DAILY PICS #232

Time to start a new thread. Anyone wishing to go back to Vol 321 can follow this link:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1013399/

Let me start out with a female cardinal

And how about a brown thrasher. I don't see them too often and it was a first for this bluebird fledgling too.

And of course, I have to include a bluebird. This is StepDad.

And here are four male cowbirds, each trying for the attention of a single female

amazing

Speaking of cowbirds. I had to feel sorry for this song sparrow that was cursed with two cowbird fledglings chasing it. One is bad enough but TWO?!!

great pics!!
Oh my gosh! Is that poor little sparrow having to feed those 2 huge thugs?

This message was edited Jul 14, 2009 10:02 PM

Closeup of one of the cowbird fledges

Thanks Birdie. Here is a gray catbird.

And a couple of bluebird fledglings taking a bath.

And finally, a northern mockingbird. A real backyard bully.

Well, while I have the floor, let me add one more of my favorites.

A juvenile Spotted Towhee stopped by late this evening.

PaPa Tree Swallow bringing home a late evening snack.

I drove down to Seward, AK and visited Ava Eads to photograph the Rufous Hummingbirds which come to her feeders.

The Rufous Hummingbirds was a new bird for my life list. Their range is confined to the coastal areas, and they do not come as far as Anchorage where I live.

I couldn't get any of the hummingbirds to sit and pose for me, like one did for Ava, in the photos she posted yesterday. However, I did get a few good pictures.

Hovering in front of the feeder. (I cropped the feeder out of the picture, a feeder in a picture spoils shot! )

Collecting nectar from a columbine flower.

It would be nice to be able to afford an expensive camera, so I could shoot at a higher ISO, to stop the wings. My cheep camera gets too grainy above 100 ISO.

A final close up shot.

Wonderful pics Dave! Thanks for starting the new thread!

Very nice ones adel and Gary!

Everyones' shots are wonderful. I feel sorry for that Song Sparrow, but also feel sorry for the Cowbird babies, what a nasty thing the parents do, leaving them to be raised by strangers. You have to wonder what the substitute parents are thinking when their "offspring" are towering over them!

This message was edited Jul 16, 2009 5:20 AM

Probably thinking about a basketball scholarship.

A Scissor-tail having a bad tail day in the Oklahoma wind. He has no interest in the BB box other than just a place to sit and watch for bugs.

I really could do without cowbirds.

Of course I know that....but it wasn't the babies that did that. They have no control over it.

Anthropomorphism is a narrow view of nature. If one wants to get pi$$ed about the killing of birds, take a look in the mirror. Cowbirds and other avian species coexisted for some 10-million years. Now they get blamed for the demise of endangered species. It's a bad rap. Species are almost always endangered by man's actions, not predators nor parasitic species.

Interesting view Red! Here I've a juvenile cardinal. Innocent to the world out there. She's learned to come to the feeder. She's currious about that squirrel that gets to the feeder before she does. Sometimes, she wonders if the humanoid is going to capture her with that apparatus in her hands. lol.

Cute one Lily!

Dave, your starting photos for the new thread were wonderful!! That Thrasher baby with the little Bluebird is so cute and I loved that one with all the Cowbirds and one female. They look like they were howling for her. The one with the two babies going after the Sparrow was priceless. Great job!!

Adel, great job on the S. Towhee and papa T. Swallow has a beautiful wing spread.

Gary, great hummer shots! Those tiny birds started my addiction several years ago and I can't stop photographing them.

One of the younger Orioles was really enjoying the fountain.

This little Oriole had something stuck on its bill and it took a couple minutes and lots of laughs before it succeeded.

This Oriole just figured out how to successfully land on the wire and balance itself. Never a dull moment when the young birds are around.

Great shots duc!

The Bluebird fledge on the fence post had to be squaking, "me, me...no me Dad..here"

Lily, I missed your little Cardinal the first time-she's adorable! I had to laugh when you mentioned the humanoid with the thingie in her hands-I know that look you get. LOL

Fabulous pics!!

I have not had one cowbird fledgling this year...yet anyways and we are about done here with babies. We are in the second batch of Blue Jays and we usually have a late group of cardinal juvies yet to come.



Juvie Red-bellied Woodpecker again....

Baltimore Oriole juvie in the tree....

Juvie Cardinal....