A Bunch of Birds and Rambling

Today was a birding kind of day.  I had just made it over the first hill in the Back Forty when I heard the sound I’ve been waiting to hear for the last few weeks–the bobolinks are back!

bobolink

I love their song and their bright breeding colors.  They were putting on quite the show for me!

It makes me wish I hadn’t had my 300mm lens on my camera because, even though I can zoom in really close, I have horrible lens shake with it.

I need a monopod, and I do have one, but I haven’t figured out how to change it from a tripod to a monopod, and the directions are very unclear.  Almost as unclear as my pictures handheld with this lens.

Anyhow, I can live with a little shake in the bluebird.

I am seeing the northern flickers almost everyday because there’s a whole family of them living out here.  The robin on top was just a bonus.

I missed the nuthatch because they are such quick little things.  I also saw a ton of blackbirds and sparrows.  Here are more birds from pasture–

blue jay

red bellied woodpecker

eastern meadowlark

When I was hanging laundry out this morning, I got to see a Baltimore oriole, but I didn’t have my camera.  It sat there and watched me and let me tell him how beautiful he was, and he was gone by the time I got back with my camera.  That’s okay because I got to see the red-headed woodpeckers that live in the paddock north of my barn.

When I was in pasture, the orioles were still trolling me.  Nothing but a fly-bye shot.

Later when I was doing laundry, I saw the male cardinal.  I think there’s a pair that are living in the pine trees on the north edge of my yard.  Since I was again doing laundry and didn’t have my camera, this shot is from a couple of evenings ago.

Here’s the eastern kingbird.

Another wind/lens shake shot–this time the eastern goldfinch.

Luckily, by the time I got up from the pasture, they had figured out I put out the bird feeders in their summer location north of the house.

The red-breasted grosbeak found it too!

It was definitely a good birding day.  Now I just need the hummingbirds to find their feeder.

Rainy Day Bird Watching

With the cold rainy weather, there wasn’t much to do but watch birds out my window.

red-bellied woodpecker

cardinal

downy woodpecker and house finch

junco

sparrow and cardinal

hairy woodpecker

nuthatch

I think I need to wash the window.  Sadly, I really want to replace the window with a newer glass that doesn’t distort as badly.

I’m sharing with Bird d’Pot.  If you’re interested, there’s still time to join in Friday’s Hunt.

Enjoying Birds

I have to say, I’ve been enjoying the birds this weekend.

I’m going to have to keep the feeders filled up now that I don’t have yard goats!

I’m sharing today with Bird d’Pot.