I thought I'd start a new thread for July ... hard to believe it's July already!! We had a lot of clouds and rain this afternoon but I managed to get a few shots.

Northern Mockingbird, juvenile ................ Downy Woodpecker and ............................... Brown Thrasher:

Great start to the month!

I managed to catch these colorful birds out where I feed wildlife. Male cardinal and Painted Bunting. The Painted Bunting male that was here before left, for whatever reason. But on occasion, I see either it or some other male P. B. I keep hoping it'll stick around!

Oh, so pretty! I sure miss seeing the Painted Buntings around here!

Painted Buntings are so beautiful.

A strange thing happened here. I put out my birdseed on the driveway as usual. Ten minutes later I had to get something out of my car so walk by the seed on the driveway. There on top of the seed is a dead bird that was all bloody, especially on its head. So obviously pecked to death. It was only a House Sparrow so don't feel sorry for having one less of those around but did find it very odd.

Sounds like a bigger, bully bird may have wanted the seed all to himself.

It is just really odd as I put seed out there on the driveway every day. And I spread it around so that the feeding area is not that compact. And I had just put it out so there really was a lot of seed to choose from. Just odd that's all. Really odd.

A Great Egret was out back today:


I also spotted two Pigeons walking around the yard; nuisance birds but pretty in their own way (a neighbor feeds them stale bread):

I got more pictures of a Great Egret. This one was out back early this morning looking for breakfast.

He was walking along the edge of the water when he spotted a fish:


Missed the shot where he speared the fish; in the second pic, if you look closely you can see the bulge in his neck after he swallowed it:

Female Northern Cardinal:

A few more from this evening.

Boat-tailed Grackle:


Blue Jay .................................................. European Starling, juvenile ............................ Northern Cardinal:


Northern Mockingbird:



Happy 4th Everyone! Have a fun and safe evening!

Poor birds...my psycho neighbors probably have enough fireworks to keep this going 24/7 for at least a week! I guess it would be quieter if they could all get over to that vacant ranchland nearby but then what would they eat or drink?

I put up the other feeder yesterday since it seems the Painted Bunting family may be around a while. Have to keep that other feeder in at night, because we have a raccoon problem. So, this morning I put it back out and put more birdseed out. A little while later, the coon came out and managed to bend the shepherd's hook pole over, then it was out there scarfing down seeds. The male and female P. B.:

And a Carolina Chickadee joined them also.

Raccoons can sure be destructive! I try to remember to take in the feeders at night but sometimes don't think about it and have found on the ground in the morning ... and some missing entirely, never to be seen again! We also have Opossum out at night but I'm not sure they raid the feeders like the raccoons do. I spotted a very large possum a couple of days ago; it was just at dusk and the big guy was walking around the yard and through a flower bed. I went in and got my camera but when I went back out I couldn't find it to get a picture.

Love those Painted Buntings Linda ... and the Chickadee is so pretty too! I sure wish I could attract the buntings again; I sure miss those little rainbows!

A trio of Wood Storks in flight .................. and a juvenile Northern Mockingbird hiding in a tree:


A Great Egret that was out back this morning; at first it was looking for fish (I never saw it catch anything) and then it just stood there for a long time preening it's feathers:

Blue Jay:Grackle:

At least I know now...the woodpecker DOES like oranges! This morning I put out 2 orange halves in the back where I could actually watch them...then later spotted the woodpecker going at the half orange I put on the back fence. So yes, it likes them!

I've been putting out oranges since someone here mentioned how much the Woodpeckers like them! I slice naval oranges all the time and usually have the two ends that I now save for the Woodpeckers!

When I tried putting out oranges before, I put them out where I couldn't really keep an eye on them. The squirrels liked them and took off with them. This time I put them in the back yard where I could watch them and see any woodpeckers that came...and the squirrels don't normally come in the back yard. It's the perfect place!

Love those Painted Buntings! Wish we had them up here. We do have the Indigo Bunting, but that male Painted Bunting is beautiful and so colorful to look at!

Took a few pics yesterday at a distance in my backyard.

Male Cardinal


Some birds and a bunny


Another bird


Probably the same bird as above


Male House Finch on a thistle feeder


Juvie Cardinal and some other birds