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KuntryKlucker Posted - Mar 20 2013 : 11:01:13 AM
Hi all, I am new here and just love it!! I am not sure if this is the write place to post this topic. If I messed up please forgive me.

I live out in the country and enjoy lots of bird watching. I take pictures of many of them as a hobby. Here are a few that I have taken.


Blue jay making a seed selection.



Look who is lookin' at you. Humming bird taking a rest of the feeder.



Snow Cardinal

What are some of the birds that you like to look for?
Thanks for viewing.

Give me the simple country life.
25   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
KuntryKlucker Posted - May 30 2013 : 08:08:21 AM
Thanks Angie, I am so glad that you like the pics of the bluebirds.
It is absolutly amazing to watch them grow up in my backyard.
I got to watch the parent birds build the next then peek on the
nest and see the little eggs being added one by one. A total of
three were laid by this pair. I have another bluebird house in
my backyard but so far no bluebirds have taken to it yet.

From what I understand the female will come back to the bird
house year after year. According to my research once you have attracted
the bluebirds and they raise their young at your property they do come
back year after year. This is my first year successfully attracting the bluebird
and witnessing them raise their young. We will see what happens next year.

The little ones are learning how to use their wings and gain flight. So in a few days they
will be gone. I am going to miss the little family in my backyard. I am glad that I took
a pictoral date journal of their growth and development. It is an amazing story to share
with others who appreciate the life cycle of bluebirds.

Thanks for reading.

Give me the simple country life.
britchickny Posted - May 30 2013 : 03:08:34 AM
Noelle, super pictures! Those little furry bodies are just so cute! What a privilege to be able to watch their process up close. And momma knows that they have a safe haven in your back yard.
Do the Blue birds come back every year?

Oh, and I'm loving the picture of your corn growing. Up here, ours is only about 6 inches high yet! No fair! You get to enjoy it waaayy before i do!

ANGIE
"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance" JUDE 1:2

http://www.pinkroomponderings.blogspot.com/

KuntryKlucker Posted - May 29 2013 : 8:20:37 PM
Hi All, I love hearing about all the Bird and Garden stories.
Pam, your morning dove store is so touching, it is such a great feeling to be able
to help another mom out no matter what the species. In the end I think that all mom's
feel the same and are concerned about their young.

I love gardens and have plenty of them. Our backyard where I have my bluebird house is a garden
paradise. I know they will love eating all the bugs that the garden will attract.

speaking of bluebirds I have some updated photos and news on our backyard residents.

first the pics

The Bluebird house.


2 bluebird eggs in the nest. A third one was laid a few days later.


Day old hatchlings.


Male bluebird looking for bugs to take back to the nest.


Fledging day. Three little bluebirds are in my backyard getting their start on life.
Don't worry our backyard is fenced in so nothing can get to them and hurt them,


wings look good. Now to master the art of lift and aerodynamics.


The three fledglings huddles together for their first night in the big world.


Today the little ones were working on their flying. They can fly straight but not
up yet. They are trying so hard it is just too cute. In a few days they will be off
and on their way. It is such a privledge to get to witness this in nature.


Our backyard where the little bluebirds are getting their start at life.
For a bird that likes to eat bugs it is a paradise. They just might hang
around and stay a spell. It would be great for my gardens too.


Another pic of our backyard homestead.

Thanks for viewing.

Give me the simple country life.
herblady55 Posted - May 27 2013 : 9:09:00 PM
awwwwwwwwww,Pam.......what a sweet thing to do and I'm so glad that the doves weren't afraid of it and that they understood that you were trying to help them.
...and they say animals and people can't co-exist...can't understand common needs....phooey....
I'm still enjoying all of these wonderful "feathered-friend" stories.
Thanks for sharing Gals!

Sister-chick# 905(Sept.14th 2009)
Judy
French-Hugs&Squeezles!
"Hey...Don't Make Me Put My Hands On My Hips!"
"The last thing I want to do is hurt you...but it is on my list!"
coaloha Posted - May 27 2013 : 4:36:03 PM
I have a bird story....we had some deadwood in a tree (bad weather last winter) and the HOA wanted it cut out. I would have liked to have left it until nesting season was over, but our HOA is not very tolerant about things. My son climbed a high ladder, and after he had cut the wood out he realized that there was a mourning dove sitting on a nest that was now exposed to the hot Arizona sun without the shade from the dead branches. Luckily, I had some shade cloth and after cutting a piece, my son went back up the ladder and we managed to tie the shade cloth onto the remaining branches so it shades the nest. When I went out to check this morning, the dove was under the shade cloth, sitting on her nest. I so hope that the shade cloth holds until the eggs hatch and the babies fledge, and I am so glad that we were able to do something to help her after we disrupted her nesting site. On a more positive note, another mourning dove is nesting in a short palm tree, right in our front entryway.

Angie, I do feel like my garden is an oasis. It is so hot and harsh here for half of the year, and I have worked to create a water-wise garden of color and lushness that attracts both people and wildlife. I believe that a garden not only nourishes the gardener's soul, but is a gift for everyone who walks by : )

Pam
Farmgirl #1075
britchickny Posted - May 27 2013 : 05:10:18 AM
Pam, your backyard sounds like such an oasis! How lovely. I have only heard a Mockingbird once, a few years ago. It was such a funny sound. I'm in western NY state and right now have BlueJays, Cardinals, Pheasant (We hear it in the farmer's field but don't see it too often)and hopefully the Hummingbird will find the feeder I hung. She is a bit late this year. Traditionally they are "mother's Day to Labor Day"
quote:
Originally posted by coaloha

Hi Noelle and Everyone : )

I am a bird watcher too, with feeders in my yard. Being in Phoenix, we get some birds in our yard that the rest of the country doesn't get. Right now I have a family of Gamble's quail with a dozen tiny chicks, a nesting verdin, white-winged doves, and hummingbirds, to name a few species. The birds here change with the season, and we have different birds in the winter. We have a great-horned owl that likes to spend time in our palm tress and sometimes we see roadrunners and sharp-shinned hawks in our garden. There is a pair of mallard ducks that likes to visit out pool (yikes) . We have lots of mocking birds around and they mimic everything...when I hear a quail or a duck (or any other bird) I have to look around and see if it's really what it sounds like or a pretty little mimic.

A couple of years ago I certified our house as a "backyard wildlife habitat". Besides birds, we have desert cottontails with long ears, bats, several different kinds of lizards, butterflies, and this week we even found a tiny baby praying mantis. Before moving to Phoenix we lived in the country in Colorado and wildlife was abundant. Now that I've been able to attract creatures to our suburban back-yard, I am much happier living in Phoenix. I crave nature and love having all the critters come to visit.

I am enjoying reading all the posts about birds.

Pam
Farmgirl #1075



ANGIE
"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance" JUDE 1:2

http://www.pinkroomponderings.blogspot.com/

britchickny Posted - May 27 2013 : 04:37:48 AM
Kathy, I envy you the time to just sit and watch. I eat my breakfast while looking out at the feeder and flowering shrubs and it takes a lot of willpower to tear myself away and get ready for work!
quote:
Originally posted by KathyC

I have really enjoyed this spring and the birds. This is the first spring in almost 40 years that I have not worked. Sold our business last year but stayed and worked with the new owners for a few months to get them going and then spent most of July in California visiting family. Early this spring I would take my coffee, bird book, and binoculars out in the morning and evening to see what was hanging out in the yard. I would not trim the honeysuckle or the azaleas because of birds nesting in them. Right now I have a cardinal, wrens, a thrasher, and a robin sitting on nests. I love to heard all the singing especially in the morning and just before sun set.

I don't currently feed the birds (except a few days of ice last winter) but I do have a couple of bird baths set up for them. I am in the process of setting up another bird bath and also a feeding station.

I've enjoyed seeing all your birds, thanks for the pictures!

Kathy



ANGIE
"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance" JUDE 1:2

http://www.pinkroomponderings.blogspot.com/

coaloha Posted - May 26 2013 : 3:19:03 PM
Hi Noelle and Everyone : )

I am a bird watcher too, with feeders in my yard. Being in Phoenix, we get some birds in our yard that the rest of the country doesn't get. Right now I have a family of Gamble's quail with a dozen tiny chicks, a nesting verdin, white-winged doves, and hummingbirds, to name a few species. The birds here change with the season, and we have different birds in the winter. We have a great-horned owl that likes to spend time in our palm tress and sometimes we see roadrunners and sharp-shinned hawks in our garden. There is a pair of mallard ducks that likes to visit out pool (yikes) . We have lots of mocking birds around and they mimic everything...when I hear a quail or a duck (or any other bird) I have to look around and see if it's really what it sounds like or a pretty little mimic.

A couple of years ago I certified our house as a "backyard wildlife habitat". Besides birds, we have desert cottontails with long ears, bats, several different kinds of lizards, butterflies, and this week we even found a tiny baby praying mantis. Before moving to Phoenix we lived in the country in Colorado and wildlife was abundant. Now that I've been able to attract creatures to our suburban back-yard, I am much happier living in Phoenix. I crave nature and love having all the critters come to visit.

I am enjoying reading all the posts about birds.

Pam
Farmgirl #1075
KathyC Posted - May 21 2013 : 9:43:06 PM
I have really enjoyed this spring and the birds. This is the first spring in almost 40 years that I have not worked. Sold our business last year but stayed and worked with the new owners for a few months to get them going and then spent most of July in California visiting family. Early this spring I would take my coffee, bird book, and binoculars out in the morning and evening to see what was hanging out in the yard. I would not trim the honeysuckle or the azaleas because of birds nesting in them. Right now I have a cardinal, wrens, a thrasher, and a robin sitting on nests. I love to heard all the singing especially in the morning and just before sun set.

I don't currently feed the birds (except a few days of ice last winter) but I do have a couple of bird baths set up for them. I am in the process of setting up another bird bath and also a feeding station.

I've enjoyed seeing all your birds, thanks for the pictures!

Kathy
KuntryKlucker Posted - May 18 2013 : 6:33:07 PM
Hi All,

Last I posted to this thread I had just put up a Blue Bird House. Well... not only did I attract some tenets but now there are some eggs. I am so excited!!! It will be so much for to watch the little ones grow up and leave the nest. I will take pics and share the journey with you all. Here are a few pics that I have taken thus far. Enjoy!!

Home Sweet Home


The start of a new family


The daddy keeping a look out.


The daddy still keeping a look out for bugs and other things deemed delicious.


Give me the simple country life.
KuntryKlucker Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 4:49:54 PM
I now have a bluebird house with bluebirds currently making a nest. It is so exciting watching them come to and from
the box with grasses to make their next. In the coming days I am hoping to get some good pics of the pair and hopefully
the beautiful blue eggs they she female will lay. I will post pics as I get them. This is the first year I have
had my bluebird house and am already to excited.

Give me the simple country life.
KuntryKlucker Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 5:01:19 PM
HI All,

I am glad that you all have liked the bird pics. I love to take pictures of birds, it is amazing some
of the detail that the camera can get. I can study the features of the bird a lot more closely when
the camera catches the birds in still life. It is amazing. I cannot wait till the humming birds come
back again. They are do any time here. I have my feeders out and am waiting till I see the first one
of the season. I get so excited when I see the first hummer of the season. They are the most
challenging to take pictures of. They move so fast and are so small. every year I try to
get a better one than the year before. They are just so beautiful and wonderous.
I have a butterfly and humming bird garden that attracts a lot of hummers. One of these days
I will get a good pic, and when I do I will post it. Maybe this year will be the year.
I have a better camera this year that I have had previous years so maybe that will make difference.

I love hearing your stories about the birds that you all see in your area of the world. Keep it
up, and thanks for sharing.


Give me the simple country life.
herblady55 Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 4:11:01 PM
Laura, I've never heard of an albino Jay...how interesting. I sure hope you can find those pics of him. I'd love to see that!I remember as a little girl traveling West and seeing my first Gray-Jay and thinking of how unusual but cool that was.
I'm really loving this bird sharing! Aren't we just a bunch of bird-nerds! LOL It's just so fascinating!
I also love the way birds send out alarms,especially the Blue-Jay. When I hear that alarm, I run to a window to see what's going on. It may be that a hawk is circling or a cat is too close and is a possible threat. Whatever scares them, they just yell it out there! hahaha
Birds are Just plain FUN,aren't they?

Sister-chick# 905(Sept.14th 2009)
Judy
French-Hugs&Squeezles!
"Hey...Don't Make Me Put My Hands On My Hips!"
"The last thing I want to do is hurt you...but it is on my list!"
lovecatsandsunshine Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 1:31:58 PM
I want hummer's in my yard to eat from nectar. i only see them go to the honey suckle bush. I'm going to grow a patch of oats, wheat and just weeds to bring the indigo bunting back. I rarely see them anymore.


STYX the Band rocks!

Food for thought, no farm no food.
jenne.f Posted - Apr 03 2013 : 05:19:58 AM
Noelle,
Thank you for posting your pictures. They are so pretty.
So nice to see the birds close up. I enjoy hearing all
the stories of everyone's bird encounters and friendships.
The birds have been arriving here for the last few weeks
and it is so nice to hear them again.

~blessings~
Jenne
Farmgirl #4616

"Longin' to be farmin'.."
crittergranny Posted - Apr 02 2013 : 7:26:26 PM
A couple of winters ago we were getting an albino jay coming around. He was pretty cool. I have some pics but probably can't find them easily.
Laura

Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com
herblady55 Posted - Apr 02 2013 : 3:30:48 PM
Ruth,how funny..."they come looking for you if the feeders isn't put up in time!" *giggle* ...cutecutecute...
Monday I saw a pair of yellow finches....WOW!...way too early for those little guys!We usually don't see them until June! I hope they can stay warm!
ROFL...."will2farm" ...I can just picture you in my mind chasing those Kildeer chicks everywhere....and laugh harder when I think of how it looked to your neighbors. hahahahaha *dabs eyes*
Lucy, I'm envious of you western gals who have Bald Eagles. I've never seen one in the wild, and we even traveled out there every summer on family vacation when I was a kid.(in late 50's now)So sad not to see one unless it was in a zoo...at my age! *tsktsk*
It only got up into the upper 30's today and that wind was sharp.
It's 6:30 Pm now and I'm sitting here watching all the birdies at my feeders and suet feeders. I got a peanut suet block today. One of the holders is empty. Think I'll go put that in for my little woodpeckers and nuthatches,before they come knocking on MY windows.hahaha
Happy birdie-watching Gals!

Sister-chick# 905(Sept.14th 2009)
Judy
French-Hugs&Squeezles!
"Hey...Don't Make Me Put My Hands On My Hips!"
"The last thing I want to do is hurt you...but it is on my list!"
will2farm Posted - Apr 02 2013 : 12:51:58 PM
Hi! I loved the pictures. I never to think of taking my camera to the field with me. Kildeer were mentioned and I can't estimate how many times I've been discing a field and momma kildeer does her broken wing trick that signals to me green speckled egg up ahead. Once when we had a wet spring, momma kildeer was trying to detour me so I dutifully got off the tractor to search for the egg. To my surprise I ended up trying to scurry two baby kildeer out of the field. Fast lil critters and momma wasn't to happy with me. I only hope my neighbors weren't watching and wondering what the neighbor lady was doing running circles in the plowed field. I've also seen three flocks of snow geese this year. There's something so peaceful about them.
Luzy Posted - Apr 02 2013 : 12:36:54 PM
Hi! I love watching the birds and all wildlife really. About 3 weeks ago there was a beautiful bald eagle sitting our neighbors power pole. I tried to take a picture, but he flew away before I could get out of the car! We have a lake nearby where they have their nests, so they come around about twice a year. We also have a lot of other birds of prey around here. Knock on wood.....they haven't had a chicken or duck dinner yet!!
Thanks for starting this topic Noelle!

--
May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.
http://luzy.etsy.com- My etsy store!
HodgeLodge Posted - Mar 31 2013 : 7:10:14 PM
I love watching birds too. In the change of weather right now seeing buntings, blue jays, a few robins, and waiting for the first signs of hummingbirds probably in late april. Had a hawk staying close to the house last year, and a few wild canaries. Its all so interesting.


Farmgirl #4817-The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Hodge-Lodge-Clothesline/285366378259342

violetrose Posted - Mar 31 2013 : 5:41:18 PM
Hi Noelle, Thanks for starting this thread and sharing your beautiful bird photos with us :) ! We are big bird watchers, here in Blue Ridge, GA. We are in a wooded area, so we have lots of different Woodpeckers. Even the Pileated, which we love to watch. Had one in our yard today beating up a downed tree - smile. We have a pair of bluebirds that have a nest in a birdhouse on our deck. They have been hanging out, but haven't seen any building activity yet. I made humming bird nectar today as they should be showing up any day now. Last year they arrived on April 8th, and if the food isn't out, they come from window to window looking for us!
Welcome to Farmgirl Connection!
Hugs, Ruth

Farmgirl Sister # 1738

God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!

St. Augustine
StrawHouseRanch Posted - Mar 31 2013 : 4:33:48 PM
Hi Noelle, I've started doing more bird-watching in recent years. I saw a bluebird this morning! Odd thing is that we've had robins around here all winter. I've read that is a sign of how our climate has adjusted. We have a lot of prairie grasses and native wildflowers at our place and the birds all have plenty of eat all winter, naturally. Bright blue finches, and cardinals, and then there are the raptors. Lots of hawks, and I love the owls. I had two of them swoop over me the other morning on their way to somewhere down by the creek when I was walking the dogs before work before sun-up. I could have reached up and touched them. My husband noticed that the barn swallows returned this week! That is our sign of Spring. They have a nest right outside our kitchen door and we watch them raise several batches of babies during the summer. It won't be long and I'll need to hang the hummingbird feeder out too.

Paula

Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.

"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrawHouseDesigns
herblady55 Posted - Mar 31 2013 : 3:47:14 PM
Hey fellow birdie-lovers! I'm a bird-brain too! LOL Now here's a thread that I can sink my bill into! I just love watching birds, so I feed them year round! We get carried away with the feeders too, but what else can you do in NE Ohio when it's THIS frigid and gloomy,right? I just read in a Lowes home improvement tips catalogue that robins just love mealworms. But you say yours didn't give a hoot! hmmm....I may try it any"hoo" just to see if mine will turn cartwheels and get all giggly! LOL We even have the occasional cooper's hawk that breezes thru our fast-food pick-up lane. Of course he's not too interested in the seed per-say, but I'm told that the finch McNuggets are to die for! *giggle* But that is the cycle of life in the bird world isn't it. I feel privledged that he comes around so often and I can watch him on our back fence eating and get some pics or videos of him.He is gorgeous!
WOW! You got some super pics of your birds Noelle! Good job!I really enjoy the woodpeckers too. They can really chow down on the suet cakes can't they? Thanks for the feed recipe. I love spoiling my "tweeties!"
Jeannie,seeing that bunting would thrill me too! Amazing!
ooo-ooo-ooo-, I just saw my first red-wing blackbird today under my feeder. Once it starts coming here,it stays all summer...and sometimes brings a buddy!Gotta love that!
Well, Happy Easter Farm-Buds!
Happy Birding!

Sister-chick# 905(Sept.14th 2009)
Judy
French-Hugs&Squeezles!
"Hey...Don't Make Me Put My Hands On My Hips!"
"The last thing I want to do is hurt you...but it is on my list!"
KuntryKlucker Posted - Mar 28 2013 : 11:16:17 AM
Hey All,

I got a few more fun pics of our feathered friends today. Here are a few of the better ones that I got. Enjoy!!

Blue Jay spotted me with the Camera. What a cute face.


Mocking Bird feasting at the Suit feeder.


Woodpecker busy at work.


Blue Jay feasting at the feeding tray.


Thanks for viewing :-)

Give me the simple country life.
KuntryKlucker Posted - Mar 24 2013 : 06:04:35 AM
Here are a few more pics that I took yesterday. Enjoy!!

Blue Jay perching in tree


Downy Female woodpecker eating out of seed tray.


Male Downy Woodpecker drilling for bugs.


Red Winged Black bird. They showed up in our area about 2 weeks ago.


Give me the simple country life.

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