It looks to be a Hawk but I'm not sure which one, possibly a Swainson's Hawk: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/g...

One of the Hummingbirds that's been hanging out today is really tiny, looks to be chubbier than others I've seen lately too. Poor little girl was sitting out in the rain for the longest time today ...


And a Northern Mockingbird trying to dry it's wings ....

What great shots of that little thing!

American Goldfinch

Mr. Cardinal struttin'



Maybe someone can help me here. I believe this to be a Brown headed Nuthatch but I guess it could be a juvenile White breasted.

Cardinal is most assuredly 'struttin'. "Don't mess w/ me".

Looks like a Brown-headed nuthatch to me. Here is a pic I took in January. They love sunflower seeds, peanut butter and suet.

I do love those bright yellow Goldfinches! Handsome Mr. Cardinal too ... I don't know Nuthatches but it sure looks more like the Brown-headed to me, what a cutie and in that second shot it looks like he's looking up to check out what's at the top of the feeder.

Brown-headed Nuthatch: http://www.tnwatchablewildlife...

Becky, that is an Awesome shot!!

I got some more shots of a Hummingbird ... will download to share them a little later, off to the kitchen to fix dinner now.

Wow, you guys, what lovely photos -- gotta start saving for a new camera! My Nikon is not going to cut it...

The other day in the backyard, I was startled to see a mockingbird in hot pursuit of a squirrel -- the squirrel was running on top of the fence and jumped onto my neighbors roof and ran for protection. The mockingbird landed on the fence and watched the squirrel run off.

A friend told me that her cat, Fideaux, gets dive-bombed from a mockingbird when he is out in the backyard. They play the game but one of these days, Fideaux may get even...

Lovely dragonfly Lin.

It's been a bluebird day here in Eastern Tennessee and this guy showed up to end the day.

So many fine photos everyone. Gee, I think I only missed a day & a half but there was lots to catch up on. You guys have been busy taking photos!

Sitting on the back porch earlier *without* my camera & watched a male bluebird take on 3, that's 3 squirrels. He was getting the best of them too! We put up a bluebird nest box about 7' high & the bluebirds are rearing yet another brood in there. It's located roughly 15 or so feet from the blueberry bushes. The squirrels were climbing all over the blueberries --- there are many ripe ones now --- & the male bluebird was *not* happy with their proximity. He would screech & dive bomb them & in the end he won & chased them all off for good. That is, until the next go round.

Betsy, I see the Mockingbirds chase squirrels across the roof here too and it's so funny to watch. Sometimes they peck the squirrel and the poor squirrel doesn't seem to know what's going on! It doesn't seem to deter those tree rats though. :smily:

Thanks Glen, I like taking pictures of butterflies, dragonflies and mayflies too.

Dave, I love the colors in that Bluebird and that background lighting!

Ann: That must have been a sight to see a tiny Bluebird go after squirrels! I sure wish I knew how to attract Eastern Bluebirds to my yard. Years ago they'd come for the mealworms that I put in the feeders; same with the Painted Buntings but alas I haven't seen either in quite awhile. It seems we do have many boisterous birds around ... Jays, Grackles, Crows, Blackbirds but we had all of those at our other house too and the shy tiny painted buntings still came to the feeders.

Ok, I'll wrap up this evening with a few I took before dinner. We had storms and more rain again today but after the rains this Brown Thrasher decided to use the old birdbath:


Grackle .................................................... Red-winged Blackbird


Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal


The hummingbirds have always seemed to gravitate to the red pentas flowers and the orange pagoda blooms. I have Hoya plants hanging in the magnolia tree in that area and they have been blooming for a couple of months ... suddenly this evening the Hummingbirds seemed to have found the Hoya blooms!

Lin, I love that hummer pic with the tongue out. Great catch! They flick them in and out so fast.

Thanks Becky, that's the first pic I've ever gotten of a hummer tongue!

Can someone ID these for me. I would list them in the LBB (little brown bird) category and leave it at that. But we had a whole flock of them come into the birdbath and feeders. At least a doz and maybe more than 20 of them. All flew in at one time it was fun to see them come in like that.

The house wrens babies make a ruckus each time one of the parents goes in to feed.