I Got Him!! ...

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

I have been waiting to get a picture of the cardinal on the forsythius before it turned green and today I had a chance and I got him!

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Another view

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Can't post Mr. cardinal without posting the mrs...

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

A few more Garden Guests of the day...Goldfinch..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Wren..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Red Bellied Woodpecker..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Purple Finch..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Robin..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Eastern Phoebe..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

White Throated Sparrow-

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Nuthatch

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Chickadee.

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Titmouse..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Downy Woodpecker

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Pine Siskin

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Little Red, Eating a little lunch..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Can't show Little Red and not show at least one of the greys..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

MaMa Robin

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

She has two eggs so far, But like every year, Picked a bad nesting site..

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Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

I'll do just one more... Goldfinch in the Forsythius bush...

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WOW WOW WOW!

What a spectacular bunch of visitors.. :)

W Hartford, CT(Zone 5b)

LOVELY!! thanks for sharing.
So, do you live in the NW corner to be in zone 5a?
Do you have woods nearby?
The forsythia here has lots of green now. We're technically zone 6a, but my microclimate approaches 5a because it's so windy on the hill here.

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

angele, Thanks :)

Birdmanct, Thanks, I live in the NE corner, Near the border line of Massachusettes, CT, And Rhode Island, I do have some woods around my house which brngs all kinds of critters around along with the birds and I enjoy them all (Except when it comes to catastophys, But thats part of nature)
I have some Forsythius thats totally green allready and some thats bright yellow, Some tend to bloom at different times and they are all in the same row thas why I wanted to get a pic of the cardinal before the lasr ones were done blooming, I hope the pics dont look to light for viewing on here,? For some reason, pictures look really dark on my screen so I lighten them up before posting them not knowing how it looks on a 'normal' screen..
Your on a hill over there and I'm in a hole over here lol! My driveway goes up a hill and the back land goes up a hill ( And of course the sides a bit) And the house sits in the middle of it all, the house, The front yard and some of the backyard are flat, So it is just like being in a hole! Once all the trees are filled in, You can't even see my place from the main road, Theres some woods in the front, sides and back so I'm surrounded.but I like it in my little ditch! :)

Cedar Rapids, IA(Zone 5a)

Fabulous! And thanks, IRIS, cause you've helped me identify some of the birds that visit here, and I've never really identified them. Must be a 5a zone habitat for birds. So far, I still haven't caught a good pic of the pair of cardinals that visit here. Never seem to have the camera close when I need it! Here's a gold finch from last year -- Dax

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W Hartford, CT(Zone 5b)

Iris, they all look great. got to run....

Nichols, IA(Zone 5a)

Nice! We have all but the phoebe, but I haven't seen a titmouse for a while. Robin eggs are the prettiest!

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

Hi Dax, Your Quite Welcome and glad you liked the pix! Aren't the Gold Fiinches just beautifull when they turn that awsome bright yellow?!! I see the Goldfinch to the right in your pic, But are those house finches on the 'left' feeder?? ~ It's a nice photo, but I have a problem with my screen being kind of dark and sometimes because of it I can't make things out sometimes thats why I'm asking about the birds on the left feeder ( And the one 'above' on the right?) I kknow what you mean about having the camera ready when you need it! There's always something going on around here and I'd have to walk around with camera in hand to catch it all, But unfortunately I got too much to do, But I'm always missing good shots and it drives me nuts sometimes! lol! ~ I took myself a little break from work yesterday to get most of those shots, I was determined to get the cardinal in the Forsythius before it turned green! I''ll be posting more photo's when I get some time again, I had grackles and Bluejays at the feeder today, A red-tail Hawk pair are nesting someplace close, Today was the first day this year I've seen tree swallows going to the gourd houses, I'm expecting other different birds to be coming in at anytime now, Which reminds me, One of the birds that I really, really. really want to get a picture of this year is the Scarlet Tananger!! I love the color of the orioles, But the color of the Scarlet Tananger just Glows!!! It is one of the prettiest birds I have ever seen!!! I hope I can get a pic to post for you, Better yet, I hope you get the oppertunity of seeing one in 'your garden'!
To me, It seems the cardinals are more relaxed in early summer when the leaves are filled in on the trees, They don't seem as skiddish then, It would be a good time for pictures! Thanks for posting your photo, I enjoyed seeing it! ( I just wish my screen was lighter! lol)
Birdman, Thanks for letting me know :)
billyporter, Thanks :) You might not have the phoebe, But, You might get other different species along the way, Lets keep each other up to date on what comes in in the next few months, It's always interesting !
I'm kind of surprised that you haven't seen any titmouse for a while, Seems theres always plenty here, But there are some birds that will be here in bunches one day and then just one or none the next.
Robin eggs 'are' the prettiest ones to me too.

Nichols, IA(Zone 5a)

I had a scarlet tanager quite a few years ago. Absolutely beautiful! A grosbeak came thru, and cedar waxwings. Best bird was a yellow billed cuckoo and pileated woodpecker! I always love to see the red headed woodpeckers.

W Hartford, CT(Zone 5b)

Iris, my first 'favorite' bird is the Scarlet Tanager. I can remember the first [1960] and every time I've seen one. The last time was in Central Park on a Spring guided birdwalk. We had FOUR of them in nearby bushes for a half hour. What a treat!

PS I have zone 5 envy. I think I'm going to re-label myself as a 5b :)

I also have 'woods' envy. I live on a former farm, so the oldest trees are from the early 50's, and are mostly scattered. The nearby woods has been cut down for condos over the past 5 years.

Nichols, IA(Zone 5a)

I have woods envy too. I live in town. My Grandma's farm was just sold last year. They're harvesting the old oak trees. It's hard to see the big piles waiting to be loaded. The timber is so overgrown and full of poison oak and ivy that I couldn't walk there anymore. The cows used to keep it clean.

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

billyporter, They sure are!!
What kind of grosbeak came through?? I have the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak's here every year, Always wanted to see the Evening Grosbeaks here, But never got any! Never got cedar waxwings either.
Do you have any pics of the yelow billed cuckoo??? I've never seen one, What do they look like? I never had a pileated woodpecker either, Lucky you, They are such a neat looking bird!! I 'did' have a red headed woodpecker pass through once.

birdmanct, Four at one time??!! What a sight that must have been!!!
I would love to have seen that!!
You know, When I signed on here I wasn't 'exactly sure what zone to put down so I just guessed it to be zone 5a ( going by the map on daves) Your about an hour away from me but you got zone 6a, Am I wrong, Or are you?? LOL!
I have Farm envy, So were even! You must have some mighty fine soil there!! My soil is hard clay!! If you want to make a flower bed here, You either have to put a raised bed or do ditch duty for the day!!
It always sadens me to hear that more woods have been lost for housing :( ~ Sorry to hear that you've been losing the woods for the past 5 years!

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

billyporter, Sorry to hear your grandmoms farm got sold and about the loss of the trees! It's seems such a shame that we all lose more and more of our natural world everyday!

Nichols, IA(Zone 5a)

Rose breasted.
Yellow billed cuckoo are very shy. This was years ago in a tree since cut down. They have a yellow bill and are larger than a robin. 101/2'' to 121/2.''
It is a shame. I doubt they put anything back. It wasn't a large timber. 40 acres I think. Some of that may have been pasture. It was fun to walk up there when they got the cows out.

W Hartford, CT(Zone 5b)

let's compromise and both be 5b :)
I only get plants hardy to zone 5 anyway, because of the exposure and the 340 foot elevation here.

Don't envy THIS farm. It must have been just cow pasture, because it's so full of rocks I have trouble putting in bird feeder poles! Planting is always an adventure.

I've picked low maintence plants [i.e. no watering, fertilizer, stakes, pinching] that attract birds. I get natives whenever possible, to US if not to CT.

W Hartford, CT(Zone 5b)

billyporter, do your Rose-breasted Grosbeaks nest there or pass thru? 2 years ago a pair stayed for a week, then went up north [I assume; they left no forwarding address]

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

billyporter, Thanks for the info on the yellow billed cuckatoo, ( I'll look up a photo on google too)
At least you have 'The Memmory' of it, Some people never get to experience the beauty of the land or the inhabitants in it.

birdmanct, I agree, We should both be zone 5b :)

""Don't envy THIS farm. It must have been just cow pasture, because it's so full of rocks I have trouble putting in bird feeder poles! Planting is always an adventure."" >>>>>>>>>I laughed my butt off when I read this!! You 'do' have a way with words! LOL!!!

I picked a lot of native plants too, But what plants do you not water and fertilize>??
I'm surprised to hear your RB Grossbeak pair only stayed for a week, Mine stay for the whole summer.











W Hartford, CT(Zone 5b)

maybe those were 'MY' Grosbeaks. Give em back!

Greenville, SC(Zone 7a)

NO!!!! LOL!

Tonasket, WA(Zone 5a)

Iris ,, great photos. I have only my trees that I planted and a few some distance away of Poplars that someone plante for a windbreak. So I am lucky to see as many birds as I do.There is a pair of Great Horned Owls, living somewhere in the area. I have seen them and heard them in my yard. They are huge and I don't let my 12lb. Lhaso Apso outside at night without watching her closely. My nearest neighbors on the hill above me planted lots of Austrailian???? Willows. He planted 300 trees mostly the willows, so those trees and the ones I planted are all there are within 2 or 3 miles. there is small lake a mile south that I can see with a few trees around the edges. So why do I have so many Blackbirds in my yard????

DonnaS

Nichols, IA(Zone 5a)

Birdman, the Grosbeak just passed thru once. Never saw them again.

Iris, I'm thrilled to see new things whether it's bugs, birds, or snakes.

Donna, I lost 4 or 5 feral cats that we adopted to Hoot Owls. I know because they disappeared before breakfast and I had seen them late the night before. I cried for a week when I lost Indy. Their hoots still send shivers down my spine. We usually have them in town in the summer. I still remember the dream I had when I was a kid, about an owl that was outside my window wanting in. The window was open, but had a screen and it kept him out. Funny how things stay with us. I also had one eating something in the road a few years ago. I had to see if it was a cat, so I got an umbrella and went out. It was a rabbit.

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