Hummingbirds, Part Two

Today I wanted to take Jack over to the Oven to see if the hummingbirds would come back!  It was so special and wonderful, I hoped he would be able to have that experience also.

We took a cab (we have not had good subway luck on the weekends), crossed over, and everything was quiet.  Quiet, quiet, quiet.  I went fairly slowly over the bridge, just looking around, no waterthrush, no flickers showing me their wings, no warblers teasing me and zipping around.  We decided to just sort of book it over to the oven and hang out there, rather than taking our time looking for little lovelies along the way.

So we started to book it, but got interrupted when a little band of merry makers stopped us in our tracks.  There were 2 redstarts flying at eye level on the path right in front of us, chasing a big juicy morsel that was giving them a run for their money!  In the tree right there were a common yellowthroat, a mystery warbler, and a black and white.  It was quite something!

We continued on, and saw a birder looking intently at someone at azalea pond, it turned out to be another redstrart, this one a beautiful male.

After that we headed right down to the oven, and asked the birders there if the hummers had been there.  They said yes, and that he would be back probably.  He.  As in one.  Well, one hummingbird is not the same as the 5-ish I saw yesterday, but still would be great!  We sat on the concrete "seat" and waited.

Something was rustling in the jewelweed (yes, that's right, I learned the name of a flower!) so I went to check it out.  A bird hopped up and I got a brief glimpse of a rosy throat or chest surrounded by a buffy lower chest or belly.  In a few minutes of looking I saw what seemed like it might be a very fancy somewhat large sparrow with a stripey head.  But I didn't get a good look.

Also there was what I think was a veery in the underbrush.  I can't really tell the thrushes apart with confidence, but I think it was a veery.  Partly because there was one here yesterday.

As you can see, I did not get a particularly good look.

But I didn't care, because then a hummingbird came!  We were absolutely thrilled.

There were a pair of them coming around every 10-15 minutes, making the rounds, and then headed off to flowers unknown.

It was so wonderful to see them!

We saw them perch a few times, and this time I was (barely) quick enough to get a photo.

At some point a grosbeak showed itself, which explained a lot!

The grosbeaks (there were a pair) each briefly sat visible in (different) trees.  This is the female, I didn't get a picture of the male, but I did get a good look at his fancy rosy throat.

There was also this mystery bird.  I'm guessing it's some sort of  warbler.

Eventually we left the oven, after giving up on the hummingbirds coming by for another tour.  On the way out, we saw a beautiful canada!

We also saw a teeny little wren, looking at the book it looked most like a winter wren to me.  Teeny.  Seriously.  And secretive. Jack spotted it, I would have walked right by.  Sadly the light was so low that none of the pictures came out at all!

We saw a couple of water thrushes here and there, not as many as yesterday, but still present.

There was also a thrush of some sort in a tree but I have no idea which one.  It's possible I should start working on telling them apart.........

As we were leaving a downy came to wish us farewell at the upper lobe.  Thanks Buddy!