This Weekend Was For The Birds!

As mentioned before, we are keeping a journal of all the fine feathered friends that visit our place.  With spring finally deciding it wants to be here to stay, we have been seeing all sorts of new birds.  This weekend was crazy with all the new birds showing up.  Even Cameron got into the birdwatching and snagged the camera from me when I was looking up the new birds in our awesome book from my grandma.

So here are a few.  Mind you, they are not all perfect photos - I know, I can't believe I am posting them either.  I drive Cameron nuts with my perfectionist ways so I am going out of my comfort zone a little and showing you imperfect photos only because we were so excited to see all the new birds this weekend.   

 

Brown-Headed Cowbird - Male



Brown-Headed Cowbird - Female





These two are not the prettiest examples of what we saw this weekend but I think they are interesting little birds.  I kept seeing them in the bird book so I was pretty excited when they finally decided to visit our place.

Not in the sense that they are a welcome visitor but just to see one.  These little guys are NOT nice to others!

They are vagabonds - they build no nest, no home in a crevice of a tree.  So they deposit their eggs into other smaller birds nests.  The young hatch earlier than the other birds and out eat the smaller birds so the smaller, true babies of the host nest usually die off.  Big Meanies! 


Purple Finch - Male



Chipping Sparrow






 

These cute little guys are both pretty skittish.  The purple finch has been here before but stayed so far away I couldn't even get a picture as good as the not so good one here on the right.  But they are really cute.  And the chipping sparrow was so small.

The bird feeder hangs right out the front window.  So most of the time I am attempting to photograph through either dual paned glass or old glass that is warped and imperfect.  Apologies - or is that excuses?  Either way when I try to open a door - ANY door, to try and sneak outside to get a better photo - they fly away.


Rose-Breasted Grosbeak



Rose-Breasted Grosbeak - Female









The males of this species is quickly becoming Cameron's favorite.  They are very brave and fearless of us human types.  You can almost get close enough to touch them before they fly away.  Mostly we see males but this weekend we saw the female. 

Amazing how incredibly different they look.  Most of the bird world actually.  The males are so flashy and beautiful and the females are less colorful and a lot are so drab and dull looking.  Probably a good thing though since most need to be hidden from predators while they hatch those eggs.



Red-Winged Blackbird - Male

These blackbirds were also not new this weekend but we seemed to have more than usual.  And we also spotted a female but I could not get a good photo of her.  The red and yellow on their wings is much more visible as they fly.  Beautiful birds.



But these folks, these are what got us, well me anyway, so excited this weekend.  These birds are so bright and beautiful they almost look fake. 





Northern (or Baltimore) Oriole - Male

 

Northern (or Baltimore) Oriole - Female

      



















Seriously, they are so beautiful in person.  Go to the grocery store and pick up the brightest tangelo you can find and that is the color of the male.  And unlike some of these other bird species, the female may be duller but her coloring is so soft and pretty.  LOVE these birds!



We also had our first hummingbirds of the year.  But those little guys are so fast.  I did get one shot but I refuse to wander THAT far out of my comfort zone! :o)  We also saw some cranes - not at our house but out in some fields.  They are such awesome birds, especially when they fly low overhead.

What a great place to see Jehovah's diverse creations!