Birds & Other Animals
December 29, 2013
December 13, 2013
Playing Catch-up!
It has been a bit more than two weeks since I last posted photos of birds or other animals, but I have been active photographing them. So I hope you enjoy what I am posting here today.
First there is one more photo from the snow we had a few weeks ago.
A Mourning Dove Looking for Seeds (11-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
A bird in hand may not be worth two in a bush (as the folk saying goes), since a tree or bush is the more natural setting for a bird. Here is a Junco I captured resting in a tree in our backyard.
A Junco Perched in a Tree in Our Backyard (16-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
While I have not seen a Nuthatch for a long time, if ever, I posted one last time, and here are two on our bird feeder. I'm pretty sure they are female White-breasted Nuthatch (after Holden Byler so identified them!)
Female White-breasted Nuthatches (16-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
And of course I have to capture an active squirrel every once in awhile.
A Squirrel in a Tree (17-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
The final two for today are of a Mourning Dove in its natural backyard habitat. The electric power line goes across our backyard, and Mourning Doves seem to like perching there. Also, they like to perch in the ash tree near our feeder.
Mourning Dove Sitting on the Electric Power Line (17-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
Mourning Dove Perched in Our Ash Tree (17-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
I hope you enjoy these. I have more to post--maybe tomorrow.
December 13, 2013
Snow Adds a Beautiful Dimension
On Tuesday (December 10) we had almost three inches (about 7 cm) of snow. This provided a nice backdrop for some pictures of birds and brought birds to our feeder that I had not seen for awhile. The first two pictures are of old friends.
A Mourning Dove Explores the Snow for Seeds (10-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
A Female House Sparrow and a Mourning Dove Explore the Snow for Seeds (10-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
The woodpecker family was also well represented. Below is a female Red-bellied Woodpecker. The name of this species has the red cap coming all the way to the bill.
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker (10-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
A smaller bird which I do not recall of ever seeing before is the White-breasted Nuthatch. According to "All About Birds" this bird will often go down a tree head first and got its name from sticking seeds in the bark of a tree and drilling at them until the inner seed hatches out. From the data on that site, I think I have captrued the male of the species since the female may have a more frosted cap and less of a black collar. But, if you have a better idea, please let me know.
Male White-breasted Nuthatch (10-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
And lastly, here is another old friend, but one I think has a beautiful plumage regardless of its rather nasty nature--chasing other birds away. It is the Blue Jay.
Blue Jay on Shepherd's Crook (10-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
Blue Jay Climbing the Shepherd's Crook (10-Dec-13; © Richard L. Bowman)
It was very exciting to see the woodpecker and nuthatch. Hopefully other more rare birds for me will come to our feeder.
--©2013, Richard L. Bowman
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