I try to avoid
being anthropomorphic when it comes to the birds but sometimes you cannot help but noticing something that could be seen as a character trait. Both Blue Jays and MoDos are really good at posing and drama. Alone as well as together 😂 (The first Blue Jay is sunbathing, the one in photo 3 has been eating mulberries). Come good into Friday!
During this time
of the year, and I guess always, there will also be the opportunists. And they can be tiny and adorable like the Titmouse but also overwhelming like a group of European Starlings. Well, and the MoDos…
And some nice
back views. The Grackle is still hanging around, and I wonder if the MoDos are a bit miffed to have more competition from bigger guys this winter. Come good into Thursday!
Now is a time
where it feels good to slowly say goodbye to summer. The Orioles have left, I saw the last one three days ago. There are still hummingbirds coming but the nights are getting colder and there is no denying that fall is approaching quickly. I am trying to enjoy the last of the veggie garden that went to bad this year because of the lack of rain, and I am enjoying the relative calm in regards to birds, even if it is a bit boring. The Bluebird family has not returned yet but I hope to see them soon. And in the meantime I am trying to think up fall and winter camera setups. A good time to post MoDos. They are molting and exhibit some interesting looks.
Video: Feeder choice
can determine what crowd comes to visit a backyard, and this summer, I have been a bit overrun by larger birds. As you know I love the Grackles, and they usually keep to themselves and eventually migrate, but Blue Jays and MoDos have been particularly dominating this summer. The other day I realized that I haven’t seen a Chickadee or Nuthatch or even Downy Woodpecker in a long time, and they used to be regulars here and I miss them. Usually, I have a big platform feeder and then several smaller stations in different spots and some food on the ground. They are fun for watching but once the MoDos feel comfortable, they will just hang out there and let noone else in. The same goes for my camera feeders. The small bowls hold about two Doves, and that has been most of what I have been getting in photos lately. So in an effort to bring back diversity, I pulled out the smaller, more restrictive feeders, like this one from Kingsyard, that especially Doves cannot access. They try, the rumble you hear here is the MoDo landing on the nut container I placed over this camera for poop protection. The Blue Jays are not happy but they are less clumsy and will still find ways to enter a feeder. And lo and behold - these Goldfinches came yesterday, and this morning I heard Chickadees. I thought this clip was funny because there is also so much going on in the back with Groundhog and Gracks.
Have a great Sunday!
Mourning Doves are often
described as peaceful birds, but I have seen quite a different behavior. They seem to be hungry. All the time. And they do not want to share. What looks like maybe a couple that is getting cosy here is two birds each trying to maintain dominance over the food bowl. I do love them for their goofiness and their love for the camera. They are like a well-tanned nudist couple with a preference for 70’s eye shadow that shows up for spontaneous visits.
Spring is in the air,
and there is no denying it, despite the frost, and the birds are starting to show up as couples. I saw Blue Jays gathering stuff, the Robins are becoming more defensive, the MoDos are snogging things up and the House Finches are getting romantic. So much to see, such nasty weather!
Now that July is here,
more and more bird babies are coming to explore the backyard. Some are camera shy, others not so much. It always stops me in my tracks when I am out there and see them, I just stand there and watch. They are mood boosters, they instantly make you smile. Here’s a baby MoDo, one of the several Orioles and a Bluebird baby. I hope to see more of all of them, and I hope the Cardinal brood will step into the spotlight too - they have at least two youngsters.
Love is in the air,
as can be seen by the birds’ (more or less hilarious) behavior but also heard in bird song all over the place. Temperatures are not there yet but nature seems to be very ready to move on from winter. Just like me. Happy Friday!
It's Labor Day weekend
and things have slowed down and it is a nice time to relax a bit. I hope everyone in the US has a nice Labor day. Here is a young MoDo to ring in late summer. I love the way their faces look “shadowed”.
MoDo faces
The Mourning Doves in my yard seem to absolutely love the camera. This can be funny fr stuff like these portraits but it can also be a bit bothersome because they can hog a feeder and prevent other birds to get to it. Also in quite an aggressive fashion, as I have witnessed. I am currently considering to set up a mock camera feeder just for them. With a box, a box and a little hand mirror. I’ll let you know if it works.
Mourning Doves
are so good with the couple photos. I swear they know what they are doing. They can be quite aggressive but always come across so serene in their photos.