My Weekly Bird ABC

Pull up a chair and get a cup of coffee or tea I would like to take you

along to see our 'S' birds.

You will need to be prepared for all kinds of weather,as we are viewing different seasons.

Bird number one is the Snow Goose,or in this case Geese.

In spring we see large flocks of these in our skies.

A much smaller bird,but still seen near the water is the Swamp Sparrow.

Trying to photograph this bird is a challenge,as he like to hide in the reeds.

Another shore bird is the small Spotted Sandpiper.

This one was in town in our park. The Song Sparrow can be seen and heard almost everywhere. Here we see him in the reeds,but he is equally at home on the yard, singing from some nearby branch. Another very secretive bird is the Sora. This bird is in the Rail family. It is rare to catch him out in the open,and they can disappear in the reeds very quickly. The Sanderling is a new Bird for us this year. We were fortunate enough to catch a small flock of them on their way through the area. While they are busy feeding they pay no attention to anyone around,or so it seems. This Sharp-shinned Hawk was photographed in Winnipeg at the Assinniboine Park.

High overhead we catch a glimpse of some Swans.

I think they are Tundra Swans.

Caught in flight is this Swainson's Hawk.

This is a fairly large hawk,with beautiful markings.

During our coldest days we find these Snow Buntings feeding on the ground.

These too are almost always in motion,therefore hard to capture.

Another winter bird is the lovely Snowy Owl.

This particular bird is almost pure white,

making it a male.

Here is a photo of a Sharp-shinned Hawk sitting in the trees.

This slender hawk favors the forested areas.

A rear view of a Sharp-tailed Grouse.

You can see how the name may have come about.

This songster is a Savannah Sparrow.

A drive through the countryside will yield many of

these birds sitting on a pole or wire,singing their heart out.

The only problem is that the song is a quiet lispy tsit-tsit-tsit.

The Swainson's Thrush is a lovely soft looking bird.

In a picture the spots in front look out of focus,

but they are just blended so softly.

Last but not least is this pair of Sharp-tailed Grouse.

They flew up right beside the car and I was lucky enough to get this one good shot

You can learn a great deal about God by studying His creation.

A Few Favorites

I promised to show you our babies,and here they are.

Mama is busy feeding and allows us to come quite close. We have had three Grey Catbirds visit our feeders this year.

They are attracted to the raisins as well. This picture is not as sharp as I would like, but I was pleased to have captured him just on take-off.

The last scene is in a friends yard.

The combination of red and yellow is eye-catching.

You can learn a great deal about God by studying His creation.

My Weekly Bird ABC

If last weeks post was sparse,this week is plentiful.

The first 8 pictures are Jake's work,and the last 5 are done by Ruth.

This is a Ring-necked Duck,although the 'ring' is not visible. Here is a male Ruffed Grouse caught in the act of drumming.

This is a very old photo,taken with slide film and scanned to the computer.This pair of Redhead Ducks are also taken with slide film and scanned.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a year round visitor at our feeders.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet is not east to photograph,

as he is always on the move. Jake caught this one in that second of inactivity.

The male Red-winged Blackbird is about as pretty as could be.

At this time of year the marshes are filled with these birds.

The tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a coveted bird for photographs.

As seen here the red throat feathers only light up when the light hits it just right.

A Red-eyed Vireo is more often heard than seen.

These birds are persistent singers,from the highest branches of the trees.

A common sight on most lakes in summer are the Ring-billed Gulls.

This Red-necked Grebe was a treat to see,as they are not that abundant in our area.

What's not to love about the Rose-breasted Grosbeak?

These birds are colorful and have beautiful rich voices.

Some once said it was like a Robin who had taken voice lessons.

Last but not least is the colorful small Ruddy Duck.

This guy is almost clownish,with his bright colors.

If you ever have a chance to watch their courtship display

you will certainly enjoy it.

The vigorous head bobbing is most amusing.

How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5

My Garden

Here is a verse I like:

My garden beautifies my yard,

and adds fragrance to the air.

But it is also my cathedral and

my quiet place of prayer.

The following were taken last summer in our garden,

I give them to you to cheer your day.

Today cultivate an appreciation

for the beauty of nature.

My Weekly Bird ABC

'Q', now this one is a challenge.

The first bird is known as a Common Grackle

but for today I will use it's scientific name,

Quiscalus quiscula.

I am thankful that this is not the usual way of referring to this bird.

All birds have a common name and a scientific one.

The Grackle is not one of the most loved birds,

as it may raid other nests,and when a flock arrive

they can empty the feeders very quickly. Now I will move on to Queer.

The House Finch pictured below has a queer hair style.

I think it was part of the molt,but I like the bad hair day idea.

As if that wasn't queer enough,take a look at this American Robin.

He looks in rough shape,but did not act sick so it was probably in molt as well.

I think he is about the most pathetic looking Robin I have ever seen.

Queer seems to fit well here.

I know this post does not have many pictures,

but this is all I could come up with.

Check back next Monday,it should look much better.

How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5

A Cold Birding Day

Let me show you our nursery.

We have two Robin nests within 40 feet of each other.

This one is visible from the kitchen table,

the other one is above the light fixture on the house.

As soon as we have newborns I will show those pictures.

This picture was taken a few days ago. Today,while shivering in the cold

the words from a winter song come to mind today.

'The weather outside is frightful.'

Well O.K. it's not storming,but it is very cold.This morning the bird baths were frozen solid.

although the weather is not great,the birds made up for it.

While sitting on the back steps I was treated to the following birds.

The first one is a Rufus-sided Towhee.Isn't he a beauty?

Next we have a Rose-breasted Grosbeak,

another colorful bird.

I know these two are good 'R' birds and I will use them again.

Trust me,I have lots more pictures of these two.

Below is the Baltimore Oriole.

He is at the tray with raisins put there for the Robins.

Seems he enjoys the water,sweetened by the fruit.

We also offer orange halves and nectar for the Orioles.

We also had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird show up,but,

unfortunately no pictures. The song of a Robin is an angels voice in the garden.

My Weekly Bird ABC

Welcome to my weekly bird series.

'P' stands for pretty,plain and maybe pesky.

Today 'P' represents a variety of birds.

The male Purple Finch seen here is one of the pretty birds for today. Another view of this gorgeous bird.

Plain would probably describe the female Purple Finch. She lacks the vibrant color but is still a good looking bird. The Male Finch has a beautiful song as well. This 'P' bird, the Pileated Woodpecker used to be somewhat rare around here but that has changed. We see him often in various parts of town. Even when one doesn't see the bird,the large oblong holes he drills into the trees are a sure give away. Another rather plain bird is the Pied-billed Grebe. This is the smallest of the grebes. Grebes are known for diving under water to find food. I think pretty would also describe the Palm Warbler. Recently when I had the chance to watch him gleaning insects from the shrubs,I realized that he is tireless in his search. Some folks would say this last bird is pesky. I do like them a lot. On the coldest days of winter they show up and fill the air with their twitter. In flight they show patches of yellow on the wings. What's not to love about a cute little bird like this. I might add that the following picture is proudly displayed in our living room.

Today's pictures are a mix of Jake and Ruth's work. How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5

My Personal Best

After reading the latest post seen here :http://hannibalsanimals.blogspot.com/

I was inspired to post this picture.

She has challenged us to post our personal best picture.

Check out her picture,it is excellent.

This is my personal best to date.

It was taken last year close to our little town.

It was later in the day with the sun giving a golden light.

The Western Meadowlark was sitting in just the right spot,

the light was perfect,and I was able to steady the camera to get this shot.

All that I have done to it is crop it just a little bit.

How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5

Goose,Gulls and Grass

On Saturday May 2 Jake and I spent an enjoyable day in Winnipeg.

We visited only two places,Fort Whyte Alive and St.Vital Park.

Here is a sampling of pictures taken on that day.

In St.Vital Park the Gulls were everywhere.

I don't know who was being yelled at here,

but check out that mouth.

This is the kind of pictures I like to take.

Just some of last years grasses against a blue sky. At Fort Whyte Alive I saw this Canada Goose standing on the shore. The reflections caught my eye. The last picture is one which Jake got at St.Vital Park. This Gull was coming in for a landing. The shutter snapped at just the right moment. How great are your works,O Lord. Psalm 92:5

My Weekly Bird ABC

On this beautiful spring day,let's take a look at the 'O' birds.

The first one is none other than the Ovenbird.

You will most often see this bird walking along on the ground

like a chicken.

The next bird is considerably larger.

The Osprey is seen at a lake or river,hunting for fish. Below is a photo of several Orchard Orioles. The three darker birds are the Orchard Orioles. Also seen here are a male and female Baltimore Oriole. These birds were cleaning out the oranges which I was going to throw out. The last two pictures show the Orange-crowned Warbler. The orange on it's crown is very subtle and often goes unseen. If you look carefully it can be seen in these pictures

All pictures,except for the Osprey were taken by Jake,

The Osprey is done by Ruth.

How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5