Tag: Birds

Backyard Birds

I put up a bird feeder a few weeks ago. We have a pigeon problem in the neighborhood so I put up a feeder that will only allow small birds access to the food. So far have lots of visits by sparrows, finches, juncos and this Rufous sided towhee (correction – spotted towhee). Along with the little visitors we have had visits by Kestrels and this handsome hawk which I believe is s Sharp-shinned Hawk. So far I have not seen them take any of my little friends who flee and hide in a weeping mulberry in a corner of the yard by the feeder. The branches are very thick and the hawks can’t get to the birds who scold them from their refuge. The Hawks have to eat too I just hope that they will discover the pigeons.

Goodbye Little Friends

I typically get obsessed with a topic or subject to photograph for a while and then it becomes all-consuming for some time. This summer it was hummingbirds. I had never been successful attracting them to my backyard so this year I made a project out of it. First I replaced some of my plants with surefire Hummer attracting plants. Then I got rid of the feeder that the Hummers could never figure out how to feed from. Then purchased some inexpensive feeders and hung them up and what do you know? I had hummingbirds all over my back yard!

The type of hummingbird that seemed to dominate my yard and the feeders is the Rufous Hummingbird. These little guys are feisty. They put on aerial acrobatics that would rival a Blue Angels air show vying to be the Lord of the Feeders. For many weeks I sat outside in the early morning and evenings and enjoyed their company. They soon let me sit right by the feeders and take pictures of them. I did not seem to bother them at all. They buzzed my old Labrador retriever a few times and she got cranky about it and barked at them which did not seem to impress the birds.

Sadly, last evening I went out to watch them and not a single bird showed up. The local newspaper said they were getting ready to migrate but I thought it is still summer! Surely they are not leaving yet? I sat there until dark and did not hear their little chirps announcing they were there or the shrill sounds of combat my dogs and I have grown accustomed to. This morning I saw a couple of birds visit the feeders but the days of seeing 6 or 7 at once seem to have passed. With their departure comes the first whisper of winter. I will miss them until they return next summer.

More Weed Lovers

I had another bust day with my friend the Kingfisher. I positioned myself opposite the branches he had been diving off the day before and of course he switched it up on me and dove off a dead tree where I had been sitting yesterday. Oh well. On the walk out I stopped by the patch of Milkweed thistle again as they were seeing quite a bit of activity. Two butterflies a house finch and much to my surprise and delight a couple of hummingbirds.  The orange winged insect is a Tarantula Hawk. You have to love that name. Any insect that hunts big spiders has me as a fan.  I stayed around and got photos of everyone who was taking advantage of the bounty that the purple flowers had to offer. No day outside is wasted!

Along the River; Late Spring

As I walked along the river early this morning the bird song was almost deafening at times. It is the kind of noise you should not mind though and I certainly didn’t! The more I visit this Nature Conservancy property the more impressed I am with the work they have done restoring the river habitat. I became a member after my last visit as I was so grateful for being able to visit such a wonderful place. It is teeming with birds, and wildlife of all kinds. I look forward to spending many hours there in all seasons working on my photography. Photos from this day include an Osprey, Jack Rabbits and Cottontail. I am not sure about the little birds. I think one is a house wren and the other a song sparrow. I saw several giant bullfrogs and a variety of lizards as well.

An Owl’s Breakfast

The Nature Conservancy opened up a beautiful stretch of the Truckee River to the public a few weeks ago. I was finally able to visit it after drooling over it since the restoration work began 9 years ago. I was not disappointed as I walked through lovely cottonwoods and saw lots of wildlife enjoying the peaceful protected area. I surprised this Great Horned Owl enjoying a breakfast of Cottontail Rabbit and saw many live bunnies too. These pelicans were fishing on the river in the early morning. I will be visiting often.

Winter Birds

It has been record warm here for the end of January. Hitting 60 a couple of times this week is like a heat wave. The birds have been fairly active and I had some luck at a sanctuary near the river. Where I grew up on the Canadian border a Robin would mean Spring but they stay here all winter whether it is a tough winter or a mild one like we are having this year.

After Christmas, Along the River

After Christmas, it felt good to get out into the brisk, and I do mean brisk, it was 12 degrees out this morning at sun up. I stopped several places along the river and found deer and a variety of birds. I am not the greatest at identifying birds but I do believe this is a great horned owl, a red tailed hawk and a white crested sparrow and maybe a purple finch. I added a better photo of the owl that I took last May in the exact same spot. Saw some mule deer too which is always a nice bonus.

Backyard Quail

It is so cold here I have not been going out to take photos. I wish we would get a little snow to improve the temperature and the background for wildlife photos. I did catch these quail in my backyard and snapped a few shots of them. I liked how two managed to pose near my iron cut outs of quail. These are California Quail and we have large conveys in our neighborhood this time of year. Love their cheery demeanour.