Daily Pics _ 5

And a second one . . .

Very nice Murmur!!!!

Thanks, Pelletory! Those were taken from a bit of a distance. I hope to manage to get some shots soon through the greenhouse window in the kitchen (guess I'd best climb up on the drainboard and wash it!). I'm with you on the Starlings, but sometimes can't help but admire their iridescent color and even the gurgling sound they make.

I sure want to try the peanut butter on a pine cone thing - great shot of a chickadee, Gras!

Debin, nice photos from you!

Gardenpom, that warbler is adorable - good pic.

Sunrise this morning on the beach at Hilton Head Island, SC. A weekend trip for us

Another shot.

Subadult Herring Gulls

Resin

kiska, update on Pine Grosbeaks. Visited friends on Vine Rd., west of Wasilla yesterday. They have had about eight coming to their feeder for the last 2 months. (A first, in the ten years they have live there.) They think there are 2 red males, but never seen them both at once. Preferred food is dried cranberries pick out of a trail mix.

Peanut butter cone update. This Boreal chickadee slowed down for nearly a whole minute tasting the peanut butter. Just long enough to snap a few shots. My best yet for the Boreal.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2007 6:06 PM

He is grabbing a bite of peanut butter, from the Black Spruce cone.

Murmur: Wow! We only have Ruby Throats here. What kind of hummingbird is that?
Grasmussen: Wonderful shot of the Chick'!
Deb

Rufous Hummingbird

Resin

Grasmussen - it's good to know that they are in the area. There were 6 that came to our feeder. 2 were the red ones. They've come here for several years, but, only stay a day or two. The chickadee photos are so beautiful and you've captured them so well.
Kiska

Wow!!! That Chickadee is Christmas Card Worthy. So crisp and clear. I don't think I've seen one like that here in Texas. Absolutely beautiful! I've really enjoyed your photos throughout the birdwatching forum. Thanks for sharing them with us.

I've seen so many different types of birds since I found this forum. What a treasure of information we have here. Thanks everyone for continuing to contribute to my education. A photo is worth a whole bunch of words. This place is a thesaurus!!! HAHAHAHA

Janet

Gras, as usual, your photos are stunning!!

Bsharf, what a glorious picture - lovely experience, eh?

I find myself soooo envious of those of you that have birds I've never seen! I'm grateful you share what you see!

The bandtails seem to have moved on after just a few days, but the tree swallows are coming back now, as are the pine siskins and the lesser goldfinches. I put up the rest of the bird houses as soon as I saw the first swallows.

Some redwing blackbirds passed through, and the rufous hummers should be here most any time. The blackheaded and evening grosbeaks should be here soon also.

Except for the hummers, I never really paid attention to when they arrived before. This year I'm jotting it all down.

Here's a little Lesser Goldfinch male. I saw one in full color, but he wouldn't let me take his picture.

Robin

Great robin closeup. I've never noticed the pattern under the tail before.

Song Sparrow

Last week, -12'...view from window....ice and snow
This week 50'....view from window....ice and snow and.....this...
Hard to tear my self away from the window now. The geese are screaming, merganzers, mallards, swans, otter, and muskrats are out in the little channels through the ice. (sorry about my dirty windows)

Dirt doesn't show from this end!!! What a gorgeous setting - and I would be right there beside you, unable to leave such an incredible show!

Pelletory, what a dear little song sparrow - I have such a soft spot for them and their song.

Tigerlily, I find it difficult to get a decent photo of a robin - you got a great one!!

Such cute little birds; showy, too.
cpartschick, what a great way to spend time with the view you have.

Wow! That's a million $$$ view!

Sigh . . . no good images from the PNW - just this goofy little guy who seems to think I can't see him behind that little branch.

I saw the turkey vultures circling this morning, so they're back. Then, this afternoon a lil' rufous sat where I hang one of the hummingbird feeders, to let me know they're here too. Yahoo! Spring really is just around the corner!

egret in saltwater marsh on Hilton Head Island, SC

House Finch in a backyard Spruce tree yesterday afternoon ......

Really nice pic of the House Finch Linth! Nice setting.

Thanks everyone. I love the view. It is hard to do anything when there is always something to see out there. The spotting scope is out full time. The turkey vultures are back as of yesterday too. My they are ugly. One was eating something out on the ice.
I wish you could hear the sound track that goes with the picture. The swans drumming their wings on the water as they chase each other, the geese gossiping about their long travels, the sound of the ducks landing and taking flight. When hubby left for work this morning it was dark, but the geese were so loud I couldn't hear him speaking to me going to the garage. He came back to say, that he was telling me the geese were sure loud. LOL.

I have a, what looks like a dark version of a mocking bird, it has a dark 'hat'. I see it only in the bird bath. I keep telling myself, its a dark mocking bird, but it really isnt, i dont believe. I have not been able to get a picture of it, it doesnt come to the bird feeder either.

Take a look at Catbirds...

Agree with Catbird for that. It is closely related to Mockingbird.

Resin

Hi Resin .... you're absolutely correct... as always. Very observant !!! However, he was in the Spruce tree, also .....

Nothing to add but, I'm certainly loving the photos posted.
Kiska

I notice a major difference in the amount of food being eaten at the feeders in the just the last 48 hours.
Usually its half gone by the time 24 hours has gone by and today I saw it was only and inch lower. The warmer weather makes such a big change. Luckily we have some cooler weather on the way so I'll be able to get some of this food eaten and then I'll be putting out less feeders .

Although we've hit 80F the past two days,there was a red-bellied WP on what's left of the suet this morning.
Resin: You are an amazing font of info on flora and fauna alike!
Linth: I continue to be amazed at the quality of your bird photos.
Not much today, just this little fellow hopping around the back yard. He was very accommodating. I think it's a young Brown Thrasher. It was so small that I thought it was a Sparrow at first.
Deb

It's some kind of thrush. I'm a lot better at hearing the differences between some of these thrushes. There three or four that are kind of similar and I don't see them as often as hear them.

I looked it up, I think it's a Hermit Thrush. I think it's one of the neatest sounds in nature. Hopefully you'll get a chance to hear it, you can hear them all summer in New England. I wonder if it's too early in the year for them to call?

This message was edited Mar 14, 2007 5:29 PM

Hermit Thrush.

As Claypa says there are other thrushes that are fairly similar (Swainson's Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush), but they don't have such bold, well-defined black spots on the breast, and also winter in South America so wouldn't be as far north as SC yet (look out for them passing through in 3 or 4 weeks, as they head north to Canada).

Resin

Thanks guys! We have so many Brown Thrashers here that I made a hasty assumption! :) Although it is pretty small. I could've looked it up. ;->
If it's Hermit Thrush, it'll be the first I've very seen. Cool! Claypa, I'm going to try and find a recording of the song...and see if I may have heard it already! :)
Deb

I think this photo from the back confirms it (Hermit).
Description from eNature says:
The only one of our brown, spotted thrushes with dull brown upperparts and a rusty tail.
Whaddaya think?
Deb

Yep, that confirms Hermit Thrush

You'll probably need to go to the breeding grounds to hear it singing – it is a winter visitor in SC. Most birds don't sing away from where they breed, though you may get lucky and hear it testing out its song shortly before it heads off north in the next month or so. Otherwise, take a trip up to the boreal conifer forests of Canada, or New England.

Resin