Fascination of Bird Watching

[oldcarguy]

I'm not a true birder, Heck I'm hard pressed to know each species by name,,  nor an Ornithologists (person that studies birds), nor a  Twitchers (person who travels to far places to glimpse a single bird). I have always enjoyed watching birds. I eat my breakfast every day enjoying a variety of birds that care to eat with me. Several feeders are located 20 feet from my bay window in my breakfast nook. I put out four suet packs, 20 pounds black oil sunflower seeds a week. Along with a few gallons of Humming Bird Nectar a year. And ten pounds a year of oranges and a few large jars of grape jelly for the Boston Ordeals. That show up in the spring for a month when they migrate north. Here's a few that I have photographed.

Oreals




Pileated Woodpecker




Hairy Woodpecker






Blue Bird


Yellow House Finches,, usually show up in pack of 12's


Crew Wild Turkeys strolling down the street


Nuthatch,, usually seen walking or eating upside down


Starling


Blue Heron


Hawk



Bald Eagle,, Boy did the birds made a mad dash!

[Uncle Buck]

Add gifted photographer to your list of talents. Thanks for sharing those images.

[oldcarguy]

There's a pair of hawks nesting toward the top of a tree on the back side of my house.





Living in the country affords us the pleasure of having field mice as unwelcome squatters in our house. I spent countless houses and 24 tubes of caulking, wire mesh, and spray foam trying to keep them buggers from breaking in. Since the new Decon is candy to mice I've gone to trap and release traps around the house. Averaging one a week. I usually drop them off five miles away, figuring they wont find their way back. Busy me I took yesterday's capture 1,000 feet from the house. Released him near the street. As he ran away, one of the hawks swooped down over my head and snatched the little fella. Mother nature at its' best.. Needless to say the hawks are welcomed guests. I wasn't quick enought to snap a picture..

Here's a shot of a Humming Bird coming in for a landing for dinner. This was September of last year. They haven't arrived yet this year.. He's to the right of the feeder between the two crudely drawn white lines.. Being green, he blends in with the woods...


 

[john k]

Something peaceful about watching birds.  After our January snow then ice, everything was sealed over, the birds were scratching everywhere for food.  Dusted off a bird feeder my daughter left, filled it, there were always 6 genkos on it.  Wild turkeys took over here after being reintroduced 20 years back, trouble is they pushed out the ring neck pheasants which are bunch more pleasant looking, loved their caw when they would fly across the valley.  If ammo wasnt so high there would be a lot fewer turkeys around,  have photographed 100 to 200 in a flock.  A few miles distant is a lake what is part of the migrating flyway,  in February we saw roughly 10,000 Canadian geese there.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

[skfarmer]

trivia time.   one hit wonder of "the trashmen" a group that was local to my area and actually toured around here. lets just say back in the day.

[bonneyman]

The Mrs. has been watching vermillion flycatchers for awhile. One shows up at her work occasionally, and lately we've seen one at the house. Males have a very bright red chest that stands out among the desert foliage. Very pretty. But too skittish for me to get a picture.

[oldcarguy]

The Mrs. has been watching vermillion flycatchers for awhile. One shows up at her work occasionally, and lately we've seen one at the house. Males have a very bright red chest that stands out among the desert foliage. Very pretty. But too skittish for me to get a picture.

What a beautiful bird! I have never seen one in my area.

[oldcarguy]

This past week one or more Pileated Woodpeckers have been dinning at the feeder. What a wonderful lovely bird..

[stokester]

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

I don't often see any of the Pileated around my house but do hear their distinctive "thunk" as they peck on the dead trees in the neighborhood.  The Red Bellied, Downy, Hairy and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers keep me entertained.

Now I'm watching the Bluebirds raise their three little ones in the house by the garden.