Bird Lovers 101

Terse Tuesday #27: Carolina Chickadee Video

2012-01-31T18:00:00.001-05:00

Some Scenery Shots

2012-01-30T09:47:00.000-05:00

Last night I got some nice scenery pictures in my yard. Enjoy and have a great day!

Rising Population of Snowy Owls in the US

2012-01-29T17:47:00.002-05:00

Today I came across this article about a rising number of Snowy Owls in the lower 48 states. These birds are usually only seen in America during the winter months, but now bird enthusiasts are saying that more owls are breeding in our northern states. This is most likely because of the decrease of lemmings, the birds' main food.

I have never seen one of these owls, but maybe I have a chance of seeing one in Colorado! To read the full article, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46180562/ns/us_news-environment/.

Photo credit to David Moulton, Member of the Yampa Valley Birding Club.

Kayak Trip 3

2012-01-27T18:38:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I went a pretty long way with my kayak and got these bird and sunset shots.

Great Blue Heron

Geese

It was a pretty epic way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Cassie and Her Bird Friend

2012-01-21T09:48:00.003-05:00

My dog and this mockingbird were very content staying by each other. It's kind of funny how the Mockingbird is looking right at her but she doesn't even notice. Have a great day!

Comment if you would like to see more pictures of Cassie!

Terse Tuesday #26: Northern Mockingbird

2012-01-17T09:02:00.000-05:00

More Kayak Scenery

2012-01-16T08:49:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I took my kayak out again and brought my old camera. On the lake I only spotted a Kingfisher from a distance but I did get these scenery shots. Enjoy and have a great day!

Winter Birds

2012-01-15T09:06:00.002-05:00

Now that it is finally starting to look like winter many species have returned to Georgia. Some of the most interesting ones include the following:

Cedar Waxwings

Golden/Ruby Crowned Kinglets

Ring-billed Gulls

Today when I kayak I'm going to carry along my old camera so maybe I can get some nice shots!

Lake View from Kayak

2012-01-08T18:49:00.006-05:00

For Christmas I received a new kayak to use on our local lake. I have been about six times so far and it is a blast. I spotted many geese, ducks, and kingfishers while rowing along. Last time I brought my cell phone and took this picture. I will probably be able to bring my nice camera or my original one on my trips to get some better shots in the future.

Northern Mockingbird Near Feeder

2012-01-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

I spotted this Mockingbird near our suet feeder earlier. I wonder why they forage near the feeder because they never eat there and according to All About Birds they eat "mostly fruit in fall and winter" and prey on "beetles, earthworms, moths, butterflies, ants, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, and sometimes small lizards." Any ideas?

Bird Quiz #43

2012-01-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

The answer to the last bird quiz is the Eastern Bluebird. Good luck on this week's quiz!

Our Suet Feeder

2012-01-05T08:32:00.001-05:00

We filled up our suet feeder about a week ago and we have had only a few birds visit. The majority is gone, as you can see above, and this is because of a couple crows. Who knew they liked that? Other birds spotted at it include this Chickadee and Wrens. Have a great day!

Song Sparrow Near Feeder

2012-01-04T18:35:00.003-05:00

This evening I went out to get a few more bird pictures before school starts back up and captured this.

Tufted Titmice at Feeder

2012-01-02T20:36:00.001-05:00

These Tufted Titmice ate at the feeder all day, and they seem to be much more common in the winter.

Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a phenomenal 2011 and will have an even better 2012! Enjoy the first post of 2012!

From 2011

To 2012!

Best Bird Pictures of 2011

2011-12-31T18:29:00.007-05:00

Here are some of my best bird shots from this wonderful year. Enjoy!

Sharp-shin in January

Wrens in January

Red-shouldered Hawk in February

Robin in March

Great Blue Heron in May

Red-tailed Hawk in June/July

Western Tanager in June/July

Wren in July

Heron in August

Cardinal in September

Cardinal in October

Mockingbird in December

2011 was a great birding year and I hope the same for 2012!

Cold Sparrow + Almost a Woodpecker Picture!

2011-12-29T10:23:00.003-05:00

This morning I spotted this sparrow in a tree near our feeder, and I thought it looked very cold! I also almost got a good picture of this Red-bellied Woodpecker. Every year I have a very hard time getting nice pictures of these birds, but I eventually end up capturing a decent picture like this:http://birdlovers101.blogspot.com/2010/12/red-bellied-woodpecker-at-feeder.html.
Have a great day!

Chipping Sparrow and Tufted Titmouse

2011-12-28T08:48:00.003-05:00

Here are pictures of a Chipping Sparrow and Tufted Titmouse spotted near my feeder this morning. Have an excellent day!

Northern Mockingbird at Feeder

2011-12-27T20:02:00.002-05:00

This mockingbird always comes to our feeder's shepherd hook but it never eats. I guess it just likes looking around from the perch.

Clouds 2

2011-12-26T09:39:00.000-05:00

Here's another cloud shot that I took yesterday. Have a good day!

Christmas Cardinals

2011-12-25T09:36:00.001-05:00

Here's some pictures of Cardinals from yesterday and from the snow week in January. Merry Christmas!

Remember to click on the pictures for best quality!

Varied Bird Pictures

2011-12-24T09:26:00.003-05:00

Earlier today I went out to take some bird pictures, and I captured the following. The light wasn't very good yet, but these turned out alright.

Song Sparrow

Northern Mockingbird

Eastern Towhee

Have a great Christmas Eve!

And also the pictures are not looking as nice compressed so click on them to see full quality!

Northern Mockingbird in Tree

2011-12-23T15:04:00.002-05:00

Earlier I spotted this mockingbird in our tree. I also took this picture of a jet line in the sky; it looks pretty cool.
Have a great day!

What are you looking at?

2011-12-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

I was taking pictures of the chickadees at my feeder and this one turned around as if to ask why I was standing there. They are interesting birds!

As of now I am done with my finals and off for winter break, so I'll be able to post more!

Terse Tuesday #25: Northern Cardinal

2011-12-20T12:56:00.000-05:00

Gray Squirrel on Deck

2011-12-18T12:53:00.003-05:00

This morning this squirrel was on our back porch and it didn't even move when I moved close to the door to take this picture. I love its feet! I also noticed how this one seemed to be more brown than the usual ones we see. Have a great Sunday!

Bird Quiz #42

2011-12-09T10:36:00.000-05:00

The answer to the last bird quiz is the Blue Jay. This week's bird's initials are EB. Good luck!

Robins in Winter

2011-12-07T10:33:00.003-05:00

The American Robins love winter and are more numerous because of trees like these.

They have some sort of berries in which they like to eat. Here's one feeding.

Have a great day!

Squirrel in Tree

2011-12-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

There has been a large increase of squirrels, like this one, in my neighborhood.

American Crows

2011-12-04T10:31:00.002-05:00

These crows were patrolling all the driveways this morning. Have an excellent day!

Strange Lighting

2011-11-28T19:32:00.002-05:00

After having rain all day, the sky turned yellow with the sun's return. The dark storm clouds added to great a odd lighting outside as well as a double rainbow. Have a great day!

Jacksonville Trip

2011-11-17T21:13:00.003-05:00

Last week I was in Jacksonville, Florida for a media festival. Our hotel was right on the St. Johns River, so I spotted many waterbirds, like these seagulls below.

I also spotted many pelicans and a new bird for me: the Black-crowned Night Heron. It was perching on a block sticking out of the water at about eight at night and calling. Below is a picture of the river. Have a great day!

Terse Tuesday #24: American Crow

2011-11-08T09:47:00.001-05:00

Squirrel

2011-11-06T09:44:00.002-05:00

This squirrel was feeding in one our neighbor's front yard. Have an excellent day!

Fall

2011-11-05T09:43:00.003-04:00

Fall is now here so new bird life will be present. Some of this includes woodpeckers, nuthatches, and seagulls at the lake. We'll be putting out our suet feeder very soon. Have a great day!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:42:00.002-04:00

Have an awesome Halloween!

Bird Quiz #41

2011-10-28T09:17:00.001-04:00

The answer to last week's quiz is the Northern Mockingbird. This week's bird is a bully to other birds. Good luck!

Northern Mockingbird at Tip of Tree

2011-10-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

This mockingbird was at the tip top of one of our trees. Have a phenomenal day!

Terse Tuesday #23: American Robin

2011-10-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

Blue Jay

2011-10-24T10:14:00.000-04:00

This Blue Jay was looking for food yesterday by the fire hydrant. Have a good day!

Squirrel

2011-10-23T09:04:00.001-04:00

There seems to have been an increase of squirrels where I live. This is just one of them foraging below a pine tree. Have a great day!

Bird Quiz #40

2011-10-21T10:12:00.001-04:00

This week's bird is a mimic; it makes multiple calls which are often copied from another species. This mimics calls are always in triplet (three of the same calls in a row). They also sing late into the night sometimes in the summer. Good luck and have an awesome day!

Terse Tuesday #22: Northern Mockingbird

2011-10-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

The Moon

2011-10-17T09:28:00.000-04:00

This morning I got a decent picture of the moon. Have a phenomenal day!

Scenery: Morning Sun

2011-10-16T09:23:00.000-04:00

This morning I got this picture of the sun through some trees. Have a great day!

Chipmunk

2011-10-15T09:20:00.002-04:00

This morning, this Chipmunk let me take multiple pictures before it scurried away.

I am sorry for the lack of posts this month; I have been extremely busy with school. This is a three day weekend so I should be able to take and post some pictures. Have a good day!

Bird Quiz #39

2011-09-30T17:01:00.001-04:00

The answer to the last bird quiz is the Goose feather. That feather is the largest one I have ever found. This week's bird's initials are N.M., and it has a large variety of calls. Good luck!

Brown-headed Nuthatch Video

2011-09-28T16:45:00.000-04:00

These nuthatches have been feeding very often lately, and they let me get very close. Have a great afternoon!

Terse Tuesday #21: Odd Perching Position of Nuthatch

2011-09-27T09:36:00.000-04:00

Brown-headed Nuthatches

2011-09-26T09:22:00.000-04:00

These two nuthatches were eating at our feeder all weekend. They are become more and more common with the beginning of fall.

Carolina Chickadee

2011-09-25T10:06:00.000-04:00

This chickadee was eating at our feeder this morning. It was not completely bright out yet, so I changed positions, creating the bright blurry background. I may start to take all my feeder shots from this angle.

Squirrel on Fence

2011-09-24T16:50:00.002-04:00

This Gray Squirrel was running across our fence this morning. Because of my dog, they know not to come into my yard. Have a great afternoon!

Terse Tuesday #20: Northern Cardinal

2011-09-20T11:01:00.001-04:00

Chickadee Playing Hide and Seek

2011-09-19T09:47:00.000-04:00

This chickadee continued to hide behind different bushes and branches when I tried to capture a picture of it yesterday. Have an excellent day!

Carolina Chickadee

2011-09-18T10:56:00.003-04:00

This Carolina Chickadee was eating at our feeder this morning. They are still the most numerous birds at our feeder. Have a great day!

Feathers #6

2011-09-13T17:45:00.003-04:00

Today I took pictures of a Cardinal, Owl or Hawk, and Crow feather. Enjoy!

Cardinal

Crow

Hawk/Great-horned Owl-Which do you think it is?

Hummingbird Stuck in Our Garage!

2011-09-12T18:46:00.005-04:00

Yesterday this hummingbird came into our garage and couldn't figure out how to get out. We finally got it out of our garage when we closed the door then opened it again. It saw outside and flew away. This is definitely one of the weirdest bird occurrences that has ever happened to me.

Sharp Shinned Hawk

2011-09-11T09:34:00.002-04:00

This Sharp-shinned Hawk was perching on a chimney earlier this morning. Have a great day!

Eastern Cottontail Before Rain

2011-09-07T18:23:00.000-04:00

This eastern cottontail was getting some grass before the rains we had yesterday.

Terse Tuesday #19: Robins Before Rain

2011-09-06T18:20:00.002-04:00

Blue Jay Feather + Update

2011-09-05T19:20:00.002-04:00

Lately, I haven't had as much time to post because of a tremendous amount of homework. This weekend has also been pretty rainy, so I haven't gotten any pictures. I'll try to incorporate some picture/blog time into my schedule more often. Have a great night!

Bird Quiz #38

2011-09-02T07:47:00.000-04:00

The answer to last week's bird quiz is the Tufted Titmouse. This week's feather quiz was an awesome find. As you can see if the photo below, it is huge! Have a great day!

Eastern Cottontails

2011-08-28T09:52:00.002-04:00

Have a great Sunday!

Bird Quiz #37

2011-08-26T19:15:00.000-04:00

The answers to last week's bird quiz are the Carolina Chickadee and Northern Cardinal. Good luck on this week's quiz and have a great weekend!

Brown-headed Nuthatch

2011-08-24T19:09:00.000-04:00

These two Brown-headed Nuthatches were eating at the feeder and chasing each other around the other night. At first I could only get pictures of single ones, but then two came! Have a phenomenal day.

Terse Tuesday #18: Carolina Chickadee

2011-08-23T08:23:00.000-04:00

Tufted Titmouse

2011-08-22T08:32:00.000-04:00

Last night, this Tufted Titmouse and many other birds were enjoying the bird feeder before the storm. We have been getting a much larger amount of birds at the feeder lately, so I should have pictures all this week!

At the Feeder

2011-08-21T07:59:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I took these shots of a Carolina Chickadee and Northern Cardinal at my feeder and on a tree by my feeder. Enjoy and have a great Sunday!

Bird Quiz #36

2011-08-19T08:02:00.001-04:00

The answer to last week's bird quiz is the Brown-headed Nuthatch. This week's quiz has two birds, so good luck!

Northern Cardinal

2011-08-18T19:56:00.002-04:00

Northern Cardinals seem to be less common in the summer than they are in the winter. Last winter, they contrasted very well and were fun to watch in the snow.

Chickadee Video

2011-08-17T18:17:00.001-04:00

I took this video of a chickadee calling in a tree before coming to our feeder. Enjoy!

Terse Tuesday #17: Eastern Towhee

2011-08-16T17:26:00.000-04:00

Georgia Summer Scenery

2011-08-15T07:56:00.000-04:00

Here are a few scenery shots I took near my house last weekend. Have a good day!

Summer Overview

2011-08-14T10:12:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow school starts, so as a review of my summer I'm posting some of my best bird/scenery shots since late May. Thanks to all my readers for following this blog all summer. Enjoy and have a phenomenal day!

Wake at Lake Martin

Hummingbird nest at my house

Great-blue Heron at the local lake

Colorado forests

Tanager in Colorado

Red-tailed Hawk in Colorado

Our summer ski run in Colorado

Spain town

Cliff-side view of Ronda, Spain

Fields close to Madrid

Feathers #5

2011-08-13T18:57:00.002-04:00

Today I found these feathers in my yard. I am not sure what kind the first one is, but I think it may be from a Robin or Mockingbird. I know that the second feather is from a Red-shouldered Hawk.

The hummingbirds have been very common lately. They are very shy, however, so it is very difficult to capture a picture. Have a nice night!

Bird Quiz #35

2011-08-12T09:28:00.002-04:00

The answer to the last quiz is the Red-shouldered Hawk. This week's bird comes to my feeder very often, and are very entertaining to watch. Their call sounds like a dog toy as well. Have a great day!

Eastern Cottontail

2011-08-10T08:05:00.001-04:00

Last night we spotted this Eastern Cottontail at its usual spot enjoying the cooler evening air. Have a excellent day!

Terse Tuesday #16: Carolina Chickadee

2011-08-09T07:43:00.001-04:00

Belted Kingfisher + Blog Update

2011-08-05T20:16:00.004-04:00

At the lake, we have been seeing a pair of Belted Kingfishers. I haven't been able to capture a shot of the fast moving, large billed birds, but they have been a blast to observe. Their calls are a quickly repeated kik kik kik, and they don't stay at the same perch for long. They were a great sighting.

Another neat happening was hearing a Great-blue Heron's call. They have a very loud and nasal duck-like sound.

I am going back home tomorrow, so my blog will go back onto its schedule (Terse Tuesdays and Bird Quizzes). Unfortunately school will be starting back up soon, so there may be a lack of posts on weekdays. I will still try, however, to post.

Deer in the Yard

2011-08-04T17:07:00.003-04:00

Last night we saw this doe out by the lake. It continued up closer to the window as I ran to get my camera. I was lucky enough to get this picture before it sprinted away.

Young Eastern Bluebird

2011-08-03T13:01:00.003-04:00

This morning I spotted this young Bluebird perching on a wire. Notice how its feathers are in the transition between the fledgling and adult plumage. Have a good day!

Snake Spine

2011-08-02T11:25:00.001-04:00

On a walk yesterday, we found the remains of a snake. It is the first time that I have seen the spine of a snake, and it was very interesting. Have a phenomenal day!

At a Lake #2

2011-08-01T13:43:00.004-04:00

Here are some more pictures I've gathered. I got back my better camera, so I will have some bird pictures soon. Enjoy!

Chimney Rock- a popular high dive of Lake Martin

Lake

Wake

At a Lake

2011-07-29T08:38:00.003-04:00

For the past few days, I have been at Lake Martin in Alabama. I haven't had much time to post, but I will try to do so this weekend. I took my older camera out here, so I haven't captured many bird shots. However, I have seen the following.

Pileated Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Turkey Vulture
Northern Mockingbird

There is an abundance of Pileated Woodpeckers here, so that is a special treat. Hopefully I'll be able to get a picture!

Feathers #4

2011-07-24T10:14:00.002-04:00

I have not done a post for this series since last August, so I decided to start it back up. Today's feathers belong to a Blue Jay and a Red-shouldered Hawk.
Have a great day!

Parched Carolina Wren

2011-07-23T16:58:00.003-04:00

This morning this Wren landed on top of our feeder, looking very water deprived. Too bad we don't have a bird bath for the Georgian summer days!

Bird Quiz #34 & 600th Post!

2011-07-22T09:12:00.002-04:00

The answer to the last bird quiz is the House Wren. This week's feather is from a hawk that often lives near water. I believe this is a tail of wing feather as it is very large.

This is my 600th post! Thanks for all the support, and I will continue to post every week!

Chipmunk

2011-07-21T07:28:00.002-04:00

The chipmunks back in Georgia are noticeably smaller than the Least Chipmunk in Colorado. Least Chipmunks are about 7.9 inches, and the Eastern Chipmunk is 10 inches. In Colorado, there is also a ground squirrel that has the same patterns and colors as a chipmunk, but it is a larger, different species.

Cardinal City

2011-07-20T09:16:00.002-04:00

Since I have been back from Colorado, there has been a large increase of cardinals. Some are fledglings, some are adults, and one even had a disease on its head caused by mites. To find out more about this unfortunate disease, go to http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek030701.html. The Cardinals have been very interesting to observe.

Terse Tuesday #15: Brown Thrasher

2011-07-19T09:22:00.002-04:00

Brown-headed Nuthatch at Feeder

2011-07-18T09:22:00.002-04:00

This morning I went out to take some bird pictures when this nuthatch landed on our feeder. Unlike chickadees, they let me get close to the feeder and stay around for multiple pictures. I also enjoy hearing their call, which sounds like a dog toy. Have a great day!

Colorado Scenery #5

2011-07-17T09:25:00.003-04:00

Stagecoach State Park

Waterfall: blurred parts are because of mist

The falls

River leading up to the falls

Valley view

The drive from Denver

This concludes my posts about Colorado. It was a phenomenal trip.

Colorado Scenery #4

2011-07-16T08:54:00.004-04:00

Other main mountain face

Valley

Artsy road shot

Hahn's Peak

My best road shot

Lake by small town

Have a great day!

Colorado Scenery #3

2011-07-15T08:50:00.005-04:00

Main mountain face

Summit chairlift

Snow at summit

Hillside

Some mountains

Large storm coming in over valley

Have a good day!

Colorado Scenery #2

2011-07-14T09:36:00.004-04:00

Enjoy!

View after a long hike before skiing

The Flattops

Sleeping Giant

Storm coming in over the valley

Mountains

Field before valley

Colorado Scenery #1

2011-07-13T09:27:00.004-04:00

For the next days, I'll be posting my pictures of Colorado's unforgettable scenery. I'll be posting 6 pictures each day. Enjoy!

We skied down this face...in July!

Marsh/lake

The lake still has snow in it!

Mountain view from a parking lot before a hike

Mountains at dusk

Valley at dusk

Complete Bird List for Colorado

2011-07-12T18:02:00.001-04:00

I spotted many spectacular birds on this trip. I started counting on Friday once we arrived, and I stopped this morning.

Great Blue Heron
Northern Pintail
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Dusky Grouse
Sandhill Crane
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasion-collared Dove
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Western Wood-Peewee
Eastern Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Stellar's Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
House Wren
Mountain Bluebird
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Western Tanager
Green-tailed Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lazuli Bunting
Bobolink
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow

I had a great trip, and starting tomorrow my scenery pictures will be posted.

Mule Deer

2011-07-12T09:12:00.001-04:00

I spotted these beautiful Mule Deer in a friend's yard. The antlers look pretty new, so they are probably young ones. Have a excellent day!

Moose!

2011-07-11T21:10:00.003-04:00

On a hike earlier today, we spotted this female moose! It was a great sighting, and my first one for Colorado. Have a great night!

Birding Trip #2

2011-07-11T10:48:00.003-04:00

Last night we traveled to a local state park to do some birding. We saw quite a few birds for such a short trip. The list is below.

Violet-green Swallow
Red-winged Blackbird
Swainson's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
American Robin
Grackle
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Tree Swallow
Mountain Bluebird
Chipping Sparrow
Magpie
Crow Chipping Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

It was a nice excursion.