Backyard Birdwatching Break
Hello WA Friends,
I hope everyone is having a productive day!
Aside from working today, I thought I would take a moment to share some pictures of a few of my feathered friends that regularly visit my yard.
I am rather obsessed with birds, watching their behaviors and photographing them when I can. The past couple of days have been extremely frigid with very little sun, and that has unfortunately affected the quality of my images.
However, I will work with what I've got!
Most of the visitors at this time of year consist of Black-eyed juncos, Black-capped chickadees, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Goldfinches, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers.
The past few years, I've had a couple of interesting owls visit and that I may share later on.
Yesterday during my watch time outside in 3F/-16C it was rather short for obvious reasons. I had at least a dozen or so Blue Jays visit first.
They love to make their presence obvious and I often think of them like the schoolyard bully, as they muscle in and take whatever they want.
Shortly after, a few Cardinals appeared. They are VERY shy and will fly away if they detect any movement.
Interesting to note is that Cardinals mate for life. So whenever you see a brilliant red male, a brownish-red female is sure to be in tow. They like to wait until the coast is clear before they dive in for seed.
This image isn't so great because my lens wasn't handling the cold temperatures. I was finding it extremely difficult to capture a clear, beautiful image of what I consider one of the most beautiful little birds around.
Also joining the party were these Black-capped chickadees (top of pic) and a Black-eyed junco...there were dozens of both at different spots flitting and gathering seeds.
Then one of my favorites appeared...a Red-bellied woodpecker. They have lovely striped backs and a red head.
I get nests of them in the spring and it is wonderful to watch them feed their young.
Always bossing everyone around is one of many Red squirrels (shown below). There are also several large Black and Grey squirrels here that chase the smaller Reds around the trees.
The chattering that ensues from after this from the little Reds is quite amusing! You can almost hear their frustration from being chased away.
A few other species that dropped by during my observations were the following:
Above is a White-breasted nuthatch...quick, cute and very stealth.
A Hairy woodpecker also dropped by to pick up some nuts and suet. They look similar to the Downey but are much larger.
I hoped you enjoyed a little view into my birdwatching. Back to inside warmth and other work now.
Enjoy the rest of your day,
Susan
Recent Comments
54
I really admire how well you know your birds, Susan. I like birds, too, but I'm not good at keeping up with most species. I used to see cardinals and robin red-breasts quite often when I was growing up, so I know those well, along with blue jays. I also am familiar with bald eagles, a couple kinds of owls, ducks, swans, and geese. But beyond that, I'm pretty lost!
I agree with Jeff; these photos are wonderful. I, too, am looking forward to your spring images!
Thank you so much :-)
Margaret
Thank you so much, Margaret. It's been a life-long interest inherited from my grandfather. So fun to watch and enjoy at any time of year!
Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for dropping by :-)
Susan
I thoroughly enjoyed all the images, Susan! They look GREAT despite the cold! I can only imagine how much GREATER they will be when Spring comes around if you think that these are not your best images!
Very well done, indeed!
Thanks for this excellent share, my friend!
Jeff
Thank you so much, Jeff! I'm afraid these are not my best photo captures but I had to work with the light and weather as best I could. I will definitely make a few more posts over time as I capture new things of interest.
So glad you enjoyed...have a great evening. Off to read your blog shortly :-)
Wow, you will have some seriously phenomenal images soon then! They look GREAT to me!
Jeff
It's very true words that I speak, Susan! I can't wait to see more, my friend! You are a natural wildlife photographer!
Well done!
Jeff😎👍👍
Thank you, Jeff. That is so awesome to hear. Much appreciated, my friend. More photos soon to come then lol...
Have a great day! 😎👍
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Quite a variety there, Susan. All beautiful.
What I miss most about moving back to the West is the colorful variety of birds in the East.
Every place has it's unique natural beauty. Thank you for the pictures.
Archie
Thank you so much, Archie! Both coasts do have their individual beauties and uniquenesses. I imagine you have quite a variety of species in AZ...glad you stopped by.
My favorite here in the desert climate are the hummingbirds, although the quail are fun to watch.
Now and then we are treated with a road runner in the summer months.
Such wonderful creations for us to enjoy wherever we live.
Absolutely, Archie! It's like looking for hidden treasures sometimes. I adore hummingbirds in the summer. Never seen a roadrunner before...makes me think of the old Wile E. Coyote cartoons :-)
Yes, we have the cayotes to chase them, but they run fast even when not being chased.