DAILY PICS VOL.197

A women's work is never done!

These little Song Sparrow's are a pleasure, they just sit there and pose away!!

3-5 inches of snow forecast for us. Guess I'll have lots of birds this weekend.

We've got about the same forecast Mrs. Ed...we live on the I-44 corridor so it is always iffy...right now it is poring down rain!

I have a cool spot on the front porch where I can hide out when the sun is getting low and get some shots of the birds that land on the decorative wheel barrow that DH made me years ago. The birds like to land on the metal wheel and it gives me a chance to watch and photograph them. The sun was out briefly late yesterday and I was able to get a few shots.

Here is a female Cardinal.

A Common Grackle.

Taken from the same spot, a male Cardinal in the Maple tree.

Another Common Grackle on the too tall grass.

Brown-headed Cowbird.

Snow!? Don't even mention that four letter word! It's chilly here with rain and that's enough to worry me. I see 2 eggs in the Gilbertson PVC box as of this morning. Not enough light in there for the camera to pick up the blue color, but with the infred lights you can clearly see them.

I am a bit nervous about this nesting. The pipe on which I mounted the Gilbertson is right next to a picket fence. Whle the bird house is 3 or 4 feet above the pickets, I see no way to install a baffle at this point. I put this PVC box up on the spur of the moment, thinking I might attract chickadees or nuthatches. I never imagined the bluebirds would take it over the wooden box they have always nested in.

I tell myself a cat would not want to get up on those sharp pickets so it could jump on up to the bird house. And if it did, the roof on the Gilbertson is so small and the PVC is so slick I don't think either a cat or a raccoon could get a paw into the opening. Still, it makes me nervous. I think I'll take it down after this nesting.

Dave

Dave, first of all congrats on the eggs! I put a baffle up after they had started laying last year and used one of those stove pipes that has a self locking seam. I used 2 pieces of hardware cloth since I couldn't slip it over the pipe and used a bungee strap to keep it from slipping down the pipe. I cut the notches in the top of the stove pipe to attach it to the hardware cloth. It stayed up with no problem. Good luck, I know you are concerned.

Wow luvs very nice pics! Congrats on the Eagle!

Beautiful pics as always Rose! We are having a lot of rain here.

Good Luck Dave! Keep us posted.

Dreary day here, likewise. Nice photos, everyone.

Best wishes with your new Bluebird box, Dave.

Luv, nice Bald Eagle ..... I'm not going to touch your comment on "A woman's work is never done". !!!

I've been continuing to focus primarily on non-backyard birds. A few Osprey have recently returned to last year's nesting sites. Great Egrets are returning. And, I was able to photograph a few new shorebirds, for me. I have a difficult time properly identifying some of the shorebirds so I'll probably post a few photos later for your help.

Here's a pair of Osprey that I will continue to photograph through August. I have a good vantage point but need 700mm to get close enough. This photo tells it all ..... "A man's work is never done !!!" As he builds the "house", she is constantly rearranging the "furniture". Just can't please her .... !!!

LOL, Tread lightly my friend. ^_^ Beautiful pic of the Ospreys!

What a wonderful Osprey photo.
Mr Cardinal

Very cute shot bsharf!

AH Linth he is doing a fine job at that!! LOL
Great pic too!

Great shot of the Ospreys, Linth. No caption neededon that one. The picture tells it all.

Will be looking forward to your reports as you follow their progress through the summer.

Dave

Look what was strutting through my yard today! We are getting sleet right now, but soon changing to snow...YUCK!!!

Love the pictures in these threads! There is such a variety of birds to be seen here. The Osprey are beautiful. Bluebirds and Chickadees are so cute. And, the Cardinal couple are so colorful.

Rose1656

Beautiful birds!





Ugly sleet! Hope it melts fast...

Nice one Rose!

Wonderful pics, everyone. The weather has been crazy here too. Storms last night, but thankfully not as severe as predicted, and very windy!
On my first foray out in the yard this morning I heard my first Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and White-eyed Vireo of the season. I finally saw the BGG but still have not seen the WEV. I am still hearing the Black & WHite Warbler but still no sighting. I'm taking a week off next month and hope to see some more Spring migrants.
I also had some Am. Goldfinches come back and they have almost completed there colorful transformation

Oops! I meant to say "their" colorful transformation! Anyway, I don't think the Cardinals are very happy about their return to the feeders...

Nice pics cb!

CB51, I think all my goldfinches came and visit you! Nice pix.

Is anyone seeing a decrease in Dark-eyed Junco's? It was warm here yesterday and there were very few around.

Nice shot Lily!

I will agree with you Pelle ... not seeing as many now

I have had a TON of them this week, as if they are moving through…

Do juncos migrate this far South? I don't know if we ever get them here (I'm a newbie at this). Here is a nice one of my Phoebe on flowering Cherry this morning:

Linth, great photo of the Osprey nest.

Pelle, all my Juncos are still here, but I expect them to be leaving soon when it warms up more.

My little impatient Oak Titmouse is still hanging out on our deck. Hubbie put up a branch for him to sit on while his mate is in the nest.

He could care less that the high winds were about to blow him away.

Here's another one of him.

so cute

Duc, I love you oak titmouse, he's absolutely 'cuter' than the other titmice I've seen coming to my feeder. lol.

Although it's very cute I prefer the east coast one because their more colorful.

Nice shootin duc!

LOTS fewer Junco here..3-4 the most at a time now. Usually just one or two.

I see the numbers dropping here too nanny!

Male Red-Bellied Woodpecker collecting some suet.

Indigo Bunting....one of several still feeding here.

This time it's the female Red-Bellied Woodpecker taking her turn at the suet.