Daily Bird Pics (and conversation) #447

Burn, cute photos. I hope that grackle sticks around. They sure have pretty colors. Love the raised crest on that cardinal.

Lily, great job with the eagle photos. Our crows do the same thing. It always amazes me that the eagles will go after the ducks on the lake buy not the crows which are relatively the same size.

We counted 16 house finches in the trees yesterday. Here's some of them.

Now that the persimmons are gone in the trees, this downy is enjoying the apples. I heard some good news, the people that bought the house next door with all these fruit trees have promised me they wouldn't cut all the trees down.

Here's a bewick's wren searching for goodies.

Adorable wren!

It's another good year for Bald Eagles here. When we first moved here in 2003, there were maybe 5 at the most. Last year we were over 20. I just about stopped breathing when I saw these eagles sitting in the river. Usually they are always in the trees or in flight.

Fantastic, Mrs Ed! Enjoying the new lens?

Why yes I am. And I'm also enjoying the sun!

Excellent Bald Eagle images, Mrs. Ed. Nice and crisp. MY Bald Eagle "season" is basically over. I'm just about "eagled" out ! If that's possible ... It's been a fairly decent "season". Glad to hear that your eagles numbers are increasing.

Duc, great photos, as always. I really like the Downy Woodpecker photo.

Lily ,also glad to hear that you had some eagle visitors. Many of the Bald Eagles have started to build or reconstruct their nests. In fact, some are already nesting. Here is a link to a webcam in Fort Myers, FL. She is currently sitting on two eggs.

http://dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html

It's so weird Charlie that your season is ending when ours just begins. Thanks, as Margaret mentioned, I finally got a decent lens. It sure does make this hobby more satisfying.

Wow Mrs Ed, those are beautiful photos of the eagles. Glad they moved down to the water for you. Is that ice melting on the rocks already? Glad you're enjoying that lens.

Got this hummer when the rain clouds opened for a couple minutes.

A small flock of western bluebirds enjoyed some berries on the toyon trees.

Merry Christmas everyone, please make it a safe one!

This message was edited Dec 23, 2012 6:51 PM

good grief those are colorful photos Duc!!! That's not Ice melting on the rocks, that's Ice forming on the rocks. It is right below a small dam. It's from that storm we had with a couple inches of snow.

Thanks Mrs. Ed, sorry it's so cold there for you.

Linth, I forgot to thank you for the eagle cam link-mom sure is busy straightening up the soft nesting materials.

blue & red berries are certainly colorful.

Merry Christmas everyone

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to everyone. I need to borrow Duc's photos of the blue birds and red berries (above) for greeting cards. :)

Hope everyone had a nice holiday!

I have seen this Red-shouldered hawk a couple of times now.

Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers

Hope Santa was good to all of you.

Nanny, looks like that crow will do its best to chase off the hawk. Wow on so many woodies coming for your suet cakes.

It's been pouring every day here but that just makes more birds come around closer.
Here's a scrub jay, a bewick's wren and a couple with robins that arrived yesterday.

That's some mighty fine exposure work for rain! I just love that wren. Oh and I'll take the Toyon bush too.

Nan, it's good to see the downy and hairy together like that.

I don't usually see a Flicker at the suet, so this was a surprise.

Mrs. Ed, look how different your Flicker's "whisker" compared to that of Duc's intergrated Flicker's! Nan, I still can't tell the different from the two woodies, though I know one is slightly bigger than the other.

I've a visiting flock of sparrows, I think perhaps White-crowned? The reason I think white crowns instead of white throat is that I don't see the yellow marking on these, but it was so nice to see one discovered the feeder, then it came back with 4 or 5 of its kind. Duc, love those Jay, wren, and even the Robin looks more colorful than I can ever capture them.

Other backyard's birds at the feeder this fine morning.

The first picture I am not too sure what the name of this bird is, the second of course is the male cardinal, the third is the female and the last but not least is the wren, he does not stick around long so to get this shot was not easy. It is strange, I always thought the Junco was a winter bird, but since it snowed this time I have not seen any!

Kim, those are Female Purple finches in your first two photos.

And EE, looks like you've got a AmericanTree sparrow there with your Female cardinal. First picture just looks like female house finch to me.

Kim, love your purple finches and cardinal pair. Looks like they'll all stay around to enjoy the seeds.

EE, cute photos of your house finch, cardinals, sparrow and Carolina wren.

Here's a black phoebe, a cedar waxwing and a ruby-crowned kinglet with its eye on an apple.

Duc, some really great shots you got there. love the close up of the Phoebe.
Hawk season under way there, Nanny. They have started to make their round here too. I've seen the Cooper a few time. Like how you took the Hairy and Downy together.
Lily is the Purple finch a new one for you? Glad you got a shot of it for your record if it is.
Mrs-Ed, your doing a fine job with that lens. Wonderful!!!
Empty Eyes, you seem to be getting a nice assortment of birds at your feeder.

Some Crossbills has been coming to the yard, the past week. And have had a few Hoary Redpolls.

The first is the Red Crossbill male, second is a Common Redpoll, Third is the female Red Crossbill, fourth is the White-winged Crossbill female. And last is the Hoary Redpoll

Oh mine, oh mine! So I do really get purple finches. I've had a hard time differentiate them with housefinches. Many thanks Mrs. Ed and burn for the positive I.D. I knew I get them, but this apparently was their first arrival for the season. Love the Black Phoebe duc. I saw that very bird when I visited Sacramento a year before last. Looks like I need to return for another visit to California. Love that Waxwing and the Kinglet eyeing the apple, terrific shots! Burn, the crossbills and the various Redpolls are so lovely. I don't get to see them around here ever. :(

I have two types of woodpeckers frequenting the suet cake, the Red Bellied, and Downy, also saw a female Pine Warbler today.

p.s. A redwinged blackbird suprised me today at the feeder. Usually they travel in large flock, and forage the ground rather than flying high in search of feeder.

Enjoying all the pics!

Congrats on your P. Finches Lily!!

Nice shots as always duc...jealous that you see the kinglets so easily and often!! I love the Black Phoebe too.

Burn it is always a treat to see what shows up at your house during the winter!

Not really much here. Lots of Juncos now with the cold and snow and I finally have seen several White-throated Sparrows. The Cooper's hawk does pass by pretty regular this time of year. One did get one of our Hairy Woodpeckers, which upset me. But that is nature.

Burn, I just love those crossbills and that redpoll is such a pretty bird.

Kim, you're so lucky to see the red-bellied wps and a pine warbler too. Cute photos of them all. I love the red-winged blackbirds and have just a few come to my feeder each year. I always hope that more will come up close for the sunflower seeds. Guess it's that hope with all the birds every year.

Now that the hawks are staying away, the Calif. quail are beginning to again come out of the brush, this is a female.
The lake looked so blue in the background for this robin picture.
Here's another robin picture and last is my friend, a nuttall's woodpecker.

YAY Quail!!

What nanny said. Can't get enough of those cute things.

Those are really cute! What's cuter is I can see the detail on Duc's photos that I did never see before in my close up photos. I'm at awe. Thanks Nan. The female purple finches didn't return this morning for some reason. I'll be looking for them this weekend.

With the cold and snow I have had American Tree Sparrows show up. Sorry the quality is so bad but bad light & thru a dirty window doesn't make for a good pix!!

Also have had the Carolina Wrens coming due to the weather.

And last is a shot of a Starling, Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

oh...almost forgot the Tufted Titmouse!

Hah, I did see one female Purple finch today before I went and looked at the Eagle nest. No Eagle found, but the nest appears intact. I was tickled pink with this cute practice shot (of my new Canon camera) of the Carolina Chickadee.

Nan I can see the Starling all puffed up due to the cold on that first pic. once it's enlarged. The second one Sparrow, is that the Tree Sparrow? Love both of the Wren and TT.

Yes...The second one is the American tree sparrow....sorry the are out of order!! lol

with snow overnight, the juncos showed up today. Perhaps their other food sources were covered up.

Oh and a little red-breasted nuthatch! Congrats Nanny on a cute collection.

Thanks Mrs. Ed! We have at leat 2 of the RBN's this year....i enjoy watching them so much!

I feel I am out of my league anymore with my little P&S and it is getting harder for me to take photos with my balance issues. So a decent shot is rare these days. I am almost to the point of having to get a tripod as I am unable to hold the camera steady enough some days.

try a monopod first. that might be more mobil. but a tripod is good too.

Great shots all. Nanny, I too am way outgunned also on this Forum. LOL I get to see the great shots others take.

Great pics everyone!

This thread's getting a mite long now so I'll start a new one for the new year in a few minutes. I'll close off with a Great Black-backed Gull.

Please head on here for 2013: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1292419/

Resin

This message was edited Jan 1, 2013 12:12 AM