We had seen these swallows flying over the wetlands, but they were not about to land anywhere! Then as we started back, we saw probably close to 100 of them in a big flock in the trees.Thursday, August 30, 2007
Almost a Washout!
We had seen these swallows flying over the wetlands, but they were not about to land anywhere! Then as we started back, we saw probably close to 100 of them in a big flock in the trees.Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Almost Forgotten
Magic Moment
They ran together and separately, kicking their heels in apparent joy at just being alive on a beautiful morning in the mountains.Wednesday, August 22, 2007
GOOD MORNING
He's bigger than Mom!
The eastern wood pee-wee is fun to watch when he's swooping around snapping up bugs.

The woodpecker really went at him - he does the same thing to his own baby when it gets close to him!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Motley Crew
Uh-oh...he's seen me!
Et tu, Ollie?Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Summer Treats
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
1600 is BAD
Oh, shoot! We started out at dawn in the park this morning. There were some deer beside the road grazing, and I wanted to get a couple of shots, so I set my camera ISO to 1600. Fine, but I forgot to change it back, and everything is very noisy...No good pictures, but we did see a good many birds: towhees, catbirds, juncos, redstarts, wren, a flock of cedar waxwings who had just had their morning baths and were preening, northern parula, eastern wood pee-wees, ravens, the black-throated blue warbler below, black and white warbler, kentucky warbler(?) and the funny long eared bird at the bottom.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Monday, Monday
It was a busy morning again. I was changing the hummingbird nectar and saw that the funny red-bellied woodpecker was taking huge bills-full of mealworms up to the top of the snag. When he flew back down, I saw this little fellow hoping for more.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Sunday Same-old
Now that he knows about the "candy" in the hummer feeder, he will really be a steady visitor. And that's a good thing!
But he didn't waste any time getting down to business.
Down it goes. I try to keep the nectar fresh and cool when I'm home - it probably feels really nice in his throat.Friday, August 10, 2007
Embarrassingly Lousy Photography
Sessions

Licking his lips! If you look closely, you can see his tongue.
And here, on the left side of his throat, at the bottom of the spots, a little red is visible.
Little acrobat.Thursday, August 9, 2007
Unexpected
We call this the "bird tree" and I have seen many, many different birds in it over the past 5 1/2 years: Bluebird, cardinal, goldfinch, house finch, purple finch, blue jays, hummingbird, red-eyed vireo, yellow-billed cuckoo, cedar waxwing, carolina wren, house wren, titmouse, chickadee, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, nuthatch, great-creasted flycatcher, eastern wood pee-wee, phoebe, mockingbird, brown thrasher, towhee, mourning dove, tree swallow, northern flicker, ruby-crowned kinglet, blue-gray gnatcatcher, catbird, robin, yellow-rumped warbler, rose-breasted grosbeak, white-throated sparrow, chipping sparrow, song sparrow, tree sparrow, dark-eyed junco,blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, Cooper's hawk, a great blue heron, and alas, brown-headed cowbird, red-winged blackbird, grackel, starling, and #%$%^*house sparrow. And now - a yellow warbler!
Thank you, goldfinch, for coming to pose in the same place and show your differences.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
My little "Wild Kingdom."
There was early activity outside this morning. This is one of two young squirrels that were playing hide-and-seek.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
COOL CUSTOMER PHOTO
Visiting Hour
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Have a Cigar Part III
My 3 babies fledged - I missed it....both in person and on the spycam. I had taken the wires in for the lawn service to mow, and didn't get them back up in time. I guess all is well, because the parents are taking mealworms high into the treetops. Stay tuned for the baby album!
Yawn!
Chipmunks were the first living things we saw.
My favorite photo of the day....Female (or possibly 1st year male) redstart.
Same bird.
Black and white warbler.
Chestnut-sided warbler.Friday, August 3, 2007
Going Batty!
Last night we had a bat expert from Batworld NOVA come to Backyard Boutique for a public education program on bats. She was wonderful, and, for August, we had a decent crowd. This is one of her orphans, who cannot ever be released back into the wild. It's the first time I've seen live bats up close and personal, and I didn't really expect to think they were cute - but actually they were. John made the pix - they are actually made off the screen - she held the little bats in the camer's light and we watched them in real time on the screen...She did hold them out for everybody to see their size and their very velvety coats.
Before the Storm
This morning early it sounded like spring outside....There were birds all over, singing cheerfully. I couldn't really figure it out since they have started to quieten down as usual during the late summer, but then around 4, we had a HUGE storm, with wind blowing from directions I've never seen since we've lived here! They always seem to behave differently before storms.
I heard Mr C's babies in the trees, but only got a fleeting glance. (I didn't dare go out looking, because I would have gotten carried away and not gone to work!) 









They started running and playing like a couple of puppies (or little boys!)




































































































