I haven’t managed to get out birding since winter descended here about two weeks ago. The first week I avoided driving on icy roads except for necessities, like bird feed, and the second week the rain returned with a vengeance and it seemed impossible to get good pictures as dark and wet as it was.
However, with the cold spell I relented on my resolve to not feed the birds because of the rats that have been attracted to the feeder. Hopefully they won’t return before I quit feeding the birds once it warms up.
Until then I’ve been birding from my kitchen window. While out filling the feeder, though, I saw a bird I was sure that I’d never gotten a picture of before. Of course, by the time I went upstairs to get the camera it had disappeared. I decided to wait awhile to see if it would return.
Of course, I can’t stand around with a camera and not take a picture of nearby birds, even if they are just Chestnut-Backed Chickadees,
common House Finches,
or Stellar Jays.
Most of these seemed quite willing to pose for pictures, but this Red-Breasted Nuthatch,
which finally returned, wouldn’t pose. He grabbed a nut from the feeder and flew off without so much as a thank you.
That’s okay because I’m pretty sure I enjoy the feeders more than the birds have.
Great photos, even if they are from the backyard!
Well, these are just as exotic to me, of course, as anything you see in the nature reserve. Especially the jay, wow.
That’s just what I’ve been doing too – birding from the kitchen window. Great pictures, especially the jay.
I suspect I react to your English birds exactly the same way you respond to these, Jean.
I really appreciate seeing the “common” birds in English blogs because they never seem “common” to me.
Yes, that jay is amazing. Of course we don’t have that type out here in New Jersey so it looks very exotic to me!
Yes, Mauigirl, I constantly find myself attracted to other people’s “exotic” birds.