Daily Bird Pics Vol. 430

Like that Western BB, duc. Took a walk along the South Canadian today and found a Townsend's Solitaire another birder had seen, not a lifer, but a first in OK. Also found this Yellow-rumped Warbler.

A pic of Daddy on the box this a.m. The warm sunny days seem to increase the bluebirds' interest in the nest box.

Nice Pil shots Nanny!
Duc, love the acorn and way to get that kinglet.
Red, nice Carolina shot. I'm aching for a good a Marsh Wren photo. Those buggers are tough! Nice to see though huh? Beautiful bluebird and YR!
Lily, congrats on the waxwings. I get excited when they visit my yard too.
Burn, nice landing! Beautiful.

We saw 14 Whooping Cranes yesterday at Aransas Wildlife Refuge. None were very close. This is the best shot that I got and the sun was terrible. Hope they make it. This is another bad year for them. Not a lot of food as a result of the drought.

This Red-shouldered Hawk just posed beautifully!

Haven't fiddled with the rest of my photos yet. Here's one that I like from the yard though. Doesn't the pattern on this Red-winged Blackbird's back look like an outline of its skeleton?

A warbler in our backyard.

2012's first hummer in our backyard.

Same guy another day...

Welcome MajiA, how awesome is that you get to see those hummer in the back yard so early in the season. Congrats. Elphy, how exciting could one be to get to see those Whooping Cranes passing by, nice shot even with the uncooperative lighting. Saw many Hawks here too past couple of days. Red, I can't wait to see my BBs. with anticipation they may, just may nest in the garden this year.

Welcome MajiA, those little hummers, make me look forward to spring. They arrive at the beginning of May, here. Great shot of your Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Your Blue bird is so cute. Hope you get a successful year with them.

Nanny, I have Starlings galore here too. The neighbor's tree is full of them. The birds prefer her Maple tree to my Birch. which I have no problem with. ;) I don't find them as messy as the Pigeon and Doves though

Lily, I've notice that the Cedar Waxwings seems to like to be close to water. I've seen them often around rivers and swampy areas. You are well located for them.

Duc, I just love your Acorn Woodpecker.

GG, lol good catch on the leap.

Elphaba, your RS Hawk sure did pose beautifully. Wonderful

The BlueJay don't come as often, as they use too.




This message was edited Jan 30, 2012 11:10 PM

This little Downy needs a bath.

I am trying to think of a way to entice the pileated to my house, that is if nanny_56 will lend me one LOL! I have a big Cottonwood tree in the front yard a few feet from the house. I have a old log that fell out of the Cottonwood, would that make a good peanut butter feeder for them and would they come? I was going to try to make a pileated woodpecker feeder from scratch, but I don't know if I can, the only suet feeder we have is a regular size that is a upside down one and it is small, I don't think the pileated can fly to it. It is not very far off the ground. Would it be better just to wait until spring when they are busier and try to entice them? I have not heard them hardly at all this winter.

Great shot of the butterbutt, MajiA. This morning's pic of one of the two young male bluebirds that has spent the winter here with his parents. He's on the mealworm feeder. Daddy ran him off right after this shot.

A couple of Greater Scaup on the big pond this a.m.

Teddy, now would be a good time to try and get them coming. Natural food is scarce so they are looking for other sources.

Elphaba, how cool you saw the Whooping Cranes!! I have only seen some being led by the light planes so didn't get to add them to my life list!

Hi MajiA!! Great to see you have a hummer!!

Beautiful BB's red! We are expecting 50's and maybe close to 60 for the next 3 days so i hope to maybe get out and walk and see some of ours out around the neighborhood.

from Yesterday.....sorry, it is another Pileated...just not much in the yard! lol

What do you mean just another Pileated? If I had them coming to my yard I would probably drown this page in the pictures! I have been trying to figure out how to build a feeder for them from scratch, but it is hard to do, if I make it from wood then I have to protect it somehow from the squirrels chewing on it and from the weather. So if any advice is forthcoming, I would appreciate it, maybe if I have the neighbor help me with the wood part, I could shellac the wood and that would protect it for awhile. What do you think? I sure can't afford to buy one, they are WAY too expensive!

LOL. My sentiments exactly! No Pileateds around my house either. Use to be before they cut down so many trees. More than 60 mature trees have disappeared from the line of site of my house. My next door neighbor just moved out today. A developer bought her house too, so it's only getting worse! In fact, the pics I'm going to post fit right in with the death of my neighborhood habitat -- vultures!

Oh Maj, Burn, and Red -- truly excellent pictures! Nice one of the Greater Scaup. I've only seen them way the heck out where my binocs can barely pick them out! and Maj -- way cool that hummers are showing up. I have my feeders out, but no takers since earlier this month -- any second now!

Here are a couple of Turkey Vultures.

A close-up. We were driving over this dam and I saw a sign that said "Eagle viewing platform," so we stopped. I took these vulture pics while walking to the platform. Sure enough, there was a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree right through the frame they provided. He was too far off for a good pic, but way cool to just see a sign, stop and see an eagle!

This message was edited Jan 30, 2012 11:02 AM

Red, the young Blue bird is sooo sooo handsome! Neat to see the Greater Scaup. I don't believe I've seen them before in person. Nan, no apology needed for Pileated wp. lol Speaking about woodpeckers. My male Redbellied have came to the suet and seeds feeders on a regular basic. But no sighting of the female. What's up with that anybody knows? Ohhhh, I've a Ruby Crowned Kinglet in the yard! Jumping up with joy.

Nanny, loved that red-bellied with the mouthful-cute! You have a great variety of birds there now. I won't pick on you when you mention "not much in the yard"-love that pileated.

Granny sweet little finch.

Red, great shots of the warbler and bb. Good job with the scaups too.

Elphaba, great job with the crane. I hope they make it too. Pretty light for that hawk.

MajiA, cute hummer and warbler photos. Welcome.

Burn, love the downy and jay pictures.

Found this young Black-crowned Night Heron at the park.

Yike, those Vultures look ominous! Elphy. DH and I were passing by a neighborhood this weekend, we saw a flock of hundreds of vultures circling the area. Hubby said, that's an omen that we'd better hurry out of there. He hasn't been known to be suppertitous (sp?) before. lol All joke aside, I love trees it's sad when we have to lose them whether due to natural occurrence or man made.

Here's a threesome of Acorn Woodpeckers.

I can't tell if this is a Myrtle or an Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler.



Also, when you all have time please check out this link to the Bird Watching Magazine. My Rusty Blackbird photo made Photo of the Week. Click on the photo and you can read a little bit of the history.
http://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/

This message was edited Jan 30, 2012 6:14 PM

Congratulations Vicki that is an awesome photo as are all your shots!

Very well deserved! I'm sure we'll see more of your pics published in the future.

Thanks Pelle and Resin.

Duc, CONGRATS!!! That's an excellent Rusty photo and what a great sighting for your area! Nice acorn threesome shot too.

Lily, way to get that kinglet! They're so fast.

My goodness you folks are rocking!! Gorgeous shots all. Duc, the "telling you no shot" is priceless.

Elphy, the kinglet even stopped by the meallies feeder;

Duc, love your Acorn wps they're awesome!

Chipping Sparrow.

Here is something I wanted to share with you, my friends. This is me feeding a squirrel by hand!

teddy_8905 - so cute !

Resin - She's right, you know...

Woodpeckers - Thanks for the info everyone. There are some big trees probably 1/4 mile away from us. Doesn't sound like woodpeckers will want to visit my yard :(

I meant to add that I am enjoying all the bird photos ! Nothing new in my yard...

Lovely photos everyone. I can only imagine how more fun it will be later during the Spring and early Summer :)

Lily, I bet your little kinglet is really enjoying the worms.

Here's one of my Ruby-crowned Kinglets checking the peanut butter log for goodies.

I think these Mallards were taking turns showing off for the female. There's also a Pied-billed Grebe in this photo.

I caught this female Mallard in the bushes and under the mistletoe.

Think I'll stop with this pair of Acorn Woodpeckers.

Here is one of my many Starlings. These birds are valuable to me. I have not had to pick beetles off of my roses since they moved in. If it costs a bit of suet to keep the flowers nice, so be it.