DAILY PICS VOL. 26

another view of the chestnut backed chickadee

That is a very interesting bird Dinu! I will be interested to see if anyone can identify it.

I recently got a new telephoto lens so I wasn't as close as the photos look. I am guessing I was about 10 feet away from the feeder.

Here's my last for tonight. One of the chickadee enjoying its favorite spot for a drink. They love the antcatchers I use with the hummer feeders. They can even tip themselves into the cups for a quickie bath!

Those birds are so talented! They know what to do with the feeders!

I forgot I have another last one to post. This is a rose breasted grosbeak that stunned itself on one of my windows. I'm glad to say that it flew off soon after I took this photo.

It looks like it has given you enough time to make any adjustments with camera settings. Good night.

Very many thanks Resin.

If the female cowbird was hanging w/ Cardinals I wonder if it might have been raised by them since they (cowbirds) are brood parasites.

I had that very thing happen this year, I had (can't remember if I kept them) pics on my home computer of a female Cardinal feeding a cowbird juvie. I haven't noticed that it stayed around though, thank goodness!

For some unknown reason the birds all of a sudden seem to be boycotting my yard for the past couple of weeks. I have cleaned their feeders bought fresh birdseed but they have not been coming around. Except for 1 little hummingbird that stopped by last week and now he is even gone. I can hear the birds in a large oak tree behind my house so they are still around but are just boycotting my yard.

I wonder if theres a Hawk closeby.

Hawks or it may be that there is just too much in the wild for them to eat. Maybe the berries on their favorite bush or vine just got ripe.

Is it nesting time in your area? I am no bird expert, but I did notice this year that many of the birds I was used to seeing in my yard did not show up until later in the season. The Orioles for example, nested in a neighbor's yard and didn't come around mine at all. Then one day they started showing up again and kept me busy filling feeders the remainder of the summer.

The goldfinches came early, we had a cold snap and they disappeared for weeks. I don't know where they went.

Have not seen any hawks around. It's funny because they will fly through my yard just not stop at the feeders. It's not nesting time as far as I know.

Flying through the yard would be enough to keep other birds away I would imagine.

That's an interesting bird Dinu, the Red-wattled Lapwing, it looks quite large, or tall, I imagine it wades in the lake.

Very nice pics lilyfan, I like the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Can it be a nuisance, as you said you were glad it flew off!

I hope you're not bored with Robin pics, he landed on the fence near me and hopped down nearby to find his food. Once he flew straight past me as if I wasn't there!

He stands with his head cocked sideways as though he is listening for movement, but could be looking for bugs.

Not sure what he got, could be a wood louse. He always looks so happy when he gets food!

Back on the fence for some sun before he hopped around my plant pots for more food.

A small white grub gives more delight..

This shows how neckless he is, a pair of eyes and a crew cut on a body!

Into the field and there was one cock Pheasant running for cover, anther 4 further up the side of the hedge.

The other 4 were a long way off, but I got them together.

I'm bored with MY robins, Wallaby... yours of course are a tad different! Just beautiful!

Hey I got 2 more bird pics today.
Bluebirds aren't rare during the summer, but they are migrating this time of year. This one was resting and didn't mind me walking up.

Thanksgiving dinners anyone?

Love all the pics!

Wallaby, Very nice of the beautiful Robin and Pheasants!

BCA- Lucky you w/ Bluebirds! Love the Turkey Run! :-)

Couldn't remember if I posted this picture of this bird. Was out driving around and saw him just sitting waiting to have his picture taken. Found out he is in the falcon family.

Hi Marilyn, Yes you posted him somewhere on daves.

Its a Crested Caracara. Beautiful bird & nice shot!!!

http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/falcons/crstcara.html

wow, lots of action since I last posted!!

Resin, thanks for the cowbird id on my mystery bird. The only hesitation I have is that is was so much smaller than the cowbirds I normally see. This one was the size of the finches and titmouse eating nearby. It sure does have that cowbirdy looking beak though.

What a great photo Marilyn! that reminds me of the caracaras I saw when we visited Texas a while back. I'll be curious to see what Resin says!

I can't see enough of your cute little robin wallaby! Resin is right on the button... I was relieved to see that the grosbeak wasn't badly injured. I hate it when they hit. I feel so responsible. I have those leaf window clings but it happens anyway. It seems to only happen during migration though.

bigcityal I am envious of your bluebirds. I hardly saw any here this summer. My neighbor had one nesting in her yard though. I'm determined to lure them over here this winter with heated water and goodies lol!

Nice Marilyn. Never seen that one before. We have a pair of peregrines that nest near here on private land.

lilyfan - I think they like banana laffy taffys or maybe that's me ;)

bigcityal - ROFLOL!!

Actually, I have a story I heard at a bird meeting about something unusual they do like. I live in the northeastern tip of Tn. and there are sightings every winter of rufous hummers that overwinter at houses that keep their hummer feeders out. One of the club members (Fred Alsopp who wrote the Smithsonian bird guides for North America) spent an afternoon at her houses to observe the rufous first hand. While he was waiting for it to show up he noticed she had more bluebirds swarming over a platform feeder than he had EVER seen before in his life. He asked her what she was feeding them and she told him that she bakes up a big pan of corn bread and adds lots of extra oil to the recipe!

Now I see! I read it twice, both times I read 'sunned' instead of 'stunned'! lol.

Thanks all for the thumbs up on the Robin, he's my most regular visitor, until I started looking seriously I didn't see a lot of them but they are always singing. I guess it's one family, I notice one going on a regular routine of tree tops, electric cable etc to maintain territory.

Nice Bluebird Al, those Turkeys are wild? I hope they are safe crossing the road!

Yes they are wild Janet. They were reintroduced in this state 20 years ago or so and have taken off, there are spring and fall hunting seasons for them now.

That lapwing I posted was about just over a foot high.

This Common Indian Gray hornbill is a common visitor to our premises. Here it is perching on a neem tree on the back of our house. They are always in a pair.

Well, here are two pairs - the hornbill and the common Indian Mynah. They were sitting on the tree in front of our house. This made an interesting shot - two pairs in one frame!

Had been there to the nearby lake one day and I was close enough to shoot at this Brahminy Kite that looked at me! The lake is a beautiful place - a mile away from home - renown for its birds and nesting places.

Looking at the lake, I took this shot of a couple of Pelicans, swimming merrily, looking for fish.

The white breasted Kingfisher was sitting on the edge of the old pumphouse pulley [at the lake].