Daily piccies vol 442

Time for a new thread, we came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1265656/

Here's an Arctic Tern to get going

Resin

He's a beauty Resin!

Thanks for starting the new thread!

Wow! That Arctic Tern is gorgeous.

Very nice start, Resin. Amazing to see a Tern away from water.

And I thought this interesting- Barn Swallow in a tree. I think the heat was getting to it.

Thanks for starting the new thread Resin. And the Arctic Tern is real knock-out, beautiful.

Chillybean, nice capture of the Barn Swallow, you reckon the poor thing was looking for some shade?

Beautiful Tern to start the thread with, Resin. From the last thread, we've been seeing on the TV news over here about the amount of rain you folks have been getting.

That does look odd to see a Swallow in amongst the foliage, Chilly.

Thanks for the new thread, Resin! Wonderful shot of the Arctic Tern...really stunning against the greenery!

Nice catch of the Barn Swallow, Chilly. If your heat has been anything like our heat, the birds and critters are probably all a little warm.

A few Mallard Ducks staying cool in the Fox River.

1) Drake (male)
2) Female
3) Juvie Drake

Yes, it's been very warm here. It's getting up to 100, plus humidity again today.

We planted some sunflowers for the birds and already have one taker. This was neat because we were standing about five feet away and didn't know he was there until the sunflowers started moving.

Resin, thank you for the wonderful new start. Loved your Arctic Tern.

Chilly, I guess even swallows need a break from the hot sun. Great photos of your little swallow and the goldfinch.

Nutsaboutnature, great photos of the mallards.


Here's a younger hooded oriole, a young bullock's oriole and an oak titmouse enjoying their morning baths.

Cute pic, Chillybean!
Our Goldfinches LOVE our coneflowers. As it gets a little later in the season we'll sometimes see 3 or 4 of them hopping from bloom-to-bloom pulling out the seeds.

Duc - Love the pics and the settings are suberb! Did you say a while back that your birdbath fountain was solar? That's so cool!

nuts, I love the ducks, especially the female - nice detail.

Hey, Chilly, the goldfinch, I don't see any open flowers, what do you reckon it is eating?

duc, I like the looks of your bird bath. That titmouse sure looks refreshed.


This little skinny Ruby-throated hummer, needs to eat more.

Hack

Thanks, Hack! That Hummer's a tiny little thing but so darling!

Hack,

Some of the flowers had opened, so it looked like they were eating from those.

Thanks all!

Resin, will we be seeing pics of baby Terns anytime soon? Hope so!

Went outside today and enjoyed watching a bunch of Brown-headed Nuthatches flit around. Later they were joined by a Carolina Chickadee.

Pic 1 is of a pair of B-h Huthatches on the feeder.

Pic 2 is of a third B-h Nuthatch awaiting it's turn.

Pic 3 is of the Carolina Chickadee.

Hack

Great start with the Arctic Tern. Happy to hear she's on a nest. Hope we will see some babies.
I'm surprise too, to see the barn Swallow in the tree. It is wise to seek some shade with those temp.
Love the Mallards, Nut.
Two sweet looking birds, Duc.
Hacks, I have not been successful in getting Hummingbirds shot. They hate the sounds of the auto focus and shutter.

A little family of Kestrel. I don't know if the brush pile was their nest. I didn't research yet, if they nest in such place.
The parent standing guard on the fence in front of the brush pile.
An attempt at flying. I don't think it was it's first time, though. Because he made it to the power line afterward.

Love the BH Nuthatch, Hack.

Hack, those are some cute pics!
Love the two nuthatches with sunflower seeds in their beaks. I've never seen Brown-headed Nuthatches. Up here we have White-breasted year 'round and sometimes Red-breasted in the Spring/Summer. The Carolina Chickadee looks similar to our Black-capped Chickadees with some minor differences in markings.

Very cool shots of the Kestrels, burn!

Oh my gosh...words can't even describe how adorable those pictures are...especially the first one of the newborn!!! Resin, thanks so much for sharing that link with all of us!!

Burn, that's interesting about your hummies. I was within four feet of a female once and took pics, she didn't seem to mind. About Kestrels, in our area they nest in cavities, and our county puts up boxes for them along the county roads. We put up a box, but the only interested party was starlings, so we boarded it up. We'll open it up again in the fall since that's when Kestrels come closer to our place and see if they might want to claim it.

Resin, that shows what I don't know. :) For some reason, I pictured them nesting on rocks or on beaches.

I don't have many of my most recent photos shrank down yet, but here is our favorite little woodpecker trying out our peanut feeder. Those gracks and HOSP are being silly again. This type of feeder makes more work for them if they must have nuts. I wish the Blue Jays would figure it out, so I can stop putting a few in the platform. We have some young jays that are a treat to have around. They crack me up with their attempts at the hawk call.

Fantastic birds, everyone. The Kestrels are gorgeous, Burn.

I was down the river a few days ago and could hear Little Corellas playing nearby. I located them, rolling about on the grass, wrestling with each other. They are hilarious to watch. It's pure play and even though those beaks can do a lot of damage, they never hurt each other. It's a fluid group, each bird breaking off from wrestling to search in the grass for food, only to rejoin its pals after a few seconds. Sometimes there'll be three or four little groups of up to five birds in a tangle of beaks, wings and claws. I was watching a group of them on a grassy hillside a few months back and they were locked together, tumbling down the hill and when they reached the bottom, they disengaged, walked-flew up the hill again and started all over again. I hope you don't mind that I've posted so many.

They even bring sticks into play.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these clowns of the bird world in action.

OMG. they are so funny. I love the last one in the second group. I think s/he is actually smiling. And they are so clean!

They really are a hoot. I should learn how to use the video on the camera.

Oh man, Margaret, I never knew such behavior happened. Does DG do video I wonder?

Maybe I can find some of the action on YoutTube.

Are they THAT LOUD?

Hack

Great shots all. Love the Kestrel family Burn. Those bird clowns are a hoot Margaret. What fun.

Love, love those birds at play too Margaret, what's fun! I don't think DG has vedios feature yet. Hacks, we post ours on utubes, then brought it to DG.

Oh Margaret. . .What a hysterical series!! Count me as another that had never heard of these clowns. Your pics are fantastic and really show all the activity and their expressions on their faces. Thanks so much for sharing!!

I'm glad you all enjoyed them. I've seen them playing on the swings in children's playgrounds and often, when walking by a tree they've gathered in, you can see them hanging upside down by their claws, sometimes two or three of them intertwined, whilst others will be hanging off a sprig of leaves by their beaks, spinning round and round, like kids twirl to make themselves dizzy. And yes, Hack, they're noisy, but not as noisy as the Rainbow Lorikeets.

Those were great, Margaret. We see so many birds fighting and chasing each other off that this is fun!

So many great shots by everyone!!!!!

Margaret, Those Corella are hysterical! Your pics are great!

Chilly, Love the Jay and Goldfinch! Sweet Barn Swallow!

Burn, Those are awesome Kestrel!!

Hack, Love the Nuthatch and Chickadee! Sweet Hummer too!

Duc, I am always in awe of your beautiful birds and shots!

Nuts, Love your Ducks!

Oh, I'd Love to see video of those clowns.

Hack, I'm jealous of your brown headed nuthatch. Not too many people have those.
I've been seeing a couple of hummers lately, which for me signals the beginning of migration

Ha, I found some of Margaret's Corellas on YouTube playing in the park.

Hack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbCU4sGF57E