Use Removable Inserts In BirdbathI have a lot of bird baths and most of them are made from cement and stone. They are very heavy and my biggest pet peeve about them is that they sit in the sun and they turn green with algae.
House Sparrow EggsI was doing some yard work while we were under quarantine. I was cutting some bushes when all of the sudden, I saw this nest! It had four eggs in it. I didn't know what kind of eggs they were, so I looked it up and they were House Sparrow eggs. They were pretty small, about the size of a quarter, and blue with brown speckles.
Floating Flower Bed for the HummingbirdsWe don't have much area to plant flowers in our yard as it's mostly concrete everywhere and an in-ground pool, so we had an idea for our backyard hummingbirds. That was to give them some real nectar, from real flowers.
Robin's NestOur spring cleaning and repairs were temporarily interrupted when we discovered two robins making a nest outside our back door. They found our light fixture to be the perfect place. They got all sorts of material to make the base of the nest, including some shredded pieces of tarp that my son missed when cleaning up.
Mr. Red in the Snow (Hummingbird)Snow in Las Vegas is so rare. It's fun watching the hummingbirds have so much fun in it. They've never seen or been in it before, so it's quite a treat for them.
Mr. Red (Hummingbird)This is one of our favorite hummingbirds, Mr Red, because he's the friendliest little guy of all the hummingbirds, I've ever seen.
A Big Bug? No a Hummingbird!I was sitting outside hand feeding my favorite squirrel. This usually keeps her out of my bird-feeder when I heard this thump and felt something hit the side of my leg. Looking down I thought, WOW, what a huge bug. I reached down to pick it up and throw it into the grass when I realized it was a hummingbird.
Clear Bird Feeder VisitorsI got my father a clear birdhouse feeder because he adores interacting with animals, but he's now too old and fragile to go outside to play with them as often. I initially got it so he could watch the birds eat the food he left inside, but now it seems every creature visits.
Happy Backyard Birds at ChristmastimeI love to share the holiday spirit with our backyard feathered friends too.
Mockingbird's Unique BehaviorHave you ever noticed mockingbirds scurrying about on the ground while intermittently raising their wings? I believe when the bird lifts its wings and exposes the white bands to the very close ground, the white bands disturb and frighten insects in the immediate area, causing them to move quickly to avoid danger.
My "Odd" CardinalThis bird appeared at my feeder last year and I never could get a good look at it. It was bright red, almost orange, it 'glowed', it was so beautiful. It looked like a cardinal, but something was just not right. There were no black markings around the face and it was not the right color red.
Pileated WoodpeckersIt is not very often that both the male and female pileated woodpeckers come for suet.
Serenity Personified (Turtle Doves)I managed to catch these two turtle doves in a tree in our backyard. They were enjoying the sun and didn't even notice me. They looked so peaceful and calm, as if nothing could ever disturb them.
Turkeys Visit BirdfeederI had to laugh when I looked out my window this morning to check the bird feeder and found three big turkeys enjoying the fallen bird seed. Guess it's been a long winter for everyone!
Nest on a NestWe put up a little birdhouse and a local robin deemed it to be the ideal spot for building her nest.
Salvia Guaranitica For HummingbirdsI was given this wonderful pass-along plant, Salvia guaranitica. I was told the common name was "Hummingbird Plant" and now I know why! This fabulous and beautiful plant has long, tubular blossoms that attracts hummingbirds.
New Tenants in the BirdhouseThis is a deck garden with an ornamental birdhouse on the railing. Last summer it was claimed by a couple who used it to start their family! The close proximity to humans didn't bother them at all.
Thirsty Bluebirds in WinterAlthough this is not a beautiful photo from a technical standpoint, it captures a sweet moment. During a bout of extreme cold weather, the birds in our yard appreciated our bird bath which is kept thawed by a simple electric de-icer designed for that purpose.
Pileated WoodpeckerI snapped this photo of a pileated woodpecker pecking at a fresh tree stump in my neighbor's yard.
Wild Birds at FeederI love feeding the wild birds during the cold months. I spend a lot of time standing at my kitchen window watching them.
Newborn Baby BirdsThese babies were born in one of our bushes in the front yard. We just happen to check on them while they were hatching, so I ran and got my camera. It was fascinating to watch.
Finch on our SunflowersI captured these photos of a goldfinch eating the sunflower seeds from our flowers in our front garden. I took the pictures from inside looking through our glass doors.
Baby Birds (Williston, FL)Mama bird built a nest in my utility room. One day, I heard chirping and found these little ones. They were hungry and anxiously awaiting mama bird to come back with food. Soon afterward they found their wings and took off.
Blue Jay (Roan Mountain, TN)A close friend made this bird house. It is frequented by this darling little Blue Jay.
House Finch Nest (Santa Barbara, CA)This year, a pair of house finches have "set up housekeeping" in one of our front yard garden hanging baskets with geraniums. There are 5 eggs and they will hatch in about 2 weeks.
Wildlife: Mr. And Mrs. Cardinal (Summerhill, PA)Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal stopped off at my feeder here for a rare appearance together. They are usually separate eating while one watches. This time they were brave enough to be together
Dove on Fence (Tri-Cities, TN)I found this beautiful dove sitting on the fence next door to our house. It was the first one I have ever seen with a pink chest. So beautiful, and he trilled for me.
Blackie the StarlingThis is the seventh generation of the starling family that lives in a little eave of our house on the patio side. Blackie is a male starling, of breeding age, and he is very interesting to have around.
Sleepy Robin (Western NY)This fledgling robin is all tuckered out after hopping around my backyard. He perched on a fence rail and took a nap while I snapped away with my camera just inches from him.
Hummingbird on FeederThis lovely hummer let me get so close I could almost count his feathers. I named him-her? Stinker because of his antics and not being afraid of Kitty, just dive bombing her.
House Finches on SageOur Mexican sage plants are beautiful. The purple of the blossoms is incomparable. Often different birds visit the large sage in the front garden to find a seed or two to eat.
Hovering HummingbirdThis macro photo of the hummingbird shows him hanging in the air looking for the bird feeder. The hummingbirds are prevalent now with many coming to feeders and Mexican sage blossoms and geraniums.
Wildlife: American GoldfinchI took these pictures looking out our French doors. The goldfinch seem to flock to this bird feeder.
Garden: Birdhouse With PeoniesThis is a picture of a old shed in my yard that my husband painted. My favorite flowers are blooming, Peonies. The birdhouse was made by my husband's father that is deceased now and my grandson painted it for us.
Wildlife: HummingbirdThere are many hummingbirds at my house. We go through 6 to 8 feeders a day. This one obliged for a close up.
Wildlife: Baby WoodpeckerI put suet out for the woodpeckers. This baby had not found where I hang it yet. It went to the hanging feeder where I have Nyjer seed for the finches.
Hummingbird at FeederI was outside and saw there were up to 3 hummingbirds hanging out at the feeder. I decided to run in the house and grab my camera. Luckily, I was able to catch one relaxing on the perch, and it sat still long enough for me to zoom in on it.
First Robin of SpringMy wonderful husband and I always search for the first "Robin"of Spring. This year is the first year I spotted it, I got lucky ! If you look close in the tree you will see it.
