Happy New Year everyone! I thought I'd start a January thread and share a few photo's from the past two weeks.

Downy Woodpecker ..................................... Red-bellied Woodpecker:



Tufted Titmouse ........................................... Palm Warbler:



Mourning Dove ............................................. Cooper's Hawk, juvenile



Northern Cardinal ......................................... Brown-headed Cowbird



And, last but not least, White Ibis, one balancing on a power line across the water from my back deck and the other taking off from the powerline:

I was out in the yard a few minutes ago taking plant pictures when all of a sudden the birds at the feeders quickly scattered. This is the reason ... I know it's all part of nature but sad to see.

Such cold weather we're having this winter! The only bright spot is that it's good for the peach growers. The Lesser Goldfinch seem hungry, they all do!

Luv the birds.

We had an ice storm this night and everything is iced out there ... but not as bad as it could have been. Not enough ice to bring down limbs and trees, etc. Thank goodness! But the feeders will need some attention since it rained and then froze. The seed and so forth will be frozen together into a solid block probably. But the birds are good at picking the icy blocks of seed apart if they have to. The difficultly for them comes in getting frozen seeds out of the feeders.

I have some Cooper's Hawks that come by the feeders occasionally to snatch a meal. I haven't seen them get a bird in awhile but I always hate that. I'm happy when they "dine" elsewhere.

A few of today's backyard visitors.

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker:



Northern Cardinal ................. and ............. Northern Mockingbird



Palm Warbler:

Red-bellied Woodpecker from yesterday and today:


And, I was outside a few minutes ago and spotted what I think is a Bald Eagle flying overhead!

Nice woodpecker and long shot (eagle).

Thanks J.

A few more from yesterday:

Female Red-winged Blackbird:


Male Red-bellied Woodpecker and male Red-winged Blackbird:


Male Red-bellied Woodpecker and a cute little Eastern Phoebe:

You're not only a good photographer, but identifier too,

LOL, I had to edit the post to put in the name of the Eastern Phoebe, I forgot which bird it was so I had to go to my Florida Bird Book and my photo folder for that one! I wish I could agree about being a good photographer but really ... it's the camera. I take so many photo's and have to delete the majority because of blur, lighting etc. I am overjoyed when I do get good pictures out of the batch! I wish I had learned about camera's and photography when I was young; I'm always accidentally hitting a button on my camera and messing up the settings and then I have to get my husband to correct it for me.

More from my backyard today.

The Northern Cardinal's are back ... I don't know where they've been lately but I'm glad they've returned:


The Red-winged Blackbird's are still here in the south:



A Mourning Dove and a little Palm Warbler blending in with the branches:

Me again! Can you tell I love taking pictures of my backyard birds? I missed a great shot of a Hawk landing in a tree a little while ago. I suddenly noticed birds scattering and saw the shadow of long wings and knew it was a Hawk so I grabbed my camera from the back porch; but I startled the poor thing (it looked to be a young one) it took off as fast as I could blink an eye. So ... here are some of the same old regulars that were in the backyard this morning.

Northern Cardinal's:


And ... Grackles! We see both the Boat-tailed Grackle and the Common Grackle here:



Another Grackle and a little Palm Warbler:


More Cardinal's:

That's a really neat perspective on and from the first cardinal.

Thanks, that little guy was in the grass picking up seed that had been scattered from a feeder.

Last ones from today.

Blue Jay:



Female Red-bellied Woodpecker:


Sharing at the suet feeder
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker, Juvenile male Red-winged Blackbird, Adult male Red-winged Blackbird:


And, the light was fading when I spotted this Osprey in a neighbor's tree:

A few photo's from my backyard today.

Northern Cardinal and Palm Warbler:


And, an Osprey flying overhead:

Really nice pics, Lin.

I gotta get my camera out... my bird feeders are finally starting to pay off. Gambel's quail all over the place, and lots of birds with red markings (how's that for an ID?) - some of which I'm guessing are a type of Finch, one of which might have been a female Cardinal or a Pyrrhuloxia male, and one wood pecker with what looked like a red heart on the top of its head.

Must be gearing up for Valentine's day!

Thanks Sheryl! Oh yes ... please get your camera out and take some pictures. I love seeing birds from different parts of the country and y'all have some beauties out your way! I've seen pic's of the Pyrrhuloxia (related to the Cardinal) and they are gorgeous! I'd really love to see pictures of the Quail too!

These are from about an hour ago. I was on the back porch and heard little birds making distress calls so I figured a hawk was somewhere nearby; sure enough this guy/gal was perched in the Cypress tree. I think it's a Cooper's Hawk:

Nice shots of the Cooper's Hawk. I have them here and see them in my big Norway Spruce out in the backyard. I have a love/hate relationship with them since they eat other birds. I know it's all part of nature, but I am such a softy.

Thanks Tee! I know what you mean ... I have the same love/hate feelings about the hawks. We have the Cooper's, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks around our area and I feel so bad when I see a hawk take one of the songbirds.

I try to keep in mind that the hawks are God's creatures too and that it's all part of nature ... but sometimes I feel guilty because I fill the feeders every day for the songbirds which gives easy access for the hawks to dine.