stopped at the viewpoint many times to see ducks and other birds.  A week ago the Trumpeter Swans had their family out for all the visitors to see.