Almost forgot!
A Cardinal finally visited the feeders too! I have several around but they have been rather elusive lately. This is not Queen Red Eyebrow but her beakstick and matching outfit are impeccable as always.
Come good into Thursday!
We got about a foot
of snow, and the backyard is quiet and looks like it was frosted with marshmallow puff. The lady by the pond has grown Marge Simpson hair, and it does not look like there were any night visitors. Today will be a busy day at the feeders. I am excited to see who comes first to dig out at the Birdsy cams. There will be new photos later today too. I hope you have it warm, here’s to a great Thursday!
January is slowly
dragging on, and there is not a lot happening right now except for a steady stream of regulars. And with February approaching, I am beginning to think of spring. This is a good time to work and make plans. I have gotten seeds for the garden the other day and think about what plants could be added to make the yard more bird-friendly. Doing that may include planting berry bushes, a pollinator garden and landscaping that accomodates native wildlife. I am also doing some maintenance this weekend which means that the livestream will be off for a couple of days. Have a great Thursday!
(pictured - some of the regulars: Eastern Bluebirds in the top, a Redbreasted Nuthatch, a Blue Jay and a Junco on the bottom)
Bird butts
are funny to me, and also here, it is so interesting how much they differ from species to species. A bird butt quizz might be a fun idea and is entirely possible. Here we have a Goldfinch and a House Finch (he is not so sure what to think about this), and the “back face” of a Junco. Have a great Thursday!
And since it is Thursday,
here is another bird from the 2022 Ostdrossel calendar. The month of February is represented by Queen Red Eyebrow, a female Cardinal. I love this photo because it is so dramatic and wintery. In the back behind her head you can see a Blue Jay.
I occasionally get asked about prints of my photos. Generally I am not a big fan of selling prints, because not all photos will look good printed in every size or for every purpose and I want to avoid disappointment. However, all the photos in my calendar could probably be framed too. I have the large one here with me, and I can tell you they look great. You can get the calendar here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
And here's a MoDo
showing a threatening pose. Probably because another bird was sitting on the camera box and the MoDo did not want to share. They lift their wings like sails and puff up their chests to look more impressive. If that does not help, they will also peck. Such goofballs. Have a pleasant Thursday and keep your sails down. Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to food.
Times are busy,
which can be good and bad. Good because thoughts don’t linger, bad because there is not enough time in the day to do what one would like. More bird babies have started to show up, and things are now becoming very entertaining at the bird bath and generally. The youngsters sometimes seem to be even bigger than the parents and still beg them for food. But they also go their own ways. And since they aren’t perfect adult birds yet, they are adorable to watch. The Wren babies also started to hatch today, and I hope to give a little update on that tomorrow. Anyways, here is a young Blue Jay, testing out that beautiful crest.
I know I have not been posting a lot recently, but I am having a hard time because the days are longer and there are more photos and I also have a lot of work with my job. But I am trying to catch up and hope for a little break soon :) Be sound and come good into Thursday.
Video: A nestbuilding timelapse
Dr. Clara the Bluebird has been very busy building her nest, a lot faster than the first two. I always find it fascinating to see them build, and the timelapse shows nicely the different sections. First a base, then some framing, then bedding and then embellishments. Since she started in such a hurry I expect her to start laying eggs soon too.
I have been a little behind here with posts lately but there is not a lot happening, and then there was all this rain. The rain has mucked up the pond quite a bit too, so it needed a bit more cleaning than usual but it will be up and running later today. And more photos :) Happy Thursday!
Woodpeckers.
Different species and size, same pose. The large one is a Red-bellied Woodpecker (recognizable as a male by his all-red head cap) and a male Downy Woodpecker (recognizable by the red spot on his head). Have a great Thursday!
