Backyard birds

[Little Man]

I never envisioned it happening, but I've become a bird-lover of sorts. We've developed a neat little sanctuary in our backyard that is frequented by a variety of wildlife, including some of the birds shown here. Hope you enjoy:

[ALflygirl]

Great photos!  I put a feeder in the backyard a couple of years back and have really enjoyed seeing all of the different birds.  Found a squirrel out there this morning....he was pigging out!

[MikeA]

What is bird #7? I saw one of them attack a swallow one day on the river last week and they flew right between my legs in the confusion

[Mike Hill]

Number 7 would be a male Indigo Bunting.  Saw a bunch this weekend at Williamsport Lakes. 

Little Man - good work!  Getting a full frame face portrait of a cardinal, a full frame hummer, and a full frame chickadee ain't easy.  You taking them through a window or are you in a blind.  I particularly like the male cardinal in the crepe myrtle (last one)!!

[Little Man]

Thanks Mike.  A few weeks ago during "Spring cleaning," we washed the windows on the house, revealing that (1) we had really let things go when it comes to cleaning them in the past and (2) hey, we can see outside now.

One of our living room windows (located right next to the couch) overlooks one of our birdfeeders and a bluebird box. It's a perfect spot to take candid photos -- like the close up of the female cardinal -- without sacrificing a lot of visual clarity with an extreme zoom (I'm using a Canon S5 IS camera). A couple of weeks ago, the hummingbird showed up, so we stuck a feeder via some suction cups directly on our previously-spotless window. The little guy has a monopoly (for now) on the nectar, so he's there all throughout the day. In a little while, I'm sure some friends/enemies will join the party and the dogfighting will begin. They are ruthless.

Yesterday morning, I heard a really strange call from a bird perched above some mahonia bushes near our deck. The bushes are fully of grape-like berries right now, and are normally guarded and feasted on by the meanest mockingbird around. However, this year, a gray-headed catbird has claimed them. While they're apparently native to this area, I've never seen one. Have you seen them before? They're about the size of mockingbird, but darker gray with a black-stripe on top of their head. They've also got a burnt-orange spot under and just a bit forward of the tail.

[Mike Hill]

Washing window is something to take seriously - I do it every 30 years or so whether they need cleaning or not.      It's not my favorite thing to do and while it might not have been 30 years, it has most certainly been over 15 years and possibly 20 years.  Luckily, my wife hasn't brought it up!  Maybe I should be the good husband and do it without her asking - nahhh, why should I spoil my reputation! 

I recently bought a quick set up fabric ground blind to use on yard birds.  I'm awaiting the delivery of a 500 mm zoom lens.  The first pictures out of it will be from the blind.  My main problem with feeding is squirrels and raccoons.  I think the squirrel mother nest of all nests is somewhere around here.  I have a number of fruit trees and grape vines in the yard, and I have only gotten one pear from my trees in 30 years living here.  I found a squirrel proof bird feeder. though.  However, the racoons have found out that if you can't get into it, take it off its hook and when it falls on the ground it breaks apart and then you can eat the seeds.  This year is goes up with screws and nuts and bolts. 

The gray headed catbird is one of those birds that is listed as a regular in Tennessee, but not one I see often.  At least not at the house.   Did you get to hear their cat meow-like call?  I wish I had my bird book with me this weekend.  Saw a number of warblers and other very small birds that I had no idea what they were.  Saw several Indigo Buntings (a bird I haven't seen in a few years), lots of goldfinches (one of my favorite birds) and I think a scarlet tanager (I didn't really see the bird well, but it was a red that wasn't cardinal red.