Daily Photos Vol. #305

Very Cute!

WOW....I've been so busy these past few days and the threads move along at lightening speed!

Mrs. Ed...adorable wren shot. The other does look like a Hermit thrush. I'm sure that Resin or someone else will weigh in. I'm certainly not an expert. LOL

Duc...aren't crows fun?? I have them here year round and they are so entertaining to watch. Not to mention good hawk deterrents.

Gazergirl....love the owl shots. You are so lucky, I never see them in my yard...maybe one day.

I didn't get home until late in the day so all I have is Papa BB....their nest is complete but no eggs yet.

Interesting male duck there Resin. Egret, I've not seen many of these in our area lake since last summer. I'm glad I was tipped by a neighbor of its location today.

Had to come on and post...I had 2 nice visitors today. DO forgive the photos as it has been overcast today.

First was the Pileated Woodpecker...I had heard it earlier in the day and had hoped he would stop in and sure enough he did!

Well Mr. Pileated had hardly gotten on his way and gone when I looked out and there was a female Yelllow-bellied Sapsucker! Made my day for sure...LOL

Test shot of the Oriole Platform feeder.....this Cardinal trying out some grapes!

I really hope the orioles will use this....I will be putting a nectar feeder and oranges on the hanging arms. Great location for photos!

sacarvounis: Lovely shot of the little Bluebird and his treat!

Resin: What a beautiful shot of that really gorgeous Pochard drake!

Lily: Wonderful photo of the Great Egret! I'd think with all that water you'd see a lot of those like you do the Great Blue Heron. Maybe they are just late in migrating.

Is anyone else having trouble enlarging the photo's? I've been having problems for the past few days, very slow trying to enlarge. I don't know if it's my computer or DG. We have high speed internet service through our cable company and having trouble for a few weeks with slowness. I'm assuming it's our cable.

Not a great picture, but I was out in the backyard late this afternoon and this Red-winged Blackbird was in the feeder. He sure is a sloppy eater, looks like he needs to wash his face!

Wow, lots of great photos.
Lily really like that Eastern Kingfisher.
Nanny, unbelievable woodpecker and sapsucker shots!
Mrs. Ed, forgot to tell you how cool your two new lifers are! I was just looking at a winter wren in my bird book and wondering about them. Weird eh?
Resin, I know when you post a pic that it's going to be something unique. Nice one.
All of you with BB and BB eggs, I am so jealous but so thankful that I get to enjoy your wonderful pictures.
Plantladylin, really love those painted buntings. Hope I see some this weekend.

Here is a Cedar Waxwing and a house sparrow. There are also parts of about 4 other Cedar Waxwings bathing in the bog filter.

I also just like the subtle, storm-cloud coloring of this Cedar Waxwing preening after bath.

Nanny: Congrats on the Pileated! and the Sapsucker! Wow, I've only seen a Pileated once, they are rather elusive down this way. I love Cardinals and those are great shots. I've never seen Cardinal's eat grapes when I put them in the feeders. We have loads of Cardinals but I've only seen the Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Mockingbirds go for grapes.

The cat was stretched out on the pool deck late this afternoon and all of a sudden I heard a flock of birds, pretty loud and the cat's head started going around and around looking up at them. I thought it looked like a group of waxwings but I hadn't seen any in about a month now. I grabbed the camera and went out to see if I could find them. Sure enough they were perched in the Black Cherry tree. It was very windy this afternoon so I didn't get any great shots, but here's the Cedar Waxwings:

Sun came out for a minute and I got a little two excited when this Cedar Waxwing landed so close to the window, but it turned out OK anyway. Maybe I didn't click too fast. Maybe it was the dirty window!

Plantladylin, how fun that we cross posted and we were both doing Cedar Waxwings! Great group shot.

This is my last one, a Carolina Wren.

Elphaba: Now THAT'S a great shot of the Cedar Waxwing! Wow, really beautiful. Is that your pond they were visiting? I only see them at the top of trees!

Cute little Wren ... getting ready to build a nest nearby!

I've never seen them come to the pond before this year. They come when I fill it really full but then they hang out in the shallow bog filter, so I don't know why a full pond attracts them. Since I'm posting, here is one more! Weird coloring b/c we had weird sun and clouds today. Wish it would actually rain!

Yep, the wrens are building somewhere close by. I spotted a nest in a climbing rose. Could be the Wrens or Cardinals who are obviously nesting somewhere nearby too. I'm trying to leave them alone, so I won't scare them off.

Sacar, Wonderful shot of the male Bluebird!

Handsome Drake Resin!!

Nanny, Very nice shots! Love the Pileated! Hope the new feeder stations works great for you!

Lin, Good shots of the Cedar Waxwings and Red-winged Blackbird!

Elphaba, Love the Carolina Wren and Waxwings!

Brewer"s Blackbird..........first one I've seen here this year.

California Quail.

The Goldfinch are happy that Frank's Creek is up and running again.

gf

Nice shots everyone! The daily threads seem new everyday. lol

I will sneak in a female Brown-headed Cowbird.

Great photos everyone. I agree with you, Elphaba, the subtle coloring of the Waxwings is beautiful. Much like female Cardinals. Thanks for the Owl/predator advice. I really suspect the Owl nabbed my female BB - her mate was sitting on the BB box this afternoon, defending it from another pair. He was alone. Perhaps careful relocation of feedind and nesting boxes will help address the problem. I am going to put my main feeder underneath the canopy of a Magnolia, which has a much denser branch structure than my Sweet Gums or Live Oaks. Big birds probably won't go there. I haven't decided about the nesting box yet... Regarding cats as predators, my experience with urban feral cats is that they do not hunt, they were never a problem at my bird feeder in New Orleans. The problems always came from my neighbor's pets and the ferals that I had tamed and cared for. Again, feeder placement was a huge deterent (sp?). No low growing bushes near the feeder. It is back to sleep time, baby is finally quiet and my head is ready for a soft pillow.

Gazer, I'm so sorry to hear your female Bluebird is gone.I'm sure another female will come along soon to be his mate but it doesn't help with the loss.

Adel, Very nice shots! Love the Brewers Blackbird and the gorgeous Quail. Cute Lesser Goldfinch.

Burd, Good one of the female Brown-headed Cowbird! They are a pretty one with their soft look.

Nice shots everyone. With spring there's so much diversity of our feathered friends. I am looking forward to one of my spots in VA that is a Warblers feast. No photo to post as I am at work

Nice shots Adel! I love that flying finch in front of the water can. I have a big old water thing. It's not a watering can. I don't know what it is, but it's getting ruined outside. I need to bring it in. Anyway, the wren went down into it and then popped back up on the rim. Of course, I missed that cute shot!

Gazer, I just loved your owl shots. I know how upsetting it is to lose a favorite bird to another favorite bird, but you can't blame yourself. Birds know how to nest safely. They wouldn't nest in your box if they didn't think it was safe. If it wasn't safe and they nested there anyway, then they are supposed to get eaten. It's natures way of making sure that only good nesters have babies. True, sometimes they get eaten even in good nest sites. I think it's fine if you want to rethink placement and try to help out, but don't be too hard on yourself. Like Hack said, owls have to eat too. I will say though that the hawks used to feed regularly in my yard when I first moved in. I planted lots of understory bushes, small trees, ground cover. Now, I rarely see them catch anything. They still try. It's just not easy pickins anymore. On the plus side, with a Barred Owl around, you won't have a problem with rats and mice around your feeder!

I never get tired of seeing quail! Still in SW Tejas. Added Green Kingfisher, Golden-cheeked Warbler and Green-tailed Towhee to list yesterday. Unfortunately Carolyn dipped on the GC warbler.

Pic of an immature Vermilion Flycatcher. Lots of these around.

I've put some pics from Uvalde Co on Picasa at http://picasaweb.google.com/okierednek/UvaldeCOTX#sa at

A Greater Roadrunner. Taken in Garner St. Park.

A Hooded Oriole feeding on some grape jelly here at the cabin.

Like the "do" on that Roadrunner, Red.

Glad to see Frank's creek is up and running again Adel!

Well spring has sprung as they say and different birds are showing up every day.

Yesterday I saw, but did not photograph a Brown Thrasher. I hope it comes back today for some photo ops. It's partly sunny today, which will be better for photos than yesterday's dark and rainy day.

Yesterday's main "star" was this lone Song Sparrow.

From the day before, the Hermit Thrush (thanks Resin). Here, it thinks it saw something so was "standing taller".

A female cardinal with nest material.

Here, she goes for a second twig. This was fun to watch.

Wonderful pictures everyone.

Nanny I would be dancing around if I ever had your 2 woodpeckers.

I agree with Iris...would love to see those two Woodpeckers in my back yard.

We are also seeing new birds and today have seen a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Thrasher and Eastern Towhee. Several more pairs of Barn Swallows have arrived and are entertaining us with their flying maneuvers.

Here is a pair of Turkey Vultures perched on a hay feeder.

Here's one of the Barn Swallows.

another

The American Goldfinches are sure turning yellow.

Great shots everyone!

Wonderful shots Red, I love all 3 of those!

Really nice shots Mrs Ed! I love watching the birds gathering nest materials too!

Rose, Good ones of those Turkey Vultures on the hay feeder and the gorgeous Barn Swallows along with the curious looking male American Goldfinch.


BTW, In Cape May, NJ they are seeing a Brown-headed Nuthatch!!! This is only the second state record. Also there now are Swallow-tailed Kites and Northern Parula!

This message was edited Apr 8, 2010 12:21 PM