Nature Photography by Richard L. Bowman

September 23, 2015

Butterflies, Birds & Bushy Squirrels

Here are photos of several animal types that I have captured in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, during the past few weeks.

I'll begin with the Clouded Sulfur Butterfly. The one below has a wingspan of something over two inches (about 6 cm) which is an average size for this butterfly. It is close to the European variety called Clouded Yellow Butterfly.

clouded yellow butterfly

Clouded Sulfur Butterfly on Flowers of Lavender Plant (I) (8-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

clouded yellow butterfly (II)

Clouded Sulfur Butterfly on Flowers of Lavender Plant (II) (8-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Over the second weekend of this month, we were in Landisville, Pennsylvania, to visit the families of our three children. We stayed at the home of Jennifer and Matt, and they have bird feeders on their deck. Here is a Goldfinch feeding upside-down as usual.

goldfinch at a feeder

Goldfinch in Landisville, PA, USA (14-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

With my bad eyesight, a few days later I took a photo of what I thought was a female House Sparrow. When I processed the picture on my laptop, I knew that was not a correct identification. The tail was too long and the beak too big with the gray-brown plumage too solid. So how about an immature Cardinal? At least Elsie, Alice, Dennis, and I think that is what it is.

immature cardinal

Immature Cardinal (17-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

At the same time I found a Blue Jay feeding on the ground under the feeder.

blue jay hunting for seeds

Blue Jay Feeds on the Ground (17-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And on the feeder right outside of our apartment window, was this female House Sparrow (as seen through the window screen).

female house sparrow

Female House Sparrow on Our Feeder (17-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

As usual Mourning Doves are very common and unflappable.

mourning dove and a few house sparrows

Mourning Dove amidst House Sparrows (17-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

three mourning doves

Three Mourning Doves Peck Out the Seeds on the Ground (18-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

mourning dove on an electrical wire

Mourning Dove Roosting on an Electric Cable (21-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Gray Squirrels are also abundant in Harrisonburg. While some wild game enthusiasts might call them nuisances, I do like to watch their antics.

gray squirrel eating seeds

Gray Squirrel Eating with Its "Hands" (21-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

gray squirrel hunting for seeds

Gray Squirrel Hunting for More Seeds (21-Sep-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Whether common or more rare, birds and other animals are still some of my favorite subjects to photograph. I sure hope to see a lot more in the weeks ahead.

September 5, 2015

Birds (and Butterflies) Near Harrisonburg

In our months here in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, I have seen several kinds of birds and a few other animals. Some that I captured "on film" (digital camera, really) are posted below.

The first two are of a female Downy Woodpecker who visited our suet feeder at the beginning of August.

side view of a femal Downy Woodpecker

Side View of a Female Downy Woodpecker (6-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

back view of a female Downy Woodpecker

Back View of a Female Downy Woodpecker (6-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

A few days before we moved from our house to this apartment, I also noticed the young male House Sparrow below as it was hopping/flying across our driveway to the neighbor's wall.

juvenile male House Sparrow

A Young Male House Sparrown (10-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And a couple of days later I caught this young American Crow under our bird feeder.

juvenile American Crow

Juvenile American Crow under Our Bird Feeder (12-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

That same day I found this bird which I mistakenly thought was a House Sparrow, but it looked different. Ah, it looks like a young female Northern Cardinal. That is what it is!!

young female Northern Cardinal

A (I) (23-Jul-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

At our new apartment I installed a bird feeder on a shepherd's crock just a half meter (a moot and a half) outside of the window screen. The House Sparrows seem to really like it, even though it took them several days to find the free food.

three female House Sparrows at the feeder at our apartment

Three House Sparrows Feeding Outside of Our Apartment(2(22-Aug-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

A few days later I was picking up our newspaper at our house and noticed a butterfly flitting around our lavender flowers. It is sometimes referred to as the Small White (Cabbage) Butterfly. Each wing has a span of about 2.5 cm (1.0 inch). Look close at the butterflies, and you should see the pale yellow and white of the wings with some dark spots near the outer edge.

Small White Cabbage Butterfly near a lavender flower

Small Cabbage White Butterfly on a lavender flower

After having lunch on August 26 with Dr. Phil Spickler (Bridgewater College), I visited the North Fork of the Shenandoah River just below the dam in Bridgewater (about 15 minutes from our apartment). There I found a number of Mallard Ducks.

Mallard Duck on North Fork of Shenandoah River, Bridgewater (I)

Mallard Duck on North Fork of Shenandoah River, Bridgewater (II)

Mallard Duck on North Fork of Shenandoah River, Bridgewater (III)

Mallard Duck on North Fork of Shenandoah River, Bridgewater (IV)

Back at our apartment a couple of days later, I captured a male House Sparrow in what looks like a precarious perch.

a male House Sparrow at our feeder

A few more days later, I was photographing a train downtown at a feed mill and found these House Sparrows sitting on the top branches of a small tree near the railroad tracks.

four male House Sparrows in a tree

a lone male House Sparrow in the same tree

My exploration of the flora and fauna around Harrisonburg continues, and I thoroughly enjoy it. If you find any mistaken identifications or spellings, please let me know. Thanks!

Response Form