Nature Photography by Richard L. Bowman

August 8, 2015

The Birds (and Other Animals) Are Back in Harrisonburg

My hip replacement surgery was on July 14, and before then and since then, I have been collecting photos of animals I have seen in our backyard (and other places around town as I have gotten about a bit). Some of these are common birds and other animals to me, and a few I had not seen until we were back in town several weeks.

I'll begin with the Gray Squirrel as it likes to pick up the bird seed that birds have scattered on the ground from our feeder.

a gray squirrel looks at its food

A Gray Squirrel Finding Food (I) (23-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a gray squirrel eats some bird seeds

A Gray Squirrel Finding Food (II) (23-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

The American Robin is around on the ground in our backyard fairly often, but I have rarely seen it on an electrical cable.

an American robin sits on an electric cable

An American Robin Perched on an Electrical Wire (12-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

From time to time I will see a Northern Mockingbird, but this is the only one I have been able to see in the seven weeks we have been back in our home in Harrisonburg. It was on a neighbor's chimney.

a northern mockingbird on a chimney top

A Northern Mockingbird Sits atop a Chimney (1-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And very recently I found a male Red-bellied Woodpecker hanging on our bird feeder. I have put out some more suet, so maybe he will find that.

Adult Male Red-bellied Woodpecker Hangs on Our Feeder (7-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

I captured the butterfly below several times in a clump of wild flowers at Riven Rock park, Virginia, on Saturday August 1 when our family had a picnic there. I think it is a Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly. Or maybe I have missed it completely.

spicebush swallowtail butterfly (I)

A Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly (I) (1-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

spicebush swallowtail butterfly (II)

A Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly (II) (1-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

spicebush swallowtail butterfly (III)

A Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly (III) (1-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

It took more than a month for the first cardinals to show up, but now I see one a few days.

a male cardinal on the ground

A Male Cardinal Likes the Seeds on the Ground (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a female and male cardinals on the ground

A Pair of Cardinals (I) (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a female and male cardinal again on the ground

A Pair of Cardinals (II) (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

A Pair of Cardinals (III) (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a female cardinal showing her slightly red plumage

A Female Cardinal Shows Her Subtle Colors (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

in subdued light this femal cardinal appears fairly gray

This Female Cardinals Appears More Gray in Subdued Light (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a male cardinal and a female house sparrow

A Female House Sparrow and Male Cardinal Both Hunt for Food (5-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a male cardinal by himself

A Male Cardinal by Himself (5-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Another attractive bird is the Blue Jay. Even if one does not like their aggressiveness and raspy voice, the blues, blacks and whites make them memorable as birds.

a blue jay is back checking out the bird seed

A Blue Jay in the Morning Sun (26-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a blue jay on the shepherd's crook

A Blue Jay on Our Shepherd's Crook (28-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a blue jay on the ground again

A Blue Jay Hunts for Food (3-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a blue jay checking out the suet feeder

A Blue Jay Hangs on to the Suet Feeder at an Angle (6-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

On Sunday August 2, our family spent an hour and a half at the James Madison University Arboretum watching the antics of the ducks and other animals. I had thought the ducks were all Mallards (or hybrids), but this time we did not see any with iridescent dark green heads (males). But then I found out that in late summer these male lose this plumage and have dark dull heads with mostly yellow beaks. These are called "eclipse males." Check out "All about Birds" from Cornell U.

a female Mallard duck

A Female Mallard Duck (2-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

an eclipse male and female Mallard ducks (I)

An Eclipse Male and Female (?) Mallard Duck (I) (2-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

an eclipse male and female Mallard ducks (II)

An Eclipse Male and Female (?) Mallard Duck (II) (2-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a male shows off his wing span (I)

A Male Mallard Shows Off (I) (2-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a male shows off his wing span (II)

A Male Mallard Shows Off (II) (2-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

An Eclipse Male and Female Mallard Duck (III) (2-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Our grandkids were quick to notice the fish in the lake--catfish and Koi.

Since I am finished showing the diverse species of animals I have seen in the past few weeks, let's return to the common Mourning Dove and House Sparrow.

two mourning doves on the gournd in the afternoon