A couple more.

What is the red one Dave?

That is a house finch. It was so brilliantly colored that I thought at first it was a purple finch which would be a first here at Happily EverAfter. After watching him for a while it became pretty clear it was a house finch. He was very colorful though.

Thanks Dave. Such a banal name for such a stunning bird. It should be called something like: Flaming Seed-destroyer

Dave, Great shots! Is that pretty one in your first two photo's an Eastern Bluebird? Wow, that one finch sure is bright and colorful and I just love the Blue Jays and especially that second photo, looks like he's posing for the camera!

A few from my yard this afternoon ...

Grackles


Mourning Doves


Red-bellied Woodpeckers, the female in the second photo seems to be having a bad hair day! :)


Northern Cardinal

plantladylin said:Dave, Great shots! Is that pretty one in your first two photo's an Eastern Bluebird? Wow, that one finch sure is bright and colorful and I just love the Blue Jays and especially that second photo, looks like he's posing for the camera!

@plantladylin It is an Eastern Bluebird Lin.

Aha, I thought it might be! They are supposed to be here in Florida year-round but I haven't seen one in years.

The eastern bluebirds are here (at my house) year round. Odd that Lin is only about 100 miles south of me yet she doesn't seem to have any. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Dave, our house finch males are extra colorful right now too. Glen, the bird next to Dave's house finch is the female -- all drab & no red on the females.

Nice pics everyone.

The only birds here I get a pic of are robins -

Ann, I don't ever see House Finches here either.

I went out and filled the seed and suet feeders around 6:30 this morning and the birds arrived very quickly! Here are a few shots I got this morning.

Blue Jay


Boat-tailed Grackle ................................. Brown Thrasher and ................................ Northern Cardinal


Red-bellied Woodpecker and ..................... Osprey that was a distance away up in a pine tree so photo is a little grainy.


Red-shouldered Hawk (also a distance away up high in a tree and a bit grainy.) the Mockingbirds were harassing it as usual.


Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Lin I love that Brown Thrasher photo.

Well we have some sun today so I hope to get a chance to play with my camera a bit. Got to cut 2 acres of grass first but I did get a few shots in while I was having my coffee and pipe.



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I included this photo to give you an idea of how well this little camera zooms. If you look almost dead center of this photo over the walled garden you can see the dock and just a spec that is the blue heron. Certaainly pleased with thus far but still learning the features so that I can get good photos in this varying light that is just part of life here at Happily EverAfter.

Holy cow, that's some kind of zoom Dave!

Beautiful photos & beautiful property.

Jay: I missed your Robin post earlier ... I think I was typing and adding my pictures at the same time you posted! You got a great shot of those Robins; is the one on right a juvenile or a female? The only Robins I've ever seen have all look identical so I'm assuming that might be a juvenile in your photo? Sure are pretty and I'll love seeing your Robin pictures any time ... wish we had those birds here year round!


Dave, you are doing wonderfully well with your new camera. You could probably give me a few tips but if I don't write them down, I'll never remember them five minutes later. Those house finches are so pretty and the Gold Finches as well; I don't see those much down this way. I should put out thistle seed in the late winter and early spring ... don't know why I never think of it. Goldfinches used to be around these parts from December through mid-March but I haven't seen them in a couple of years ... maybe next year I'll try to attract them with putting their preferred seeds in a feeder!

Oh my goodness, your property is absolutely gorgeous and I love the Blue Heron shots too!

I got some Hummer shots .... finally! I've been trying to get some pictures for over a month now and those little flying jewels are so quick; I'd snap a few shots, download them and see only blurs!! Today there were two doing aerobatics in the yard (one kept trying to chase off the other) and it would fly off but within ten minutes it would be back and they'd go at it again! I wish I could have gotten shots of that; I need to remember the red "record" button to see if I can get a little video sometime. Anyway ... this is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird:

Gorgeous, Lin! Those little ones can be very territorial! Fun to watch!

Thanks Tara! I knew that the males were territorial but hadn't heard that about the females. The one I got the shots of at the Pentas flowers is a female but I'm not sure about the one perched on the branch; I can't see the ruby-red throat of the male but it could be the position.

It's storming here this afternoon. I don't much care for the thunder and lightning which always startles me ... but I am so thankful for the rain!

Nice shots of the hummies Lin.

ALL the hummies are territorial, male, female, it doesn't matter. So much so that I sometimes wonder how they ever get together to mate.

Thanks Lin. I believe the other robin is indeed a juvenile.
Dave, great long shots. Was that a Canon 50 zoom you recently acquired? Nice place you've got there.

@jmorth Yes. I those photos were taken with the Canon SX50, I've been pretty lazy with it so far. Sitting on the porch and shooting long distance with different settings. Of course up until today that was about the only option due to the rain.

Thanks to all for the kind comments and the encouragement. It's great to be having fun at my age.