Warbler in the Bird Tree!

This morning my wonderful "bird tree" was again sheltering and providing sustenance for a little traveler. I'm pretty sure it's a yellow-rumped warbler, and I developed a new appreciation for them last week at the banding station. Everyone was joking about the abundance of the little butter-butts, along with a scarcity of other species. The bander sort of woke me up with his comment that it's really wonderful to see that one species is thriving, when so many are struggling. Anyway, I haven't ever seen them here in the fall before, althought they do pass through in the spring in all their fancy colors.

It was very polite, and never turned its tail towards me, and I couldn't get a glimpse of a yellow rump, but it has the yellowish sides, and the face looks right.

It has a long way to go, although not as far as many of the warblers.

Kiptopeke State Park, Virginia

We went out to Virginia's eastern shore to Kiptopeke State Park for a couple of days. Birds were plentiful, but most of them were yellow-rumped warblers.

Definitely not a yellow-rumped warbler!

Warblers and other assorted birds that we saw at the park.

The bird banding station was fascinating. They had banded mostly yellow-rumped warblers for the past few days, and Wednesday was nothing new.....a lot of "butter-butts."

They checked the nets every 45 minutes. The birds were brought back to the station in bags, and were banded, weighed, measured, and checked for general condition and body fat. (He blew the feathers the "wrong way" in order to see how much body fat the bird was carrying.) They were then released; it makes your heart soar away with them to see them fly off. They have a hard trip ahead.

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Grasshopper Sparrow - The banders were excited over this little guy. He was really fat, 20gm, compared to the average 13 gm for his species.

Blue-headed Warbler

This was my favorite of the day - he was so smooth and sweet.

There is a hawk observatory at the park, too. They count hawks and also participate in the banding.

Backyard Squabble

yesterday we had a little squabble over the mealworms...

the mockingbird is greedy, but he got chased away by...

....who else but these two tiny, noisy carolina wrens...they scolded for the longest time.... funny

First Post in a Week!

Whew! I was short on help at the store this week, and worked every day, and I was also finishing up on the bluebird story DVD I've been working on, so didn't go anywhere to get pictures, except my own backyard. But yesterday, this gorgeous hawk sat on the snag 500-600ft away for well over 30 minutes before I left. He was doing his peacock imitation and enjoying the sun. He flew down once and had a snack, then went right back to the same spot, still with his back towards me.

Just looking around.

"Oh, grandmother, what a big tail you have!"

"And grandmother, what big talons you have!"

Nigerfest!

"Unto everything there is a season.."

Yummm...

Oh, please, please, please let her bring out the mealworms before those bluebirds get here!

Everyday, but always so cute.

Hey, there's nothing left for me!

I'll sit here for one second - hurry!

"Am I gorgeous, or what?"

Nice new digs - I like it.

New vented bluebird box I put in for the darlings of the backyard...I love these - they have interchangeable plastic plugs in the sides - vented for summer, and solid for winter snugness. Ollie checked it out and seemed to approve within an hour after I put it up. The camera will go in in February, and this time I'll be able to install it properly so it will stay in focus.

Looking on.

Another one for you, Birdgirl!

Slim Pickins

We went back to SNP Wednesday to spend the night so we could be out early...we should have checked the weather. A cold front came through - it was upper 30's Thursday AM, with really strong winds...the birds stayed deep in the woods. About 9 AM, a few juncos ventured out and I snapped this one....I followed one little ruby-crowned kinglet for 10 minutes or so, but it was too fast and my hands were too cold! So this is the "picture of the day!"

Back at Home....

......a sweet little phoebe. It was very still, including the tail, so I was thinking maybe it was a wood pee-wee, but when I looked at the pictures up close, I could see that the bill is all dark.

Well, it tastes good, lets see how it feels!

Football Fever

Nick is playing flag football this year - he's having fun; so are we! #6 is the man to watch.

"Oh, please, throw it here."

Get it, get it, get it.

Whoa, just lying here on the ground ... I can get that.

Come here, ball!

Can't catch me....

Oh gosh, what now?

I'll head him off!

Can't get his teeth knocked out at least.

Big brother watching.

And a cheerleader.

Along Limberlost

This way to the birds!

There were a lot of people out today - While I was answering someone's very loud inquiry as to what I was doing (duh!) John got these shots of a black-throated green warbler. Looks like I didn't crop them enough...the bird is very small - sorry. (The pictures with the hemlock showing are just so nice, I hated to cut it al away.)

This bird, a yellow billed cuckoo, had me puzzled - It was dark gray, not the slightest bit brown, but I don't think it can be anything else.

Showing off his other side.

Blackpoll Warbler: This one required the help of my ID expert friend.

This little beauty was taking a bath in the creek.

Splashing...

Singing in the tub!



Golden crowned kinglet - my picture.....

and John's.

Solitary vireo - my picture.....


and John's.



White-throated sparrow - my picture....


Another of mine.....


and John's.



Couldn't resist the junco - they are still abundant in SNP.

The chipmunks are too.

"Butter-butt" - Yellow-runped warbler.

Phoebe (or wood pee-wee) his tail was on the rail and couldn't move, so I'm not sure; but his bill is all dark, so I'm thinking phoebe.

Wipe your mouth!

The flicker made an appearance.....John got it.

Flowers by the highway....

Dreary Day in Oct

This was a nice surprise - I have only seen a yellow-bellied sapsucker here once before - about this time last year. I heard him before I saw him - good camoflage! I have lots of red-bellies, downy and hairy WPs, and there are red-headed and pileated in the big state forest next to my subdivision, but this fellow was just passing through.

Another traveler. This is the latest I have ever seen one.

The dogwoods are showing more color than anything else so far. And the mockingbird is stealing mealworms - like he does every winter.

I do love them, even if they can be bullies....this one was doing his squirrel imitation!

I didn't have as many goldfinches as usual this summer - but they are here in full force now.

Ummm...

Ever-present....I haven't seen the baby lately.

These are always here too.

And the nuthatches as well - wish another red-breasted would stop by.

What a Lovely Surprise!

The Home Team

My regulars, plus a couple of warblers who were passing through.

I wasn't expecting to see this little immature chestnut-sided warbler out in my bird tree - and I certainly didn't see him for long, but here he is - this is the only decent shot I managed.

We spotted the black-throated green warbler at almost the same time - this is actually John's photo - mine wasn't very good. I still had "uber-lens" pointed at the spot where the chestnut sided was.

Mr Wonderful!

So cute..


Mr C. is looking better. (All his kids have left!)




Yellow is almost gone.

Noisy little nuthatch -

The hummingbirds had all left last week - I guess this one was just passing through - I keep the feeders up for a while after they leave.

I always have to take the test tube hummingbird feeder down in the late summer, because of bees. (I think maybe this year the only 5 bees left in the country were at my hummingbird feeder, harassing the little birds!)

We like watching this tree - the squirrels use the cavity in winter, and the birds in summer.