Daily Bird Pics - Vol. #360

The feeder serves it's purpose but I don't like that I can't always see the birds. :(
Yesterday when Gus & I went for a walk yesterday afternoon I saw a male Eastern Towhee. That was nice...I can't take my camera when walking Gus yet. He still has to learn how to walk on a leash nicely! lol

Burn, hope you get lots of redpolls!!

Had a hawk pass thru first thing this morning...have to look at pics later to see if it was Cooper's or Sharp-shinned. It seemed preety small.

Thank you, now I know that my bad shots are nothing to get upset about. I am glad I thought I was the only one who got bad or blurry shots! I will try to get a better picture of a squirrel on the feeder. I am tempting them, I filled up the feeder and it was with Sunflower Seed, wondering how soon it will be before they try again.

Nice shots all!

Nanny... that's a big crow you got there! Their size is amazing when they are up close!

Duc... that second shot of the male House Finch is amazing! So pretty in the berries! I also really like your Kinglet! They are so cute!

Burn.. Your Redpoll shot is great! I love everyone's photos of birds I never see! And I never get tired of the Downeys! I have them, but they have not presented me with a good photo angle yet!

Teddy... there is already lots of great advice for your here. Just keep shooting! :o) I actually like your squirrel shot... it looks like he has a bit of snow on his nose!

I have had my balcony perches set up for a while now, and the birds are using them regularly. I have a few shots from the past couple days.

Titmouse...

Another fluffy Titmouse...

The Chickadees are so fast!

This guy thinks he's tough! LOL!

We actually had a Red-shouldered Hawk swoop in the other day and catch one of the little birds in mid-flight... right from the balcony! Hubby witnessed it, but no time to grab the camera. He was in and gone in an instant! The little guys are more watchful now.

Here's the female House Finch... wish I could get the male this well.

Its really odd, the way the birds eat, I filled up the feeder like I said, and there has been NO birds as yet. Not even a sparrow, that has me worried, maybe we are going to get a big snow and they know it. I know the seed is good because the squirrels have had no problem eating it. The squirres kinda got shafted a little today, so I put some more out there for them. I guess I am a softie when it comes to the animals, we brake when we see one cross the road in front of uys when we are driving, and at one time, we had a regular feeder, a thistleseed sock, a seed bell, and a suet cake. The only reason we don't have a seed bell up now, is the squirrels kept chewing the stick that held the bell up. If there was some way to have a bell hanging so the squirrels won't chew it, I could get some good shots of the birds who like it, the next time we go into town I am going to try to get some more suet cakes, little Downy woodpecker loves it, and so do some of the other ones do too.

I watched a Sharp-shin take a Junco I flushed. Not ten feet from me. I was snapping some pics of the BB's out the window this a.m. when I saw Daddy tilt his head and look upward. A Northern Harrier was circling. I hadn't seen it.

Both the BB's were in and out of the house this a.m. I feed them mealworms about 8 o'clock and they are usually waiting.

Mama on the house.

Had a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves on broadcast grain this a.m.

And a junco underneath the finch feeder. The past 2 winters, I've had 20 to 50 juncos early in the morning. This year I only have a handfull.

Burn, that Redpoll is such a beauty. Love that feeder shot-the birds looks so happy.

Nanny, hope Gus will soon become your partner when you have the camera. I use my dogs to attract the eagles and hawks.

VA, love those titmice pictures! That tough chickadee is so cute. Sorry about losing a bird to a hawk. I always worry about that too, but thankfully my crows help to chase the hawks away.

Red, I'm sorry you lost a junco too. Love the bb photos-just beautiful. Great shots of the dove and junco. I've noticed I had less juncos too-strange.

I'm still seeing a couple flickers here-think this is a female.

One of my Oak Titmice.

A Cedar Waxwing.

A White-crowned Sparrow.

Duc, You have to go into the Greeting card business with those wonderful shots. As always I love the ones with berries. Great expression on the Waxwing!

Red, I sent you a D mail. Love that Bluebird!

VA, Love the Titmouse and Chickadee!!

Teddy, Cute squirrel! The birds will come soon.

Man, you guys are moving!

nanny_56 - that's a nice looking new feeder you bought. Keeping the seed dry is a chore for me, too.

ducbucln - that Scrub Jay is a beauty.

reddirtretiree - I sure liked the shots of the owl and hawk.

burn_2007 - looks like I found out were all my Goldfinches went. great pix.

Teddy, I like the squirrel - pretty good focus. can you increase the ISO from 160, up to, say 800 or 1000 - that would lighten it up.

VA_Wild_Rose - yep, Chickadees don't stay in one place very long, but you made a couple of nice shots.

reddirtretiree - nice shots. I should be seeing some Juncos pretty soon.

ducbucln - I just love the way you framed that White-crowned Sparrow in those red berries.

Hack

I went out yesterday and snapped a few.

Here's a Blue Jay

Hack

Nailed a Carolina Wren - down in the leaves.

Female Cardinal

Male Cardinal.

Carolina Chickadee.

Another Titmouse

My last one is a White-throated Sparrow.

Hack

I did not take that picture, my hubby did, I don't know how to change focus on his camera. All I know is whether to zoom in or out. I took a picture of it snowing this afternoon but I am not going to post it here, you really can't tell it is snowing, it just looks foggy. I don't understand it, I filled up the bird feeder with Sunflower Seeds and hardly any birds were on it all day. Didn't have nearly as many sparrows as we normally have. In fact, I think they decided to stay in bed all day, that is ok, that means I don't have to fill it up tomorrow.

My hubby took this one and he DID NOT use a zoom lens, the squirrel actually let him get that close. Amazing!!!

WOW teddy, that is a great snap. As for changing focus, do you still have the owner's manual?

Hack

Teddy, If you do have the owners manual then start reading so you can get to know the camera better.

Good idea, I come inside and then the birds come, I go back out to the door and not a bird in sight. I am going to HAVE to get a suet cake, I could get great shots then because the suet cake is closer to the house.

teddy, an idea. The birds are used to my car (which I always park in the drive-way near the feeders). So, I use it as a blind - I often just sit in it, near the feeders. I have a clamp that I attach to the window and then the camera to the clamp (can't remember if I got it from ebay or Amazon). It holds my camera motionless. I also run a wired shutter release to the camera, so I don't have to touch the camera to snap the pic (it eliminates "camera shake") The birds pay me no mind and I get some nice close-ups.

Hack

Hack, love all your birds. That White-throated Sparrow sure is a pretty one.

This Mourning Dove was looking pretty in our gray skies.

The House Finches seem to be everywhere. Here's an orange-variant that love the red berries.

Another pretty House Finch.

An Oak Titmouse.

duc, that gray sky in the background sure makes for a nice pic.

Here are a few more from yesterday.

First up is a Carolina Chickadee working on a seed.

Hack

The Cedar Waxwings sure are cleaning off the berries quickly.

duc, looks like we'll be cross posting. :-)

Here's a Carolina Wren.

Got another pic of another male Cardinal.