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!



Tree Swallow - Week 10

Tree Swallow (Female)

Location:  Mecosta, Mi
Subject:  Tree Swallow

Our birdhouse finally has occupants.  There were two nesting pairs fighting for the rights to this charming little birdhouse.  They have such pretty little songs.  The cute little female peeking out and her mate were actually there to claim their stake first.  So it was cute to see them fighting off the other pair.  Each time after they would successfully send the other pair packing they would sit on top of the bird house and sing to eachother.  Sometimes they would get rather loud with eachother too.  Maybe it wasn't all singing praises.  Maybe they are like most couples and were expressing their differences of opinions.



This photo is clearly out of focus but I was shooting in manual mode and action got intense.  The swallow on the right is the female and she clearly was voicing a strong opinion to her mate and he clearly was getting the picture. :o)

We are loving all our fine feathered friends.

Robins - Week 6

Week 6 of 52

Location:  Mecosta, MI

Subject:  Robin in a Maple Tree

Mostly we see Robins bopping along on the ground, cocking their cute little heads to the side listening for worms.  This little guy decided to check us out and flew into the Maple tree in our front yard.  This photo was taken last Sunday when it was 85° out.  It was such a beautiful day.  Z. and I spread a blanket out under the Maple tree and read to eachother.  Rachel and Jake enjoyed a bike ride and then we all just layed under the tree enjoying the warmth.

Birds of Prey - Week 5

Osprey

Location:  Mecosta, MI
Subject:  Osprey

I apologize for picture quality.  It is a grey sort of day around here and these birds were very, very high up.  But these birds are very, very large.  Its body can reach up to 24 inches and its wingspan 7 feet.  They mainly feed on fish and so nest high up near bodies of water.

We have so many birds now that spring is here.  Or is supposed to be anyway.  But we see new birds everyday.  We spotted these two on the way to meeting the other day building their nest right around the corner from our house.  I stopped today on the way home from service in hopes of catching them so we could figure out just what kind of birds they were.  Happily we found them both in their nest working away.

Enjoy these large birds of prey.  Hopefully next week the sun will peek out from behind these clouds and I can get you some cheerier pictures.

Spring is Coming - Week 2

American Goldfinch

Spring is Coming!  Week 2 of 52 Captured Moments

Location:  Mecosta, MI near Pretty Lake
Subject:  American Goldfinch Females
Spring is coming in slowly here in our neck of the woods.  Confirmed by a nesting pair of Robins in our yard.  They are sneaky little things though so I haven't gotten a post worthy photo yet.  But the woods surrounding our house are filled with all sorts of bird calls.  So pretty when you step outside.  To hear that is, this time of year is not what I would consider pretty.  The pretty snow is gone, leaves have not yet begun to bud, and since snow is rapidly melting everything is muddy.  All of which equals - brown!  Easy enough to bear since we know what is coming.

Enjoy the birds, hopefully by next week I will capture a photo of that Robin or of the Bald Eagle that I spotted nearby.  Wouldn't that be fantastic!