Thank you Linda! (quietyard)

The Cooper's Hawk has been around here lately. I stopped putting up as many feeders because I detested watching him or her snag birds off of them. Fortunately, this winter was not very snowy or icy and there was a lot out there for the birds to eat. As much supplemental food wasn't necessary like it is some winters. The hawks are beautiful but sometimes I say bad words when I'm watching their behavior.

Lots of birds busy out there right now. I love it when dawn hasn't quite broken and I open the door and hear so many birds.

Margaret: I think your photo's taken through the window are wonderful! Love the pair of Flicker's and the Hawk! The Red-shouldered Hawks have been very active here of late. I was in the yard a couple of days ago with camera in hand and noticed the small birds in the bottlebrush tree making distress calls and turned and a Hawk was perched on the deck gate right below the tree. I was only about ten feet away and I startled him and he took off before I got a shot. Then yesterday my husband came in from walking the dog and hollered "Lin, grab your camera and come quick!" I went out and he said there was a hawk perched out front on a light post but by the time we walked back around it was gone. Osprey's are back too and I hope to get some pictures of them sometime soon.

Linda: Love that pretty Oriole! It's always exciting to see birds that don't normally frequent our area. We have the Orchard Oriole here but I don't see them often and the Baltimore Oriole passes through during migration. I cut oranges in half and cut a little hole in the center back of the rind and jam them onto the tree branches or put them on those "S" hooks to hang in the trees. The only birds I've seen enjoying them are the woodpeckers who seem to like orange juice!

Thank you Lin. It was really good to see the female Flicker, all I had seen all winter were the males. We also have a Red-tailed hawk hanging around, I got a few photos but they are not very good, he was a little too far away.

The only Orioles I see are Bullock's during migration, I tried putting out oranges but the birds didn't eat it at all.

Those are really great pics! Love seeing the Flickers! We haven't seen any here in a few years.
I've heard that the Orioles also enjoy grape jelly/jam. Could be worth a try...

I haven't had much time to take photo's this week because I've been busy trying to get ready for a trip. My youngest niece (28) is getting married on Saturday. It's going to be a rushed trip, driving up to South Carolina late tomorrow afternoon, the wedding is at 6:00 Saturday evening and then we're leaving early Sunday morning to head back south because my husband has to teach on Monday.

I took these pictures in my backyard the day before yesterday ...

Red-winged Blackbirds


Brown-thrasher

Thank you Tara. I guess I could try the grape jelly, worth a try so that they would hang around a little longer, they are shy birds also, hard to get a photo, they see you and their gone.

Lin, great photos as usual, handsome birds.

Pale-headed Rosellas are shy and beautiful broad-tailed parrots. This pair are waiting to get to the feeder but a Galah will do his best to keep them out.

Oh my! What gorgeous birds! So colorful! Great pics, Glen!

Beautiful birds, Glen, good shots.

This one showed up at my feeder this morning. I thought surely a Song Sparrow or maybe a Thrush. But on closer inspection It's nothing I've seen here before. I've checked everything from A to Z and nothing matches. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...

Unfortunately the wind was bad so the feeder was a moving target. Any ideas?

Female Red-wing Blackbird is my best guess.

It looks like some kind of Warbler to me...But I've not seen anything similar to it here...

mcash70 said:Female Red-wing Blackbird is my best guess.

I think you're correct Margaret. I went to the web page with the mixed pictures and that convinced me.
I'm not used to seeing the females around as much as the males of the species. She sure was hungry
because she stayed until I re-filled the feeders.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...

And this one:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...

Here are three additional pictures from this morning.

Leon, I was pretty sure because there are quite a few of them here right now, and your right about them being hungry, poor things.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds have been here for awhile and find it cold enough to fluff up. The White-crowned Sparrows just flew in this morning.


Saw a very large Bald Eagle this morning, the huge tree is way across the back so those are the best shots I could get.

Great pictures Margaret. Unfortunately we do not have the Yellow-headed Blackbirds here. They are nice looking birds. And the Bald Eagles are majestic!

Thank you Leon.

What great pictures to wake up to Margaret.

Good morning Glen, glad you liked them.