Day in the Park

We got up at 5:30, fed the bluebirds, walked the dog, and headed for Shenandoah. We didn't have real high hopes, but we love it there even when we don't have great photo-ops. I wasn't sure about the ID of this little guy until I could enlarge a bit.

He definitely had a yellow back and head, and flitted around warbler-style.
Just so little and happy!

The little chestnut colored patches are beginning...chestnut-sided warbler!

Darn branch!

Look at his right foot. Don't know if he's dancing or about to take off.

And the towhees were still every place.

The female towhee was about to take a bath.

Butterflies were everywhere! So many that it was hard to watch for bird movement.

What's a day without bluebirds? These, of course, aren't quite as gorgeous as "mine."

Rainy Sunday

Rainy day - thank goodness - we really needed rain and it stormed all afternoon - I slept! Mostly hummers today: sipping and squabbling!

This one looks blissful, doesn't she? ...Or maybe she's saying grace: " ....Thank you for the food we eat......"

(My verse is "Thank you for the birds that sing." (or buzz or chirp)

Very handsome - he just showed up a few days ago - now he's fighting the femle over the feeders.

Juvenile catbird - Could he possibly be tired of me and my camera?

This makes a great perch!

And of course, had to get pix of these!

BLUEBIRD EXTRORDINAIRE!!

Promise

Have been on the road with no time to stop and enjoy - chased this home and it was almost gone by then - it was complete and totally awesome from the highway.

Sunday Morning

I have to work today, and John leaves this afternoon for Jax, so not much time. All is well on the spycam - the 3 babies are getting the start of little feathers down the middle of their heads and backs; they're still pretty floppy. Ollie and Camille are so diligent about feeding and cleaning them. It's 9:30 now and dark, and Camille is on the nest and the babies are quiet. My camera isn't quite in focus, but the recordings still are wonderful and exciting.

Camille is looking pretty good for this time of year and 13 babies since April!

They're he-ere.................

This is a Canyon Trading Co. hand-made copper feeder. It's really nice, because extra tubes can be filled ahead and kept in the fridge, so that when one gets a bit low, you can just replace it and put the tube in the DW. Other good things about it are that you can actually see through the glass the hummers' tongues lapping...and the birds love them.

Busy little thing -



They go from tube to tube, just as they do flowers - I think that's probably why they seem to prefer this feeder to others.

He likes the Coles suet kibble - it has insects in it and is in small pieces, so it's easy for him to pick up. He likes it so much he's willing to come to the porch to get some.

This is Mr. C - He and his lady have 3 (I think) babies out in the trees....I haven't had a real good look at them, but have heard them and seen them fleetingly. This tray is fastened to my porch rail...It is wonderful to be able to bring the birds so close. Maybe the baby cardinals will come....Oooooo!

We started today's wanderings at Sky Meadow State Park...The wind was fierce, and we decided we really didn't want to do the VERY steep trail on a day that we weren't likely to find many birds out where we could photograph them.

This indigo bunting was about the only bird, other than blackbirds and house sparrows that we saw at Sky Meadow. And he was far, far away!

So back to Shenandoah! Limberlost is at least sheltered from the wind, and we didn't want to just go home. We got there close to noon - so there wasn't too much going on...and it was crowded and loud! We don't usually go on week-ends and this reminded us why. Of course the first thing we heard was towhees. Down at the bridge, this one decided to take a bath while we were there.

Hard to tell what's going on, with the black feathers, dark rocks and water splashing everywhere.

Gotta get his face clean.


Just splashin' in the "tub".....

A final shake.

Yesterday when we saw the bee balm, I said the hummingbirds would love that - One must have overheard, because today she came and visited each one. So beautiful.

TGIF

We left very early this morning for Shenandoah. On the way we noticed this white pigeon sitting in a line with the others. On inspection, it looks like a true albino - his eye looks pretty pink to me.

Pretty lowsy photo, but when I enlarge it, the eye looks pink.
John, with his new Olympus 510 and 300MM 2.8 lens (600MM equivalent.)
Bee balm under the bridge on Limber Lost.

I guess this is some sort of lupine - it was in Big Meadow...I thought it was pretty.

Got several not-too great shots of this lady I actually thought I was shooting a northern parula, but turns out it was a female redstart.

Sitting pretty.

Shake your tail feathers baby!

"Hello...you're a little bit plain, seems to me."

I'm thinking they should change the name of the park to Towhee Park!

"Drink your tea."

How sweet is this?

So curious!

I love you.

The babies haven't learned yet to be afraid. This little one bounded right up to me - I had to back off to get his picture.

Peek-a-boo!

We were just commenting that Ollie and Camille were letting this last brood stay longer than they usually do after a new brood hatches, and.......

Uh, oh. Camille says it's time for them to go.

Reflections..

Flight of fancy.

Little Straggler

Baby #3 hatched during the night - at least 28 hours after the first two! Hurray! I can't photograph them in this box - the door doesn't open wide enough, but I'll change it out for a new one when these guys fledge; I'll get the camera installed just right and use a box that I can get the camera close to.

Just Passing time -

There were so many birds out back this morning - chickadees with babies, titmice with babies, mother and baby robin, cardinals with babies, Carolina wrens, nuthatches, goldfinches, house finches, BLUEBIRDS, and alas, 2 red-winged blackbirds and a grackle! And this little phoebe came visiting too.

MUG SHOTS

This one is here a lot.

They are, like me, still waiting for the last egg to hatch. The 2 babies are being well cared for. Watching is amazing! The spycam is wonderful.

Pacing, bluebird style.

Ollie, standing guard and waiting for that last egg to hatch.

Happy Birthday!

No photos right now - I can't tear myself away from the TV the spycam is showing on...two brand new babies, and one egg to go. Mama is in and out, and fussing over them. They are so tiny, and to think that in 3 weeks, they will be flying! A miracle! I am filming it, so when I get it all figured out, I'll post it. Got one really amazing scene where Mama had been outside and she touched the sparrow halo - they opened those little mouths and the little heads rolled around...one is much more active than the other.
Have a cigar!

Good Morning...

I've been at the computer paying bills instead of outside making pictures - But did get these, just because...

They all really love this Squirrel Buster - at least all the birds - the squirrels aren't so happy!

One -

Two -

Three!

Nah - they're not - but it sure looks like it, doesn't it?

Mr. MacGregor's Garden

I was relieved to see the little bunny this morning..I hadn't seen her in a couple of weeks, and was afraid something had happened to her. But there she was, nibbling away at my neighbor's plants.

Don't cry, Little Bunny.

Gonna be shy?

OK, time to go now.

Late for Work

That's me who is going to be late for work - But what can I do? They were out there beckoning me!

Isn't he just the most handsome?
Double-take

I am outta here!

Can't post without them!

Stand-off!

Wonder who will blink first?

(Actually the chipmunk ran; then the flicker was startled and flew off.)

Singing the Blues

I just can't stop photographing them! It's an obsession! I'll be thinking, "enough," and then they come chattering onto the rail, and there I go again! All 5 are still fine. And Mama's still incubating 3 eggs. We watch her via the spycam...every bird landlord will want one of these; it's truly amazing! I have them at Backyard Boutique...they are $85.00.

Look at the size of that mealworm!

Beautiful Camille.


Am I beautiful, or what?

In a family portrait, somebody always moves! (It used to be me.)

Hewey, Dewey, and Louie.

Family Dinner.

I can do this.

Monday Morning Smile

Just had time for a couple of shots this morning - Have to go give a talk - hope to spark some more interest in bird feeding and conservation. This is Charlie - he beat the BBs to the mealworms this morning - they were all trying to congregate in the tree, and let Charlie get ahead of them!

Back Porch Picnic

Took these this morning...there's one little timid one that stays in the trees - Ollie feeds that one first, and these guys just have a fit! Camille is in the nest most of the time. This morning I saw something I haven't seen before. Two of these little ones were sharing mealworms. One would get a mealworm from the cup, then the two of them would eat it. It was so cute - I was just fascinated, and didn't even press the shutter! Duh!

Bluebirds of Happiness!

Boy, Was it Hot!

I have no idea what these will look like - My monitor developed some vertical lines that were very distracting, so we got another - a huge very glitzy Samsung. But it is very contrasty and bright, and we haven't gotten it right...We did the Eye-One color calibration and that seems OK, but I thought I would go ahead and publish a blog and see how it looks on the other computers.

We went to Sky Meadows State Park today, but since we went right in the middle of a hot day, didn't see much. We could hear birds, but they were deep in the trees.

We did spot this mockingbird, sitting by a very ramshackle nest.

This is just another camera show-off...I could barely tell there was a bird; much less identify it....I made the photo and turns out it is a kingbird.

To tell the truth, I'm not completely sure about this little guy. I thought it was a wood pee-wee, but the lower bill is dark in all my shots. But it seems to have wing bars too defined for a phoebe, nor did it bob its tail. Hmmm.....

Not a bird, but a beautiful flyer.




Earlier in the day, at home... They just delight me all the time!

Isn't he just gorgeous?

Showing off!

Hardly an exotic, but what would summers be without them?

Red-eyed vireo, shot at SNP a couple of weeks ago, that I hadn't even looked at. My expert bird ID friend said it was hard to tell from a "butt-shot." LOL

Backyard Blues - and grays and browns!

Had to work today, so these were from this morning early...The baby bluebirds are getting very brave now. They fly over to the porch even without Dad. I just LOVE them!

Mama is incubating three eggs. We watch on the spycam, and she is sitting on the eggs most of the time. She turns them about every 30 minutes.

Titmouse Tale

This little titmouse was just beside himself this morning! He would fly out to the "bird tree," then fly back and forth, stopping only to sing!

What's going on down there?

Ruffled feathers!

Wanna see my trick? I can turn my head backwards!

Very, very handsome house finch. He has a big family this time.

Here's one of them...The little "horns" are so cute.

The brown thrashers are here every summer. I love them. They are the Georgia state bird.

Gobble, gobble.

This one is insatiable!

He's also a champion wing waver!


His first attempt at bathing in the birdbath - He fell right in!

Mr. Wonderful.

Rainy Day

Drove out to Shenandoah under cloudy skies - Since it didn't look as though we would get to be out very long, I shot these flowers out the car window while we were waiting at the gate.

The one little sunshiney face looked happy.

The rain started as we started out on the trail. We could hear birds back in the woods, but saw very few. Catbirds - not very unusual, since they are all over the backyard here, but this one was so glad to be having his lunch of elderberries.

Big mouthful!

I dunno - this isn't very spectacular, but something about the gray bird and the evergreen speaks to me.

And, of course, the omnipresent towhee.


Out the car window on the other side of the road, on the way out.

"Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave.."

Just couldn't help myself - I made this eagle photo last April in NC...seemed appropriate to give him a new background today. (Thanks, Adobe.)

Hurrah for the Red, White and Blue!

A couple of hours in SNP.

We got off to the park late - things just kept coming up and needing to be done. It was a wonderful cool day, but by the time we got there, it was getting a little dark.

The towhee was singing his heart out.

And here's the object of his affections.

These photos leave a lot to be desired, but the little redstart was so cute - he was trying to be brave, but he would hop close then flit away.

There are barn swallows living under the roof of the entrance gate at the park. I made a few shots when we were going in, but I was trying to hurry and handhold looking way up, and I didn't get anything worth putting on. Next time, I'll set up properly. There were 3 little nestlings in one nest, just looking over the side of the nest.....so beautiful!

July 3 at Home

This is the ring leader in this brood. He surely makes his wishes known!

He was just beside himself.

Mom is very busy - new eggs and this hungry baby too.

Little piggy bird.

This was hand-held...with my big lens. I am loving this camera!

A little too contrasty, but he's just too cute to leave out.

The baby robin was very independent compared to you-know-who.

Back Porch View

I worked today, and didn't get much of a chance to get many pictures. But the little "blue angels" gave me such a good show, it was OK. They have a never-ending supply of mealworms, so they don't go far! These babies just fledged last Sat (week ago).

What do I do now?

Maybe I should move over here.

Aw, I'll just "saddle up" here. (I can't figure out how to stand on this thing anyway.)

The ones in the tree got fed first.



They are so wonderful - and there is one little blue egg in the nest. I got the nestbox "spycam" installed and running. The demonstration DVD from the manufacturer has owls, titmice, and bats - no bluebirds! So I need to get busy and make one with bluebirds. Exciting!

Speaking of titmice....


I love the "ruffled feathers" shots.

Using safflower in the Squirrel Buster for the time being. The grackels were eating way too much! But - the squirrels certainly aren't getting any from this feeder. It's our best seller right now.

So tiny, and so cute!

Also very tiny. Last year I had a little chipping sparrow trying to raise a baby cowbird! The baby was much larger than "mama."