Bird Talk

Last month I posted about our new bird feeders at the back of our house. I included some pictures of some of the birds we've seen there, but all those pictures were downloaded from the Internet because we hadn't been able to get any decent pictures of our own at that time.  Recently, my husband had the opportunity to borrow a fancy camera lens from a friend.  It enabled him to snap some photos from a good distance away and not scare the birds off.  After they were loaded into Picasa, I edited and cropped some of the pics in order to get some close-ups of of our fine, feathered friends.  :)

 

Have you ever observed an animal and wondered what it might be thinking at that moment?  I do that a lot (mostly with our dog).  It's fun to imagine what the birds at the feeder might be thinking... and saying.  I wonder if they gossip like employees at the water cooler?  I definitely get the meaning of "pecking order" now.  ;)

We managed to capture some funny expressions in these pics, especially of the male cardinal.  The next few photos were taken from inside our kitchen, unlike the others, which were taken from the lower end of our backyard.  Sorry, the screen on the porch makes these pictures a little fuzzy.

You can almost see his thought processes here. 

"Well, what are you staring at?"

"Do you mind not pointing that contraption at me?"

At this point, he's worked his way around to the middle of the feeder -- the better to stare us down.  

"Don't make me come in there."

 

Below is the Carolina Wren.

"Oh boy -- Bark Butter, my favorite!"

"Does this pose make me look dignified?"

"How about now?"

I think the Chickadees are adorable.  They're such fun little birds...all puffed up in this picture.

He looks like he's wearing a little black, velvet cap. :)

"Shoot -- I dropped it and that was my favorite flavor."

 

"Ta-Daaa!  Just like they do in the circus."

Haven't decided what this titmouse is saying, but I'm pretty sure he's getting someone told.

Sideline spectators...

This last picture is pretty fuzzy, but I wanted to include it; it's a Downy Woodpecker, who has been visiting every day.  The Downies are a smaller variety of woodpecker and the male has a small red patch on the back of his head.

In other bird news :), this fellow has also been visiting our seed feeder (Red-bellied Woodpecker), but we haven't gotten a picture of him.  So here's one I downloaded from Wikipedia. 

source

A great online site for identifying and learning about various birds is called:  all about birds.org.  This website features information, pictures, videos, and you can also hear the various bird calls.  The website is hosted by Cornell University. 

Do you like to watch the birds?  I find most animals fascinating.  It seems when we have the chance to observe them, it's a relaxing, therapeutic, and often entertaining exercise.  Which backyard animal do you like best?

Thank you for your visit and I always love hearing from you.  I'll be joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays and Shannon at Cozy Home Scenes for Your Cozy Home Party.  Thanks to both of these ladies for hosting! 

Denise