2021 is coming to an end.
And what another odd one it was. The birds and you have kept me sane and happy, so I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all. I hope you come safe into the new year, hopefully the best we ever experienced. Love as much as you can, eat good food, don’t drive drunk and keep watching the birds. Here’s also the last bird from the Ostdrossel calendar, the wonderfully feisty Dr. Clara, the resident female Bluebird. She also had a bit of a rough year, and I hope 2022 will be a lot better for her. Guten Rutsch, as we say in German (“slide well into the new year”)!
The November bird
of the 2022 Ostdrossel calendar is a beautiful male Red-Bellied Woodpecker, and I chose the photo also because in it, you can see why they got their name. Yes, there is also a Red-headed Woodpecker, one of the most beautiful woodpeckers I have ever seen but only once had in my yard, but this is not it. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are regulars here, and we love them for their goofiness and beauty. You can get the calendar in several sizes here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel. The promo sale is still going on until January 1. 2022.
The September bird
of the Ostdrossel calendar for 2022 is one of my favorite MoDo photos. This silly bird was posing like for an iconic painting. The light and leaves make the look perfect. It is hilarious and beautiful at the same time. The calendar is available in several sizes and you can get it here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel. Have a great Tuesday!
The outside looks very pretty today,
we were gifted with snow over night! I am glad I got my little Santa Stop done yesterday (check the livestream to see it), and I love that there is more activity at the feeders today too, so hopefully there will be some fun new photos later. I still wanted to continue to introduce the calendar birds for 2022. I apologize for slacking a bit with that, but it has been busy. July and August are the months that burst with bird variety and baby birds. The July bird is the vibrantly looking and beautifully singing Baltimore Oriole, and August shows an adorable young Blue Jay. Be safe out there in the snow today!
If you are interested in getting an Ostdrossel calendar, you can get them here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
During these duller times,
I often think back on the year and more fun times, like June. June means that the Hummingbirds have arrived and the garden is coming along. I am still geeked out about Hummingbirds, they are so fascinating to me. So tiny, so fierce, so beautiful. And I love when I can lure them to the camera. The June bird of the Ostdrossel 2022 calendar is a Rubythroated Hummingbird, the only species we get here (apart from rare exceptions).
You can get a calendar here, they come in four sizes: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
It's Friday, and that is a good day
to introduce the May bird of the Ostdrossel 2022 calendar. It is an American Robin, and I chose this bird and photo for May because it is my birthday month, and I am in love with the clarity and light here. You can almost see the trees awakening with all this fresh and vibrant green. The bird is sitting on a bowl with an orange half and a blob of grape jelly that I put out in spring. I do it for the Orioles mainly, but many other birds enjoy it as well. If you want to try it too, choose grape jelly as natural as possible. Mashed grapes will work too. American Robins are the state bird of Michigan, and while they usually leave my area late in fall, some will also spend the winter in the state. Come good into the weekend!
My calendars are available here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
The month of April
in the 2022 Ostdrossel calendar is graced with a gorgeous Common Grackle. If you have followed me for a bit, you will know that I have a special love for these glorious birds. This I think is not Count Grackula but he is part of the family. They are seasonal visitors here, coming in spring, raising their babies and then moving south once it gets colder. They are smart, fierce, impressive and absolutely stunning.
The calendars come in several sizes. There is a link on my main page but you can also click here: Calendar shop.
And here
is the March bird of the 2022 Ostdrossel calender, a harbinger of spring, but also the announcer of a 10 day special sale of the calendars - a Redwinged Blackbird. I love these guys when they look sleek and relaxed but I always get a kick out of their puffed up state. Here, you can also see what gave them their name - the gorgeous red “epaulets”. You can find the calendars in three sizes in my shop here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
The selfie-expert
was back today to take a pic with a House Finch 😁 I think he is improving his skills, too! If you are still thinking about getting an Ostdrossel calendar, I recommend to check my shop from Nov 19 to 29 for a special promotion where calendars are a bit more affordable. You can find the shop here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
Well, well...
I AM IN A BOOK! It is massive, it is beautiful, and I am on the very last page, right after Sibley and Peterson 😃 The cover is beautifully embossed, and it is a very interesting collection "celebrating the beauty and appeal of birds throughout art, history and culture". I am not trying to sell anything, just sharing because I am a bit proud 😎 (If you do want to get one, searching for the title online will get you where you want to be.)
The 2022 calendar is here!
Hello, dear followers, I proudly present the 2022 Ostdrossel calendar. I have to admid that it was tough to go through the photos of the year to narrow the selection down but I think it worked out nicely in the end. There is an early bird special going on for the next couple of days, too. I will introduce the monthly species in the coming weeks as well.
They come in three formats and four sizes. There is a rectangle wall calendar in two sizes, a 12 x 12 wall calendar and a desk calendar. Only the wall calendars have the species names on the back.
Link to shop: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
(Please note, all orders are made on demand and handled by that website.)
Have a beautiful Monday and week!
The Tufted Titmouse
is one of the cutest visitors I have around here, and I am so happy that they made a comeback after having been gone for two years from my yard. Titmice often flock with Chickadees and have an impressive call that can be quite melodious and goes PETERPETERPETER! And that is the November bird in my calendar.
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar here at ostdrossel.com or here.
Also keep an eye on my Insta and FB tomorrow, there will be a little Christmas surprise.
I am a spring lover,
but fall is one of the prettiest of the seasons in Michigan, with nature glowing in all shades of yellow, gold, ombre and red. The October bird in the calendar is an especially colorful House Finch that shows through his colors the abundance of natural foods he has found here. They might be more “boring” because they are here year round and abundant, but I truly appreciate these sweet birds.
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar here at ostdrossel.com or here.
July is full of sunshine,
which can be rare during the winter. The July bird in my calendar is another bird that visits here only for the warm season, the Baltimore Oriole. They love grape jelly and oranges, and I love their songs and the effect seeing them has on my mood (I also call them vitamin O).
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar here at ostdrossel.com or here.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
are one of the birds that come to spend spring and summer here, so this is the bird of June in my calendar. I love these guys. They look quite impressive with the big beak and red bib, but they are one of the calmest birds at the feeders. They will eat through a thunderstorm, their babies make the cutest little noises when they beg for food, they get along with everybody, and when they are excited, they will make the squeak of a rubber ducky.
My calendars are available here at ostdrossel.com or here.
Mr. Meow
is the May bird in this year's calendar, he is a Grey Catbird. This species has hung around longer for the first time this year. They get their name from their call that sounds like a kitty. My birthday is in May too and I am a cat lover, so I chose this elegant and entertaining bird for the lovely month of May.
Calendars are available at here ostdrossel.com or here.
Dark, moody, mysterious and powerful,
that can be the weather of April, and that is also the time when the Grackles start to arrive in larger numbers. As many know, they have a special place in my heart, and I lovingly call the dominant male of the season Count Grackula. This year, it might very well have been this gorgeous one in the photo.
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar in my shop here or following the link here at ostdrossel.com.
March is generally a month
that is full of anicipation for me while nothing really much is happening yet. We might still get snow, but there are signs of spring. Like Bluebirds scouting nestboxes. The March couple in the calendar are a female (left) and a male (right). I give them new names each year because I can never really be sure if it’s the same couple. Bluebirds are very territorial, and I have seen males and females alike fight the most gruesome battles. They are one of my favorite birds, and I immensely enjoy being able to watch them raise their babies.
You can get an Ostdrossel calendar in my shop here or following the link here at ostdrossel.com.
The February bird
in my calendar is a Song Sparrow. This is a species that I rarely get in front of my cameras or in my backyard. The photo was taken on a lovely day that I spent at the Belle Isle Nature Center in Detroit last winter, talking to fellow nature lovers and showing my setup. They were nice enough to allow me to set up my camera outside their fabulous birdwatching window, and that is when this beautiful native sparrow came. It was a day full of snow, and I absolutely loved the wild, wintery background.
Christmas is getting closer
and in the days leading up to it, I am going to go through this year's calendar birds. You can get an Ostdrossel calendar in my shop here or following the link here at ostdrossel.com. There are four sizes available (the 8.5 one has a second, larger option).
The cover bird is a MoDo. This species has turned out to be an exceptional camera lover that creates some of the most hilarious portraits. The January bird is a male Red-bellied Woodpecker. They are quirky goofballs with a love for nuts, and we have them here all year. Last summer, we built a nestbox that would fit them, and we hope to get to see them raise a brood one day.
