DAILY PICS VOL. 34

Female Downy on the fence. I just love these little birds.

Sadie,

That photo of the Downy on the post is too funny! I love it! Love the little Downies too! So sweet, adorable and charming!

Looks like you have an old farm fence post like we do at the border of our property. I smear Jif extra crunchy pb on our post like you do. Been doing it every day since December 2000 when I started feeding birds. Not counting the post, I have 17 feeders (4 more in the Summer months for Hummers) and have 4 new feeders coming from 2 different companies. Hubby's asked me, "think you have enough feeders?!". He doesn't know about the new 4 hanger post coming and the 4 new feeders, yet! ;-)

I feed bird food on the ground for the ground eating birds too.

Marilyn

This message was edited Nov 28, 2007 7:38 PM

Well, today as I was standing by the window looking out at the bird feeder and watching a female Red-bellied Woodpecker on the suet feeder, a Cooper's Hawk swooped in and right before my eyes nailed her. He kind of tumbled to the ground with her and then flew off with her in his talons. Quite the sight but that was the only RBW that was coming to my feeder and they're not real common where I'm at so I guess it'll be awhile before I see another around here. There were a bunch of House Sparrows around at the time, too but I guess they were too quick.
Jimbo

Marilyn ~ yep, it's an old cedar fence post that I dragged home from the neighbors, they and my DH thought I was nuts, LOL. I've got it wired to a T-post :-)

Ah Jimbo, that's a bummer. (Knock on wood) I haven't had much trouble with hawks yet.

Green heads in the park.

Bebob, I like the Evening Grosbeak shots. I haven't seen any in years, not since the last time I was down state side.

Jimbo,

That's so sad to hear and see! :-(

We see hawks around here several times or more each week.

Marilyn

sadie- Nice pics; love the torpedo Downy!

Marilyn- ROTFLOL, I think you might have all of us beat w/ 21 feeders!!!

jws- I'm SO sorry to hear about your Red-bellied! That would really upset me if I had
witnessed that!


Gary- Nice pic!!

Love the green heads! So many ducks seem to have such brilliant colors.

Close-up of a drake mallard.

awesome close up!

That is beautiful! Thanks Gary!

Nice Green heads, and Mallard close-up Gary!

bebop~ How lucky to get the Grosbeaks

Aw Jimbo, Right before your eyes!! Nature can be cruel..yet it is a familiar scene around here too.

I was doing a bit of yard work out back and found 2 sites where Hawks had grabbed some birds to-go. After I came back in I heard the frantic chirping... Sure enough, Hawk was making another round, right outside my window.

debnes

bebob, your grosbeaks are beautiful!

sadie, that downy on the post is too funny!

jws, I'm sorry about your RBW too, but it does happen. Our goes through 1 or 2 times a week. But it can be disturbing if happens right infront of you.

Beautiful mallard!

Wow!! debnes

This message was edited Nov 28, 2007 8:41 PM

Oh yeah, I meant to add:

Sadie that shot of the Downey is really cute!

Nice Hawk pic debnes! I like the way he took a seat (meaning chair)!

Debnes,

The Hawk made himself right at home! :-)

Marilyn

Yes Marilyn, I'm afraid so... The Hawks have me on their list of rounds. :-

Gary ~ Beautiful pics of the ducks, the green really glows!

Nice hawk pic debnes! They're so beautiful but I'm glad I haven't seen much of them here.

I am loving being able to take photos and be able to tell what it is!! Plus the instant gratification that a digital gives!!!

Another BJ

Junco in tree

One of our RBW

Okay, I know it's a flicker, but which one??

Northern Flicker and a GREAT pic too! I see them poking around in my flower beds but have never seen one on my feeders, congrats!
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Flicker.html

Wonderful pics nanny!!!

That Flicker pic is great!!

thanks! and thanks for the ID. That's what I thought but wanted to confirm it!! I missed him the other day when I hadn't figured the camera out yet. there are peanuts mixed with other seeds in the tray and I seem to get lots of callers at it!

Yes the Yellow shafted Northern Flicker.

Lucky you nanny to have it at the feeders!

I just love everyone's pics. Too cold here right now to even try to take a shot. I took a couple through the closed window glass before it fogged up!!!!

I would be really sad to see a Red-bellied Woodpecker picked off like that. I don't see that many of them.

Pelle,

Where did you get your Almond Suet and how do you 'know' that it is the favorite of the Downy?

Your new Sandwich feeder, did you get that from Duncraft? What variety of suet goes into the new feeder? Do you have to use only the suet that goes with that new feeder? Maybe I can get one of those Sandwich feeders in December. I've only seen them on the Duncraft website/catalog.

Thanks!

Marilyn

Quickly, before the next thread starts! I never have the camera around when I want it, but today our parrots alerted - that means screamed their heads off - when the egret came in to fish in the pond. I snuck outside and took so many photos my batteries died! Here are a couple. I finally had to scare him off because the birds were panicking every time he came in sight. To them he's huge (wingspan) and that's all that matters. I actually got to within about five feet of him and he just kept looking at me and walking away.

Dum de dum de dum....

It was very cloudy today, but I like the reflection in the water.

Hi Marilyn, I have 3 different suets out and the Downy always pics the Almond suet out which I keep in a regular suet feeder. I bought it at a wild bird shop but the owner says she's having problems getting it in since it comes from a different company than she normally deals with.

I haven't had any large woodpeckers in to try the Sandwich Suet Feeder out yet; that might be because of the hawk problems I've had. The feeder was also bought at the bird shop.

Very nice pics kaperc!!

For a change of pace I took a birding trip up to a wildlife refuge yesterday. It has about a dozen marshes, ponds and fields where migrating birds spend the winter.

I'm not sure what type of birds these are (they were about half way between the size of a house finch and a blackbirds); but I don't think I've ever seen this many birds on one tree before.

One of the ponds had lots of ducks. This mallard was really putting on a show for his lady friend.

Next, here's an American Coot.

In one of the other ponds, I found this heron all by itself.

I also saw lots and lots of geese.

Here's a flock of geese that flew directly overhead.

The sandhill cranes have finally arrived from Montana and Wyoming.

Here's a couple of sandhill cranes in flight.