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| Northern Flicker |
My hubby maintains two bird feeders in our backyard. Before the quarantine I'd had passing interest in them. If I happened to catch an unusual bird visiting, I'd grab my camera and attempt to photograph it. But now that I'm working from home, my seat at the dining room table gives me a continuous front-row view to all the backyard bird happenings. It's a wonderful distraction.
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| Male Northern Flicker |
There's a Northern Flicker couple that make daily visits to the feeders. The male loves pecking on the metal top of our chimney - it makes such a racket!
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| Two flickers on the bird feeder! |
One day I even was lucky enough to catch both the male and female flicker on our bird feeder at the same time.
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| Female flicker checking things out |
I've taken to keeping my camera with its long lens close to my working area just in case an interesting bird happens by.
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| Hawk |
One Sunday morning, my eagle-eyed husband spotted a hawk perched on our back fence. I'm sure he was scoping out the bird activity in our yard, hoping to catch himself a snack. Look at those huge claws! I was so excited and eager to capture an image of the hawk before it flew away, my photos didn't turn out as crystal clear as I'd hoped.
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| Wood duck |
There's a small decorative pond in our backyard, and every year a few mallards drop by. This spring, my hubby and I were surprised and pleased when a wood duck couple decided to visit. The male wood duck is so colorful - and his red eyes look so otherworldly they're kind of spooky.
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| Peek-a-boo! |
One day the male wood duck made a trek around the backyard, and hid out in our tulip patch. I loved this image I captured of him peeking out from the blooms.
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| Spotted Towhee |
The final unusual backyard bird I spotted one day was a spotted towhee. This gray bird with an orange breast (and also weird red eyes) landed on one of our feeders and I luckily had the camera handy.
So, as you can see, my life isn't the most exciting right now. No cool mountain vistas to share....no fabulous fields of spring wildflowers......no hiking trips along amazing trails. Just me and my backyard feathered friends.
But my hubby and I are healthy (so far no COVID) and we both still have our jobs, and for that I'm extremely thankful.
You have a way of making the best of things!
ReplyDeleteI stay in house, most of the time, from 2003, but this year... is the worst.
ReplyDeleteBest regards!
They'd all be sensational finds if they turned up over here, though occasional Wood Ducks escape from collections. I'd be happy to see some of your common birds too as they'd mostly be new to me.
ReplyDelete...you attract some beautiful feathered friends, I seem to attract big fat squirrels.
ReplyDeleteHello, you have fantastic yard birds. I love the Flickers, Hawk and Towhee. The Wood Ducks are awesome. Beautiful photos. Take care, enjoy your day and week ahead.
ReplyDeleteStunning images there. We have a new family of Starlings nesting in my roof space. We're enjoying the to and fro of Mom and Dad on the feeding runs and listening to the chicks making lots of hungry noises!
ReplyDeleteSuch nice photos I love the Wood Duck in the tulips! Glad you are safe at home, I know you miss hiking. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteThe duck amongst the tulips is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThey're keeping you company while you work at home!
ReplyDeleteThe hokes you take give you more opportunities to see birds than any other birder. There are many species in mountain meadows. Sparrows are continuously flying up out of the foliage. Surprising that there are many robins above the tree line and nesting on the ground. When you get back hiking and open your eyes to birds you will be surprised at what you've been missing.
ReplyDeleteThe word is twitchier of you are into bird watching, my wife and I do a bit of in in the garden from time to time but mostly we look after the flowers a and plants I grow in the greenhouse
ReplyDeleteWe had Northern Flickers show up yesterday. Being stuck in a wheelchair now, and spending most of my time inside, I enjoy watching the birds out the window. I've watched them enough over our ten years of retirement up here to know the pattern of returning spring migrants from March through June.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have such a lovely view from your new work space. Delightful images.
ReplyDeleteSome really good bird shots there. Magazine quality.
ReplyDeleteThose are really nice bird photos! Hope you're back out hiking soon!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! I usually take my feeders down in mid-April due to them attracting bears, but this year I am keeping a suet feeder and a finch feeder up just a bit longer. I'm hoping the nyjer seed does not smell good to bears and the suet has red pepper so maybe that will repel them. Both of these are unattractive to squirrels, although I have seen a nursing mother squirrel sampling them. Guess she was extra hungry.
ReplyDeleteOkay now I want a tour of your back yard! That hawk photo is fabulous and your flickers are way less leary than ours. Lucky duck (truth) on the wood ducks - my favorite although have never found any here.
ReplyDeleteAmazing sights and captures. I really like them.
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography