Jean and I go bird watching almost every week. It’s a good chance to get outside and see the wildlife. I also like to photograph the birds. Over the years, I’ve got some pretty decent shots. (Well, I think so! 
) A white-eyed Vireo:
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher:
Sharp Shinned Hawk:
Pileated Woodpecker:
Oh yes a enjoyable interest , especially when you spot something thats not normall around here . There are a set of glasses for birding almost everywhere around the house and gazebo , for when you want a closer look .
Helen and I enjoy the birds , Gold finches are my favorite at the feeders outside the living room windows .
Your photos are beautiful Bruce .
Beautiful pics! We get the sharp-shins and cooper’s hawks here now and then, going after the doves and other birds that come to our feeders.
I’m not exactly a bird watcher per se but I do enjoy them. We have feeders for the goldfinches (the lesser goldfinch, in this area) and another feeder for the rest of the birds. We get a lot of house finches and various sparrows. There are some pretty sparrows with white stripes on their heads that hang out here during the winter but aren’t seen much in the summer. We also get towhees, and occasionally something “unusual”.
And I love feeding peanuts to the blue jays. There’s one in particular who has become quite bold, and will even come right up to the entry way if he sees me and wants to be fed. But he still won’t eat from my hand.
The local lizards are easier. I’ve been feeding them by hand for years. Mostly fence lizards and the occasional alligator lizard. In the summer when they’re most active and hungry, the fence lizards will run right up to me as soon as they see me. And if I don’t feed them quick enough, the bolder ones will even gently nip at my feet to get my attention!
We have planted trees all around our place, and love the birds that call them home. Makes extra work clearing gutters and washing cars, but it’s well worth it.
Don’t need an alarm clock - the magpies are more reliable!
Not a bird, but it is nature. Sorry for the large image size
(http://zbd.com/photos/Houses/Littleton/Spring2006/IMGP1445.JPG)
I feed the little black capped chickadees, which in turn attracts my pair of local sparrow hawks and a mated pair of coopers who nest in a nearby tall cottonwood.
The 'dees are so tame they sit right on the feeder, scolding me as I replenish their chow.
Some of the other birds that come around are doves and quail, which I feed on the ground.
jb
John Bouck said:Yep, we fed these little fellas, too. That was many moons ago, in the Poughkeepsie area. There was one other bird, a kind of thrush, that was considerably larger than the chickadee but just as friendly.
I feed the little black capped chickadees, which in turn attracts my pair of local sparrow hawks and a mated pair of coopers who nest in a nearby tall cottonwood. The 'dees are so tame they sit right on the feeder, scolding me as I replenish their chow. Some of the other birds that come around are doves and quail, which I feed on the ground. jb
Have tried, but never been able to persuade any Australian bird to hand-feed.
Nice macro, Bob!
Was out photographing a railroad bridge over the Still River when a fast moving shadow caught my eye. Turned the camera toward the sky, zoomed to full telephoto and snapped 3 shots of this guy. I think he’s a Turkey Vulture… [url=
(www.lscdata.com/users/jrad/_forumfiles/Hawk-1024.JPG)
]
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jrad/_forumfiles/Hawk-640.JPG)
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color]
Got this shot of a Wood Duck at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. April 3.
No picture taking here but lots of watching. The woods, pond and a regular supply of sunflower seeds keep it pretty busy.
A list of the usual suspects -
gold finch
house finch
tit mice
various sparrows
various warblers
black capped chickadee
snow bunting
eastern bluebird
carolina wren
cardinal
blue gray gnatcatcher
great crested flycatcher
dark eyed junco
mockingbird
catbird
brown headed cowbird
robin
ground dove
northern oriole
blue jay
northern harrier hawk
white breasted nuthatch
downy woodpecker
red bellied woodpecker
nuisance birds - grackle, starlings, crow
once in awhile visitors-
hummingbirds
blue heron
green heron
bald eagle
-Brian
Bruce Chandler said:
Got this shot of a Wood Duck at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. April 3.(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/Events/TOC_POC_2008/P1010106.jpg)
C’mon, Bruce, we know that is one of Dave’s duck hunting decoys. Nice shot.
Steve Featherkile said:
Bruce Chandler said:
Got this shot of a Wood Duck at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. April 3.(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/Events/TOC_POC_2008/P1010106.jpg)
C’mon, Bruce, we know that is one of Dave’s duck hunting decoys. Nice shot.
Man oh man, is that what you call a wood duck? It looks more like our mountain duck. Sorry about the small pic. It’s a large bird.
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj307/healydj/MountainDuck.jpg)
Wood ducks (maned geese, to be precise) are much less colourful, and a lot smaller than mounties.
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj307/healydj/WoodDuck.jpg)
Some more birds taken on our Northwest tour (the TOC-POC trip :D) An American Coot. They’re found over a good part of North America.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Events/TOC_POC_2008/P1010026.JPG)
An American Wigeon, also found over most of North America.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Events/TOC_POC_2008/P1010400.JPG)
A Rufous Hummingbird - found in the West.
Bruce Chandler said:
Some more birds taken on our Northwest tour (the TOC-POC trip :D) An American Coot. They’re found over a good part of North America.(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/Events/TOC_POC_2008/P1010026.JPG)
. . C’mon, Bruce, we all know that these are the true American Coot, found all over North America. 
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/Events/TOC_POC_2008/IMG_3726.jpg)
Bruce Chandler said:
A Rufous Hummingbird - found in the West.(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/Events/TOC_POC_2008/P1010206.JPG)
Bruce, that is a brilliant shot! What is that thing the bird is approaching?
Dave,
Thanks. That’s a hummingbird feeder - you fill them with sugar water and the hummingbirds flock to it.
Steve, - I guess I left myself open for that one.
Here’s a shot of a Goldfinch I snapped today…at our feeder.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Birds/P1010494.JPG)
A King Rail taken Saturday. It was a bit overcast and he was quick!
A purple finch along with a couple of gold finches at our feeder.
What kind of bird feed do you use? I use the stuff from the hardware store that has a mixture of just about everything. Attracts a lot of sparrows and cardinals, but I’ve never had anything as colorful as what you get.
