GREAT HORNED OWL

The Great Horned Owl has for the last couple of years, made its home in our backyard. Without fail, at dawn and at dusk, we hear the HOOO, HOOO....Hoooooo in our pine trees to the west of our house. It is so awesome. We do have to watch out for our dog, because we wonder if the owl will try to eat him. Otherwise, to me it feels like we have the ultimate good neighbor next to our home. He does perch in the top of the pine tree, and once I heard the flap of wings, looked to the sky, and saw the black silhouette against the dusk sky. Totally majestic...

DOWNY WOODPECKER

Now that the weather is getting cooler the birds are changing. I like that it makes it interesting. The cool thing is I am finding that some of the birds I have not seen a lot over the summer are coming more often. I love that well the one bird I am seeing more of are my Downy Woodpeckers. I love the way they eat the suet. I like the way they come to the feeder and look around at the other birds. Then they wait until the cost is clear then they back down the pole and under the suet and eats. They are a pretty cool little bird. I look forward to the others returning. Like the Redheaded and the Hairy and the Red- Bellied woodpeckers.

GRACKLE FEATHER

HERES FOR YOU MAGGIE

Maggie is quite fond of the Blue jay. So I thought I would dedicate this to her.

ME WITHOUT A CAMERA

PHOTO BY STAN TEKIELA

I was out in what my daughter calls my bird lab, the garage. I heard this ruckus outside so, I run out and what is flying over, five Sandhill Cranes. I stand looking at them in awe knowing I have no time to retrieve the camera. They fly over my house and head towards Geneva Lake. So I head back into the lab and finish getting the feeders ready to take outside. When two fly back over the house. Still no camera!!!Only picture I have of this one is in my head sorry!!! but it was a awesome sight. What a cool bird. Maybe next time, I have heard them before.

SADDNESS

Well this is a sad story. My husband went out side to mow the lawn and found a dead House Sparrow. It must have hit the window. I have had a few birds fly into the window. So I hung up spinners. That seemed to lessen the birds that hit the window. I guess I will have to find the window decals that they sell. I have not been able to find them. So I feel bad that this little guy hit the window. I purposely have not cleaned the window for that reason. I don't want it too shinny.

OTHER REASONS TO GO BIRDING

When birding a big part of it is the habitat. I really enjoy the fresh air and the solitude of being in nature. The further off the road you can get the better. I really don't like the sounds of cars or cell Phones. It is nice to just listen to the birds chirp or singing their own unique song. The challenge trying to figure out what bird is singing. But the other thing about it I really enjoy is all the wild flowers. I really need to get a field guide for flowers. It is on my Christmas list. I would love to be able to identify the vast variety of flowers that bloom in the wild. I also just love all the greenery and the clouds. Being by the water. Not in it. The really sad thing is that I am really afraid of water. So that is going to make it really hard for me to discover water fowl. I Don't like mushy ground under me. I wonder if that is a past life experience thing. Well that is another blog. So get out there with your binoculars, your camera, and field guides and enjoy all aspects of birding. Yes you guessed it more pictures.

BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE

Here is a bird that I found very hard to photograph. But I finally got a few. I was surprised to see them eat the grape jelly that I have out for the Orioles. So hope you enjoy them. I do take most of my pictures out my front window. So I try my best.

I SCARED THEM

My yard is always full of grackles. I went to the window and they all took off. I thought that they so cool in the tree. Kind of Poe like.

HIDDEN

Can you spot the American Robin? This is in my back yard in my Mulberry tree.

MALE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD.

I finally got pictures of the Male Hummingbird. With this new feeder, we have been getting so many. Sometimes two at time. It is really cool, I have never seen one perch. They will leave the feeder then perch in the neighbors tree, or our pine tree.

HUMMING BIRD VIDEO

IF I GET A BETTER ONE I WILL REPLACE THIS, BUT FOR NOW ENJOY.

MOURNING DOVE

click on photo to veiw

I think they are the biggest characters of the bird world. At least in our neck of the woods. They walk around like they don't have a clue in the world. They take forever to take off. The way they get close to the ground like they need to get their footing before flight. Then when everyone is eating and something frightens the other birds. As they are all flying to the safety of a tree or bush. They look around like hey where did everybody go? They lift their pretty little heads and look around. Looks like they are thinking "well maybe i should go too". I really find them quite cute, and no one ever mentions them. Of course I have pictures.

NEW HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER

click on any image to enlarge

Went out and got a new feeder. I will give the old one to Maggie that way she can see if she can attract some Humming Birds as well. Good luck hope you get some...It seems with this feeder they hang around more. I just love they way they look into the window. Not sure they see anything. Maybe just themselves. They really are skilled fliers

BIRD NERD

YA THAT IS ME. I HEAR THIS BIRD SOUND. SOUNDS LIKE A HAWK OR SOMETHING. SO I AM LOOKING OUT ALL THE WINDOWS WONDERING ,FRONT YARD, SIDE YARD, BACK YARD. ACROSS THE STREET. I CAN'T TELL SO I QUIETLY GO OUTSIDE. CLOSE THE DOOR QUIETLY. DON'T WANT TO SCARE IT. I LISTEN STANDING AS STILL AS I CAN. DARN!!!! I SCARED IT AWAY. I DON'T HEAR IT ANYMORE. I GO BACK IN THE HOUSE OH!!! THERE IT IS AGAIN. WHAT COULD IT BE. WOULD I BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A KESTREL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD! NO NOT A KESTREL. NOT A HAWK OF ANY SORT..............JUST A SQUEAKY FAN. OH I AM A BIRD NERD. AND LOVEN IT.

THEY ARE NOT BIRDS

They are Squirrels. But they come with the territory. I rather enjoy there little antics. And they really seem happy when munching on a good meal. Kind of like back home on the farm everyone welcome for a good meal. Although I did not live on a farm always wanted to. Still do. Well if I did I would welcome everyone to dinner. The one thing I thought was cool is, because I have been feeding everyone scene winter. We had pregnant Squirrels in our yard. Never seen a pregnant squirrel. They get really fat. When they sit up to eat it looks like all the babies fall to the bottom. They look like a little bell. Well to tell the truth when I saw she was with children. I made sure to give her some really good things to eat. Yes we did eventually get the babies. They were so little. We get the bunnies too. They are welcome as well. End of winter we had a Raccoon.(I think he got hit on the hwy) BOO HOO. But someone is tipping over my bird bath. We had two opossums as well. They were the prettiest opossums I ever saw.