I'm still working on all the photos of Warblers and others from Magee Marsh and the surrounding areas. I'm just found this one and it struck a chord in me and I thought I would share this one tonight. Be happy, little bird!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Our home... from behind...
This Red-tailed Hawk is a regular visitor in our little city lot. He appreciates the ground feeder...me too! The moles and chick-a-munks don't like him.
I've shown photos of 'Bob' the Cooper's Hawk before. This IS a bird feeder after all! He's had two Starlings, a Red-winged Blackbird, a few Mourning Doves among others in the past month or so, he ate House Sparrow today, I had chicken, tastes the same.
Eastern Towhees are regulars in the gardens. They seem to like what's left of the lawn, I guess I'll save that part for him.
This Northern Flicker used to nest in the huge Oak in our front yard. The tree was 113 years old when we had to have it removed. The butterfly garden is there now. The Flicker moved a few houses down and doesn't mind the commute to our feeders.
This Pine Siskin and a mate watched us eat pizza on the patio this past Saturday. Aren't they supposed to be in Canada now?
This is the bird we look forward to seeing every year! Even though he gives me the crazy eye, I love this Red-headed Woodpecker. We'll see the juveniles at the feeders before you know it!
The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds always arrive early in May and find the feeders right away. When the vines and flowers start to bloom, they have a regular smorgasbord!
We also have our yard registered as a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation and and the wildflower area registered with Monarch Watch. Our butterfly garden is going crazy this year! I'm not sure what we planted and what might be weeds...oh well...nature, gotta love it!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Search for the Yellow-headed Blackbird
We had views of three different American Bitterns flying overhead and they could be heard booming in the marsh later. Definitely not yellow...
We could hear a great number of Common Moorhens calling, but only spotted this one. Still no yellow.
Shy Common Yellowthroats were abundant. We had to sneak up on this one to get a shot through the tangles and reeds. Not the right yellow...
These poor Eastern Kingbirds were getting blown backwards in the strong winds. They were screaming and flapping, but not making any progress, and not yellow in the least...
Here's a smarter friend of theirs. He perched along a canal out of the breeze in his black and white suit.
Out at the back of Metzger, we spotted this family of Mute Swans. Big white birds...
This was a nice surprise. A pair of Sandhill Cranes feeding...and being dive bombed by Red-winged Blackbirds. The Cranes are seeing red right now!
Watch your step! Just like in Indiana Jones. Snakes were everywhere sunning themselves and concentrating on not being yellow.
I wasn't sure if this Song Sparrow was singing or laughing at us wandering around trying to find the "Yellow-headed Blackbird of Doom."
Nice Spotted Sandpiper. He's giving me the crazy eye. "Stoopid humans, do I LOOK yellow?"
Tree Swallows were having a grand time in the high winds. Definitely good zooming weather for non-yellow birds!
We even saw a pair Trumpeter Swans preening and sunning themselves in the golden yellow sun.
One day I'll do a post on dragonflies like this Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Hmmm, it does have yellowish stripes...nah.
You have to pay attention! This male Wood Duck flew out of the nearby woods and zipped past us. Still not yellow...
Yellow at last!!! Oh, wait. It's a Yellow Warbler building a nest...nutz.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Yes, it's the BirdMobile at last...
We call it the BirdMobile or BM1 for short...(make your own jokes here.) Birders are slowly taking over this park! Our friends, Judy and Hugh (aka "Hudy") started it with this mobile home. They moved to a larger abode three lots down and we then took over the 'Cottage' as they called it.
The real reason for the BirdMobile...I needed somewhere to hang all of my photos! The living room is the 'Warbler' room.
Watch your step, little crazy fledgling Killdeer on the run! Killdeer do not understand the concept of straight lines!
Sunset over the marsh. What a view from our little swing!
Another sunset view. That's a Black-crowned Night-Heron flying past the setting sun on his way to roost in the trees across from the BirdMobile.
Stay Tuned for...