Lin - I have Cardinals, but not Bluejays currently. So weird. I didn't think that they migrated, but maybe they do?

I have 3 hummers. An adult male, an immature or molting male, and what looks like a female. All Ruby-throated Hummingbirds using my feeders and flowers. My neighbor has one guarding her feeder, too. The hummers squeak at me if I get too close to their respective feeders. I doubt they are nesting now. Most are over-wintering migrants from the north. Breeding is usually in Spring and Summer through late Summer/very early Fall. So you won't see any nests now. They are all trying to settle into their Winter territory or still passing through.

The catbirds are back, too! I get a kick out of those birds!

Like other Floridians, the birds coming to my feeder seem to have slowed down. But I've got a whole Mallard family living in the flooded pasture up the street.

In good news, we were the fourth most active thread this week according to the newsletter! Now, if the birds would just show up and start posing!

Melanie - That's neat to have a duck family living near you! I had 2 ducks (not sure what kind) hanging around last year but I never saw babies. We have cats roaming around our neighborhood again. Good and bad .... they help keep the rat population down, but also probably go after the birds.

I actually saw a variety of birds at my feeders this morning. I just sat and watched for about an hour (and took photos through the window of course!).

I did see 3 male Painted Buntings (PB), 1 green PB, and numerous Cardinals. But the photos of them did not turn out very well because it was too shaded.

Very few doves at my feeder lately. But this morning there was a White-winged Dove and a Mourning Dove feeding together:


Yellow-throated Warbler (?) and a Cardinal:


Pine Warbler (?):


A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This bird is different than the one I have been photographing. You can see the sparse feathers on the back of his neck, unlike the usual suspect that uses this feeder consistently. :

Well, there are birds around, and I set out today to prove it. Okay, not really, I just happened to be running errands this morning. I opened the door to see the Cardinal immediately fly off my side mirror.

Then, it was off to the post office, and on to Panera. As you guys know, I pass several pastures where I see water birds. The first one has a low spot in it where water has collected and there must be food because I've seen birds there lately. But it was the usual suspects until a Wood Stork showed up a few days ago. This time, I safely parked at the church up the street and walked over. Dad's in Virginia so I'd have to wait for AAA to tow me out! FYI, there was a Great Blue Heron there, too, but it flew away when I walked across the street.

Wood Stork and Little Blue Heron.



Maybe it's just me, but this Wood Stork looks fluffier than usual.




Now, up the road in the pasture that's pretty much always flooded, I stopped because that's where the Mallards are hanging out. But I had a few other guests, too.

Is this the Great Blue Heron that flew away? Maybe? Also, what's with the weird patch of feathers that are a different color on its flank?



It had a Little Blue Heron friend, too.



Mallards, as promised.



Now, I thought I had another Little Blue Heron, and it wasn't until I got home that I realized this was different. One key detail was the white underbelly in the shot where it's mooning me. I think I saw a Tri-Colored Heron! Been a while since I've seen one and it sure wasn't in my neighborhood. I think I hit the Heron trifecta today!

Melanie, great shots of all those gorgeous birds. I miss seeing Herons and Wood Storks! That indeed looks to be the Tricolored Heron in your last photos! The rusty colored spot you see on the Great Blue is part of their normal coloration, just not visible all the time. Here's some information about the colors: http://www.heronconservation.o...

Lin, I'm so glad that's normal. I worry for the creatures in my neighborhood. There was a person who shot a Sandhill Crane to death with a pellet gun down in Manatee County a couple of weeks ago. I know nature can be cruel, and I can live with that, but people are supposed to have morals and a conscience.

Melanie - Those are some wonderful shots you got of the birds! I wish that I was able to get more bird photos of them in the wild instead of at my feeders.

My superzoom camera helps a LOT! I was actually standing across the street from where the Mallards were. I had to time my shots as the cars went by. Sometimes, I will cross the street and stand on the grass, but traffic was a little heavy, I didn't have my waterproof boots on, and I didn't want to scare the Great Blue Heron again. If it was the same one. I agree, as much as I like watching my feeder, it's always fun to catch birds in their natural setting.

Speaking of the feeder, I've seen more birds today. Probably because I put the songbird mix in there instead of straight black oil sunflower seeds. Now, there's a good mix of both. The Carolina Chickadee was the first to come around, but then the Tufted Titmice appeared. I watched one take a seed, fly up into the oak, and then I saw the shell of the seed fall down out of the branch. I don't know why, but it made me laugh. I like those little Titmice. They also seem to be very good about taking turns. Like, if I had a kid, I'd teach them about sharing and taking turns by watching the Titmice.

Melanie, that is so sad about someone shooting and killing a Sandhill Crane! I often wonder what goes on in some peoples brains; how they can be so cruel to innocent children and animals. Humans are supposed to be of the highest intelligence ... but it sure makes me wonder sometimes.

I've had the cardinal pair, a grackle, a few Carolina Wrens and the titmice so far this morning but they are very skittish. No bluejays, which is amazing since we had two breeding pairs with 3 young ones each over the summer, a veritable hoarde of bluejays. Everyone is very quiet at the feeders, too. No "chip, chip" from the cardinals. I'm sure it's the threat from the local hawks that has them spooked.

I saw that story about someone shooting a Sandhill Crane, too. Very sad and disturbing. You'd have to get really close to the bird to kill it with a pellet gun, but of course the cranes are pretty bold. Such a big, sturdy bird you'd also have to hit it in the head, I think. They are pretty noisy, and they stay in one area for long periods of time. I heard our local pair outside our fence this morning, calling loudly. (had the windows open all night - Ahhhh, so nice!) So I suppose if someone was being woken up by the noise they might want to scare them off, but kill one? No way.

I don't think I could possibly hurt a bird, even with my little plastic pellet gun and I'd feel terrible if I did. I've scared off hawks with it many times, and it barely makes them ruffle, but is enough to startle from 30ft away or so. Possibly the pellets that miss scare them even more, making noise as they hit a branch or pass through the oak leaves. I always aim for the branch below the bird, or their lower half of the body.

I've hit the squirrels on the bird feeders in the back end all the time from about 10ft. away and it makes them jump but doesn't impede them at all. The hawks are never that close.

I put the suet feeders back out this morning. I take them down in the summer. There is just not enough action and it spoils. On a couple of chilly mornings the downys & red-bellieds have come looking.

They are predicting a possible killing freeze this week end. We have been lucky with only a couple of very light frosts here at our house so far.

Went to McKee Botanical Garden yesterday ... the only bird I saw the entire visit was this Green Heron perched on the giant water lily pad.

That's a really cool shot, though Lin.

dyzzypyxxy said:That's a really cool shot, though Lin.

A handsome male Pileated woodpecker in the back yard the othe day, I only got one clear shot through the window, then he moved to the willow in the branches where there was little chance at another shot.


Yesterday there was a Northern Shrike out there checking out the birds, they left quickly, he followed soon after..

Thanks y'all. Most of my photos don't seem to come out as good as they used to. I thought the photo of the green heron was a bit busy and off-focus with the reflections in the background. I was sure my camera settings were messed up again but my husband checked and said everything is set correctly. The cataract on my right eye is really bad; everything is a total blur when I look through the viewfinder so I just take a few pictures in hopes that once downloaded, one or two will be recognizable. I had an eye exam a few weeks ago and thought for sure the Optometrist would refer me to the Ophthalmologist for removal of the cataracts but she said it could be corrected with glasses so she sent me over to the Optician and I got glasses. My correction is for distance vision and I haven't worn glasses in 40 years and I'm having a heck of a time getting used to them! One day last week I decided to try my new glasses while driving. I backed out of our long, curved driveway and backed off the pavers into the culvert/swale area. I heard the scraping of the bottom of my car against the brick pavers and cringed. My car is old but there wasn't any visible damage ... and luckily the car didn't get stuck or it would have been sitting there until my husband got home that evening. After the first of the year (if not sooner) I'm going to insist on a referral to the Ophthalmology department and get the cataracts removed so I won't have to worry about glasses or contact lenses!

Margaret, great shot of that male Pileated Woodpecker! I love those big woodpeckers but they sure are elusive down this way. I even like their loud, raucous call which some find very annoying.

The Loggerhead Shrike is a year-round resident for us but it's been a few years since I've spotted one. From a distance they look like a small to medium sized, rather meek bird ... until you see that strong, hooked bill that they use to skewer their prey. These Loggerhead Shrike pic's are from four or five years ago.

Lin, yes the Shrikes are nice looking birds, and I have seen them grab their victims and rip them up.

Hmm, interesting. I'm not familiar with a Shrike but looked it up. The Loggerhead Shrike's range is across the southern half of the US. always learning new things around here.

Lin, nice picture of the green heron.

Thanks Christine!

Beautiful photo of the Heron Lin and yay for going to have the surgery!

Nice pileated Margaret and I love the Shrike! I have not seen one in several years now.

Bald Eagle flying over the house yesterday afternoon. I was not really paying attention at first. Just figured it was a Turkey Vulture but something made me rethink that and go get the camera and nope, not a turkey Vulture!



This one is a bit fuzzy


Female Cardinal blending in with the fall leaves.


Tufted Titmouse and the Juncos have finally arrived!