birds — Hummingcrow & Co.

Hummingtunes IV

If you missed the previous editions of Hummingtunes, you can find them here: I, II, III.

Singing junco

Bandcamp Friday is upon us once again! For today's edition, we've decided to keep things short and sweet by sharing a list of songs related to one of our favourite subjects—which may shock you—birds! Feathered friends have always served as a natural source of inspiration for composers and songwriters, so there was, unsurprisingly, no shortage of avian-influenced tracks for us to choose from on Bandcamp. We hope you'll enjoy these selections—instrumental and otherwise—from fellow bird-noticing artists we admire. We also invite you to join us in picking up some wholesome tunes this time 'round & supporting some talented music-makers in the process!

Tracks 1-7: Kate⎛⦾⩥ 🎵 ⪪⊝⎞ Tracks 7-14: Seán

p.s. You can find more tunes that we've been humming in our Are.na jukebox.

Catching Some Rays

On a particularly hot, sunny day earlier this summer, I was out identifying plants in the garden when, rounding a bend, I was met with this sight on a mossy mound of rock near the bird bath:

robins sunning

They were absolutely still, frozen in their respective poses:

Pollinator Week: Got Nectar?

Looks like someone's had a busy day of pollinating while filling up on the sweet stuff!

Encounter with Sleepy Young Ravens

The other day, while taking a stretch break from the anti-ergonomic act of photographing tiny lichens on a rocky slope, I looked up to find I was being silently watched:

juvi raven

I could tell it was a juvenile raven because of the fleshy pink “gape flange” at the base of its beak.

juvi raven blink

I watched as it rested there: quietly preening, yawning and occasionally blinking its spooky nictitating membrane at me.

#Meanwhile

junco grass A Dark-eyed junco finds some eats amongst the grass & moss in the late-afternoon sun.

May 17, '09: rufous in kitchen

#Meanwhile

A robin alerts its kin of danger from a lichen-laden perch.

May 26, '12: robin with mouth full of worms lands on my head

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!

A male rufous keeping a wary eye out for rival Anna's hummingbirds

In honor of World Migratory Bird Day, here are a few photos of rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) which have visited us here over the past couple of years.

#Meanwhile

A thirsty female rufous hummingbird A thirsty rufous hummer (Selasphorus rufus) returns from her long-distance journey.

April 8, '10: Hummingbirds thick as wasps at feeders this pm -
20 rufous + Annas swarm at dusk

April 11, '04: 'a hummbird wades into bird bath & takes a bath like a robin'

Flicker Tango ♪

flicker tango

I was recently listening back to this recording while simultaneously watching home videos of northern flickers dancing atop the roof, and it fit so well that I had to name it after them.

Read more about this tune on my Patreon.

🌱 Sounds of the first spring morning 🎶

Birds in this recording, as identified by Kate:

American Robins, Common Ravens, Pacific Wren, Rooster, California Quail, Dark-eyed Juncos, Gulls (Glaucous-winged?), Anna’s Hummingbirds, Northwestern Crows, Pine Siskin, Downy Woodpecker? (drum), Spotted Towhee, Northern Flicker

~13 Species in 14 minutes