Backyard bird watching

[2na]

a few years back I posted a couple of pictures of a white cardinal. Well, I was at my parents place a few days ago and it seems that she is a fully functioning member of bird society - here are some shots of her daughter.

The original one is still around, this one is much brighter while her mom (or possibly sister?) is getting a little worn. The original version was camera shy, but I was able to catch a couple of quick shots of the 1st year before a crow spooked her.

And as an added bonus, while I was there I saw my 1st hummingbird of the season.

[Raven]

interesting that the albino or white coloration only changed in the buff brown color
and that the other darker red colors remained the same.

cardinals tend to "twitch move" so hard to get clear shots sometimes.

cleaning out some old birdhouses today

[Raven]

have "recently" made the scene....

RBG's are here: Rose Breasted Grossbeaks
note to self :buy more seed for these seed crackers
as they are the best in the business At what they do.

WOOD Thrush singing melody in the canopy
our Nightingale.... always great to hear

then there's some i can't even identify
just by hearing them

[smokefish]

Thought this was worth sharing.

[blondterror]

Originally Posted by smokefish

Thought this was worth sharing.

That looks like a Flicker to me... very cool picture

[2na]

close, but it is a red bellied woodpecker

[PRBuzz]

Nice shot smokefish, looks like a redheaded bullet!

[Raven]

they are Unique fliers in that they learned that by swooping their approach
they can simply fold their wings in tight momentarily, and shoot through the air like a dart.

Nice to finally see the ruby throat humming birds today

[2na]

timing is everything!

[Saltheart]

My yard was a nature preserve today. In addition to the groundhog sunning itself , I had a Cardinal and a nice big Hawk. The hawk landed , looked around a while , then took flight again. Given 10 more seconds I'd have had a picture!

[ProfessorM]

heard my first Baltimore Oriole today

[Raven]

yeah Paul Just heard one up there too...

they will eat suet cake especially the berry kind....

friggan raccoons! raided all mine - so - now every night at 3 am
i am on patrol... for awhile...anyways

[ProfessorM]

heard my first catbird today while I was on my lunch break at work

[Raven]

i do the cat sound at them Paul
and i am pretty good at mimicry but it
tends to be so real... they often fly off

i have only one so far.... they're almost as
good as a mockingbird....i'd PAY to
get a mockingbird though.

[2na]

saw my 1st oriole of the season yesterday in Quincy, and during the weekend in Truro had the return of the white crowned sparrows and the towhees. Catbirds are next -

[Raven]

I cleaned and moved several bird houses around the other day
and one in particular i mounted on the back of the glass green house.

Well, the very next day there was a skinny stick protruding from the
door in the front and a pair of Carolina wrens have moved in.

let the serenades begin.
~
I had a red bellied woodpecker outside my window doing his little
dance and heady call (on top of the hollow log)
his red feathers on top of his head separating
while he tapped out a sunflower seed. cool to see.

I tried getting a close up shot using the make do blind but
he was too clever so i'm headed to wally world to get some cheap suet
to smear into the cracks which they cannot resist anymore
than a cat and a partially open door.

[Raven]

wow
bought some peanut dough suet @ christmas tree
(non melting) and the cat birds are Luvin it!

[2na]

Quite a weekend for me in the bird dept. (and a few schoolies to boot). Catbirds were right on schedule and tore through every orange I put out on my seed board, but as a bonus I had a pair of flycatchers checking out the birdhouse outside my window. The female was checking the house out while the male was a few feet away. He then flew over to another house, but I think that the hole was too small - bummer.

Got some pics of an unidentified hawk that came down and took a birdbath in a puddle in my driveway, he was about the same size as a crow and he had a prominent black cap. I forgot to drag the pics home with me, I'll get them up next weekend

[Joe]

Red Shouldered Hawk, (male) April 2012
I used a Nikon D-70 w/80-400mm telephoto at maximum focal length. He was perched on a snapped off tree-trunk about 30 feet up and 50 feet behind my back fence. It looks smallish, but it had a wing span about the same as a Red Tailed Hawk.

[Raven]

great hawk pictures!
I love the red bellies so i built them a pecker pole
with a perch up top (15 feet tall)
hoping to attract some owls @ night for mice control too.

[2na]

that hawk is nice~

I got a crappy old 3.0 megapixel that I keep around, doesn't have the best quality (especially on long shots) but the price is right. I got that flycatcher from about 10'.

[Raven]

ya know whats cheap for a binocular camera
is these type....the only gripe is you have to keep them
real steady to reduce blur

[Raven]

They work for cute girls TOO

[Joe]

Raven - Your yard looks like bird heaven.
I like photographing somewhat rare or unusual birds. It's similar to fishing - I find it very rewarding. I like sitting still in the woods, it unfolds the longer you stay in one place. Very intriguing, very mystical.
I can see the allure of dear hunting, it's not for me, but I can appreciate it.

[2na]

here's my hawk from last weekend, Small, a little smaller than a crow. ID appreciated~

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by 2na

here's my hawk from last weekend, Small, a little smaller than a crow. ID appreciated~

Mike, I think that's a Cooper's Hawk. I've seen a couple around my house.

[2na]

yeah. a Cooper's it is. A 1st.

I've noticed a lot of stuff around I haven't seen before. You have birdfeeders out Paul?

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by 2na

yeah. a Cooper's it is. A 1st.

I've noticed a lot of stuff around I haven't seen before. You have birdfeeders out Paul?

Yeah, I have bird feeders out. I "used" have suet out but there's a raccoon that keeps getting into it. He climbs out on the limb, and reels the chain up to the limb and perches the suet cage on the limb and eats the whole thing.

I've got to change my feed though. I'm getting a lot of the same birds. Tons of chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, and goldfinches.

[Sundowner]

Not much like sitting in the woods and having them come alive around you. I have been trying to id an accipiter hawk around my house and the other day saw it take a sharp turn up into a canopy not too far away so I will have to take a walk and look for a nest then set up shop. I have seen a few orioles around, is it true putting up oranges are an attractant for them? I also saw a bird the other day I have never seen, thought it might be a grosbeak, that I never id'd but couldn't match in my books. Gotta get a better look, its right near work, gonna bring camera.

[Raven]

easy to recognize a gross beak hence the name

their beak resembles a pair of wire cutters

the female is striped bigtime and the male looks like he's wearing a tuxedo complete with a ROSE

if that's a coopers hawk its pregnant