A fine selection for your bird viewing pleasure

Today is another perfect day, in the mid-80s, just a bit warmer than yesterday...barely a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. Ahhhhhhh!

We sat out on the front deck for supper last night; joining us were the usual throngs of cowbirds swarming the feeder and the hummingbirds. It's very difficult to count how many hummingbirds are around now, we think four males and at least one female. The reason it's difficult is due to the "hummingbird wars", they're getting even more territorial. One waits and guards the nectar nearby and once it sees another, ZOOMS after it and promptly goes back to its perch after getting a sip of nectar with an "it's mine!" attitude. It must be exhausting!

The thought of moving about while on the deck is not a good one; it isn't that the hummingbirds are going for you, it's if you move in their path when they're trying to get somewhere! They are so very fast I'm afraid they won't have time to adjust their flight path if I move at all.

We have so many photos David has taken since we moved here in October 2011 and I have been going back through them, finally organizing them, and want to share some of those here today. I decided to have a peek at "a year ago today" to see what was going on at the time. Having been a cooler winter/spring than normal is apparent...we already had our pool set up by this time last year!

For instance, we had also already seen (on this day, last year) an Indigo Bunting, one of our breeding visitors, but haven't seen one around here this year. *sniffle*

A female Cardinal peeking in...

 

Here it appears to be a young one...

 

What we reckon to be an Eastern Kingbird was also visiting us this day (at bottom of tree, ignore the cowbird at the top!), another breeding visitor. David thinks he has some photos of one nesting around here somewhere. Stay tuned, someday I may find them!

Do I spy with my little eye, an Orchard Oriole? From what I can tell, this appears to be a first year male perched in one of our trees (another breeding visitor).

 

And, wow, Miss Cardinal, talk about a bad hair day! Get to the beauty shop girl!

I guess that sounded like a good idea!

And, what's this...a Least Flycatcher? If so, they are migratory visitors here. You are so named unless I find out differently. Welcome!

 

 

One reason I think we have a Least Flycatcher is the whitish eye ring, seen better in the photo below: 

Nothing to see here, Turkey Vulture, move along...

A female Cowbird...how unusual *rolls eyes* Actually, though...in looking at the huge flock, out of around 30 to 40 birds, I only saw 2 or 3 female, the rest were males.

Meanwhile, back at the beauty salon the Cardinal must be heading to, there is a Chipping Sparrow already there.

I'm sure it will look great once it's dry... 

A Blue Jay flies off with what must be a very special seed...unless it's running late for the beauty salon!

Oh, here's the Cardinal arriving at the beauty salon now...

Later, we find our Cardinal couple out for a nice meal.

Female: "Do you notice *chirp* anything different? *chirp*?

Male: "Um, no, what?" *chirp*

Female: "I went to the beauty shop, for all you care! *chirp* You never notice anything!!! *chirp chirp*

Male: (thinking to self) "Oh, no, what have I done...." *gulp* *chirp*

Male: "Well, you never appreciate anything I do! I take you out for a nice meal and this is the thanks I get!" *chirp chirp chirp* 

 

Oh, dear, I hope it wasn't the end of their relationship, as it is for the end of today's post!

Until next time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, Monday....

Bad title. Now I have a song stuck in my head for the day!

I awoke (for a little awhile) around 6am this morning and (as always) looked outside. A thick fog permeated the area and the mourning doves' melancholy cooing was brightened by the white-throated sparrow's uplifting song. I love how time can seem to stand still and the dawn caresses you gently into another day. It was so gentle that I went back to sleep.

I awoke a couple of hours later to bright sunshine and the promise of a beautiful day! With the recent rains, everything is even greener but the trees' blossoms are not only still hanging on...

... but we're getting more and more...if this keeps up, Spring might become my favorite season.

 David has been getting our acreage mowed at long last with his new mower; and with a few attachments he's gotten, it's even easier to move rock and wood.

He's begun building his dry-fence by the workshop (also a work in progress), very popular in England (where he's from) and it's going to be quite lovely! He's going to incorporate stones to finish off the sides/front of the additions as well.

We love watching the birds around here every day; although with cats, it can be more difficult some days! As you can see below...

...since Katy, one of our three furbabies, has planted herself on one of the most popular feeders, we didn't have much activity!

 

The Tufted Titmouse normally does a quick grab-and-go with the goodies it grabs (as you can see in the video)...

...but yesterday as a rare treat, it stayed on the front porch, perched on some lights.

As you can see, it holds the snack between his feet and pounds on it until it cracks open... 

And even played a bit of peek-a-boo...

They seemed quite content to hang around and munch here too.

He also visited the feeder on our front deck, but he didn't stick around long after the photo was taken!

A White-throated Sparrow was able to visit the feeder before Katy plopped her little behind on it.

 And they do enjoy the holly bush as much as we do....

...and whatever shrub this is.

David did get a bit of video of some feeder activity (without a cat!)

Of course, the ever-present (it seems) cowbirds aren't bothered by much. There were what had to be around 75 of them on the ground yesterday. Oh well, they have to eat too, but boy they go through the food!

While David was mowing, he disturbed a snake; I think it's a Ringneck Snake. I can't see enough of the underside (which is fine with me) to know for sure. It doesn't quite look like the Common Kingsnake, but I'll do some checking and update when I can. I don't know too much about snakes yet, I just tried to learn the poisonous ones first!

To round out another perfect day in the Shawnee Forest, David took a stroll as it was nearing dark through a little path down to the creek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-breasted Nuthatch and Barren Creek sights

It has been rainy and a bit cooler yesterday and today (around 60F today, with a low of 54F tonight forecast). It occurred to me that the rains seem different in the forest than what I am accustomed to; for some reason you get more of a feeling of invigoration than it being dismal, you can almost see everything turn a bit greener before your eyes.

David was able to get out yesterday for a little while around Barren Creek and get a few photos in while having a bit of a fish in between rains.

We're actually not sure what this bird is yet, I have some checking to do!

 

Here it is, zoomed in a bit...if any readers out there can offer suggestions, we're all ears! (UPDATE: A friend from Southern Illinois Birding on Facebook reckons this is a female Red-winged Blackbird)

A tricky thing is to get a good photo of the Great Blue Heron, a year-round resident here. As soon as you stop your car, they normally fly off! With a length of 36 - 40", a height of 4' (including head and neck) and a wingspan of 6' they are an awesome sight, in flight or not.  It spears fish or catches them by using its bill like scissors. It also feeds on frogs, snakes, mice and birds.

A Great Blue Heron may slowly stalk its prey or stand motionless waiting for something tasty to come within reach. Even though its bulky, it can float like a goose and take off from the surface of the water.  

They nest in colonies, usually in tall trees.
 

Next, at some distance away, David captured (on film!) what we think is a female Ring-necked Duck; from what I can see they supposedly are just a winter visitor here, although looking at a map of their territories, we are close to the breeding range, and this one fits the female's description. Their length is 15 - 18", with bill bluish, with white ring, black tip, and white at base; male with purple gloss on head, black back and white bar on side; female brown, with white eye-ring and streak to nape. 

Now, for turtles! Many times you must pick one up to truly identify it but I'm going to venture a guess and say this is Snapping Turtle! If we are right, you don't want to be picking one of these up (although many will still give you a nasty bite). Their shell length is 8 - 20"; they have a big head, with powerful jaws; carapace brown, often covered with algae or mud; long tail. They enjoy quiet mud-bottomed waters.

The head sure appears to be one:

 

Now, for a short blast from the recent past, another winter visitor to our area is the Red-breasted Nuthatch, one I had never seen before moving here. They are 3 1/2 - 4 1/2" in length.

This photo was taken on February 18th by David on our front deck while the little darling was getting a snack.

As you can see, they have a white line above the eye; black cap; blue-gray back; reddish underparts. They enjoy coniferous forests; mixed woodlands (mainly in winter).

On March 14th, David was able to photograph one a few more times, again on our front deck:

From what I can see, our last photos were taken on March 23rd on, you guessed it, our front deck:

It's such a joy being here every day, and we love discovering what's next! Until next time...