DAILY PICS VOLUME 328

Here are 4 more from yesterday.

I've only seen the Gray Catbird in the evenings.

Hack

I've tons of HOSP's, Here's a female.

Hack

This Mockingbird is around now and then. Here it is on the ground up by the paved road.

Hack

It was in the shadows, but I was happy to see a Tufted Titmouse. Haven't seen one in a while.

Hack

Well, I'm back with 4 more pics I took today.

I heard a racket and looked across the street and saw this Mockingbird carrying on something fierce.

I made a collage so you could get an idea of how far away this loud-mouth was.

Hack

This Carolina Chickadee was up on a limb "going to town" on a seed.

Hack

Every once in a while it would stop, take a look around, and then resume it hammering.

Hack

Cardinals are everywhere

Hack

This message was edited Jun 11, 2010 10:28 PM

I've started a new thread for us. Can't wait to see your photos!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1107051/

Nice shots, Hack.

I'm happy to stand corrected if I'm incorrect, but raptors take prey on the wing and those Lorikeets are probably as safe as they could be - from ospreys at least. A few months ago I posted a couple of shots of Lorikeets burrowing into the sides of the nest: Resin provided the information that it's not uncommon for smaller species of bird to build their own nests within the osprey nest structure.

MargaretK - I didn't mean to imply that you were incorrect, it's just that it didn't make sense to me that a prey animal would want to be anywhere near a predator.

Hack

Oh Hack, that's not how I took it and I'm sorry if my answer implied that I thought that you thought that I was incorrect. :)

Funnily enough, yesterday afternoon I went down the nest and Pete (unsteady) had arrived a few minutes before me. There was an Anhinga on one of the branches and Big Hook came along and oh boy, didn't she go him! Didn't make contact and Pete was in the process of setting up to take photos of the Anhinga. He got a few shots of the latter making avoidant moves as Big Hook attacked. Unfortunately he didn't manage to get the osprey entirely in the shot, but there's a couple of impressive ones of the talons outstretched and aimed alarmingly close to its target. I'll ask Pete if he'll post them.

Pelletory that is a cute little WP - oh it's a male by the way - red on the head. Mine have not showed up yet but they are feeding them from the suet cake. However, the baby Cardinals and Grackles are coming by. It's amazing the juveniles are just like kids, they sometimes just don't know no better. I was taking pictures of the juvie Cardinal and Grackles and they just sat there without fear - like I was not there. The Cardinal even came up to investigate and check me out - too funny.

Great shots everyone. Margaret I see the Ospreys are kicking into gear. I need to get back to my Ospreys...the eggs should be hatched by now.