If you missed the previous editions of Hummingtunes, you can find them here: I, II, III.
Bandcamp Friday is upon us once again (Sept 3)! 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.
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:
They were absolutely still, frozen in their respective poses:
As the beaming rays of the summer sun begin to broil our hilltop habitat, rarely a minute of the day ticks by without some feathered visitor or other seeking a sip or a swim at our weather-worn stone basin. But a bird bath is far more than just a small pool of water providing relief for panting beaks – it's a crossroads of avian activity which sets the stage for all sorts of stories to unfold, featuring familiar characters, surprise guests, and thrilling plot twists.
Here's a sampling of the many fine programs on offer through BB-TV in case you're considering subscribing:
We're so happy and honoured to have had the opportunity to join a community of artists and naturalists from around our region once again in highlighting 36 of our avian neighbors for the latest set of Art Bird Cards. This was a great opportunity for us to continue honing our digital art skills and we learned a lot in the process of collaborating on this illustration of a Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii)—a year-round resident here atop Humm Hill.
On Sunday she left us a cherry
On Saturday: water-logged bread
On Friday she left us most of a rat
On Thursday: a snake with no head
A corvid is feeding her offspring
Each afternoon, soaking their food
To some birds, the bath is for bathing
But for Raven, it helps feed her brood
On Wednesday she left us cat kibble
On Tuesday: a handful of rice
On Monday she left us some swollen dog food
A week’s worth of leftovers— nice
A corvid comes by, on a mission
Each afternoon, feeding her brood
To some birds, the bath is for bathing
But for Raven: a sink for her food
On Monday she left us another bird’s claw
On Tuesday: some limp deli meat
On Wednesday she left us a ratty mouse tail
On Thursday: a peanut-shell treat
A corvid comes by, on a mission
Each afternoon, soaking her food
To some birds, the bath is for bathing
But for Raven, it helps feed her brood
On Friday she left us a snail shell
On Saturday: bits of fish skin
On Sunday she left us a chicken leg-bone
And soon she'll surprise us again
Read on to reveal the inspiration for this bird bath ballad (warning – if you're squeamish about dismembered animal bits, don't scroll all the way to the end).
This year, our local bird observatory are hosting the first annual Victoria Bird Week! We're looking forward to filling out our Bird Bingo card over the feather-ful days ahead and attending some of the fascinating talks. Meanwhile, here are some charming migratory birds we've been noticing on the hill today:
Chipping sparrow (short-distance migrant) preening after a bath
Violet-green swallow (medium- to long-distance migrant) spotted house-hunting through one of ourfeather friendlywindows
Rufous hummingbirds (long-distance migrant) [see also: last year's post]
World Migratory Bird Day Spotlight: Rocky Point Bird Observatory 
A very soft and warm swainson's thrush being held gently by Kate
Hummingtunes IV 
Looks like someone's had a 
Wren by Seán, environment by Kate
🎶 On Sunday She Left Us A Cherry 🎵
Chipping sparrow (short-distance migrant) preening after a bath
Violet-green swallow (medium- to long-distance migrant) spotted house-hunting through one of our 
Rufous hummingbirds (long-distance migrant) [see also: