The Starlings
have been back, and some of them are still molting into their adult feathers, as can be seen by the remnants of the brown baby feathers around the head.
So many Chickadees!
They are intermingling with the small Nuthatches and the Titmice, and are all over the feeders, cacheing for colder days.
The Coneheads
Titmouse, Blue Jay and female Cardi were on high alert and on top of their hair game.
My new friend,
the Red-headed Woodpecker, seems to have moved on from his brief visit to my yard. I have not seen him yesterday or today. I am happy I got to meet this gorgeous bird, and I hope he will come back at some point. Someone suggested the name Roland, and I think this fits. Safe travels, Roland!
Ladies and gents...
It is always nice to see the different appearances of male and female birds. Some of them are more striking, like the Cardinals, others are more subtle, like the Bluebirds. I personally find them equally beautiful.
(The males are in the middle)
He is not camera shy...
This is my new favorite bird! I wonder if he is coming back tomorrow, but I am thinking about a name for him right now. Such a gorgeous goofball, I am in love!
There's a new kid on the block!
Today, I spotted a bird at the feeders that I thought looked unusual. I grabbed the camera to get a closer look and snap some photos. Well, as it turns out, this is a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker. I have only ever seen one one time, and that was in northern Michigan. It is a very elegant and beautiful species, and I am so happy about this. He liked the seed cylinder, so I quickly changed the Birdsy setup to try and capture some video of him too. I hope you enjoy.
On my quest
to not have the sun shine directly into the camera, I move my setup around a lot with the change of the seasons, and I am always looking for new backgrounds. This is one I recently started using, and today, the light was really lovely for a bit.
Feeling cute, might delete later...
I think the MoDos should develop a modeling course.
They certainly know what they are doing in front of the camera. 😆
The smurf family
is here regularly now, finding their way back to the caged feeder, the bird bath, and also peeking into the nestbox several times a day. I wonder what they are thinking because I made a little bed of dry grass in there for the Downy that is using it as a roosting spot. Here is a female BB. I am not sure if it is Lagertha, it might just as well be one of her kids. It is the same bird, these are from a series of photos.
The fall crowd
is starting to settle in for the cold season. I am still hoping for Purple Finches too but I am very happy that the Redbreasted Nuthatches are here again. I also saw the first Juncos yesterday. Here’s to a good new week!
(from left to right: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee)
It makes me happy
to watch the yard in the mornings and evenings because a group of Cardinals has started to take over. I have lived in this country for quite a bit now but they are still stunning to me with their vibrance and beauty.
The Bluebirds
have been absent for the late parts of the summer, but they are back. They are checking out the nestbox and the feeders and bath, and I am thrilled. Because otherwise, this is a bit of a downtime right now.
Ostdrossel 2021 calendars
I am pleased to announce the Ostdrossel calendar for 2021. There are four sizes available, three wall calendars and one desk calendar. All wall calendars have the species names on the back side with the thumbnails. The desk calendar has the species names on the photos.
Get yours here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
I don't know why,
but for some reason my yard has been flooded with Blue Jays in the last two days. It must be a large family group that is migrating a bit farther south.
The House Finches
are back in numbers, showing their offspring the fall and winter feeding spots and enjoying more space in the yard (because the large migrant bird groups have gone). These are all 100 % House Finches. I like their color variety.
It is wonderful
to see the Bluebirds returning to my yard. I have to admit, I almost took them for granted because they were so much around in recent years. But this year’s couple was a bit different, they never returned after the last brood fledged. It looks a lot like the family of Ragnar and Lagertha are here to spend the winter.
The Cardis
are becoming a little bit more accustomed to the camera, it seems. Or maybe they are just more easy about it because the larger birds are not around in such great numbers anymore. anyways. Here is a beautiful Queen of the Yard and a young King. He still has some black on his beak and he was too close to be in focus, but I hope he will return. The Cardinals seem to have had a really good summer.
