lonestranger

I spend most mornings sitting on the back porch watching the birds come and go to the feeders while I sip a couple cups of coffee. I set the tripod up yesterday and locked it in place on the woodpeckers favorite spot on the nearby tree for a prolonged shoot. I don't usually lock the tripod head in place, but I was hoping for consistency in the photos so I might be able to create a composition of woodpeckers. Unfortunately, I had to unmount the camera and move the tripod to get a few shots of the Cooper's Hawk that had all the birds on high alert before I was done. After the hawk flew off, I set the tripod up as close as I could to it's previous position and carried on with the shoot. I got some decent photos but was really disappointed that the Red-bellied Woodpeckers didn't make their regular appearance along with the Downy, Hairy, and Red-headed Woodpeckers that did make their usual appearance. Okay, enough babble, here's a few of yesterday's photos cropped individually, any creativity with post processing will have to wait for the post processing mood to strike. Red-headed Woodpecker going to the feeder. Hairy Woodpecker going to the feeder. Downy Woodpecker going to the feeder. Red-headed Woodpecker returning with a seed. Hairy Woodpecker returning with a seed. The uncooperative Downy Woodpecker that kept landing on the back side of the tree returning with a seed.

A Hairy Woodpecker(right) and a young Red-headed Woodpecker(left).

BRDL 564 🥚🥚🥚🪶 🐦🥚🥚🥚 🐦🪶🥚🥚 🐦🥚🪶🥚 🥚🥚🥚🥚 🐦🐦🐦🐦 Would someone be kind enough to help me out with this code, please? I have checked every source I could find, and I can't find a match. Help!!!

birdie 🦢 #447: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟩⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

BRDL 563 🥚🪶🥚🥚 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🐦🐦 🐦🥚🐦🐦 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🦃 #446: 🟥🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

We lost one of the adult Red-headed Woodpeckers to a car strike a month or so ago and were worried about young ones being left with only one parent. Needless to say we were quite happy when we started seeing at least one youngster coming and going to the feeders.

I had the pleasure of watching this Eastern Bluebird chow down on a june bug early one morning last week. He'd pick it up, shake it and bang/throw it on the ground until he broke through the shell, and then he'd pick at the meal hidden inside.

Another Hairy(right) and Downy(left) comparison.

This is actually a Cooper's Hawk, the leg feathering of a Rough-legged Hawk would cover the legs right down to the toes to the point where you wouldn't see any bare leg. Posting in the North American ID forum will typically get more attention and faster responses. I'll also point out that 20 years to the day is a long time to wait to ID a new bird. 😄 Sorry, couldn't help but notice the date typo.

You can see the graduated tail feathers of a Cooper's Hawk in the last photo. The larger beak that sort of flows from the forehead can be seen in the 2nd and 3rd photos as well. A Sharp-shinned Hawk has a smaller beak that sort of juts off it's face compared to the beak of a Cooper's Hawk.

Never heard of today's bird, but it's a pretty bird worth looking at.

birdie 🦆 #445: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟩 https://birdiegame.net/

BRDL 561 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🥚🐦 🥚🥚🪶🐦 🐦🪶🥚🐦 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🐦 #444: 🟥🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

Sarcasm??? If not, just what part of the world do you live in?

I've seen that done. 🙃

Did you consider the possibility of them being 4arblers?

I use a guide now and then to help me with key features that I can't keep straight in my head. As an unrelated example, I know that leg colour can help separate some of the white herons/egrets, but I don't get enough exposure to memorize which leg colour goes with which species. If I saw a photo of a white egret's legs, I might use my guide to help me narrow down my options instead of guessing randomly. I try to solve it on my own, and sometimes I do just just guess randomly, but I'm not afraid to turn to the guide for help now and then when the mood strikes me.

Only a few sightings of Northern Shrike, and only one decent photo worth sharing.

BRDL 560 🥚🥚🥚🥚 🥚🥚🥚🥚 🥚🪶🥚🪶 🪶🪶🥚🥚 🐦🥚🪶🪶 🐦🐦🐦🐦

birdie 🦢 #443: 🟥🟥🟥🟩⬛⬛ https://birdiegame.net/

Maybe the orioles out west prefer their grapes fresh instead of jellied. Or maybe they like the fermented grapes from the wine growing regions. 😁

I have seen a variety of birds feeding off our grape jelly, but I don't think I have ever seen the hummingbirds eating it. They'll feed from the nectar ports of the oriole feeder but not eat the jelly. If you have orioles going to your hummingbird feeders, they'll quickly take to a nearby oriole feeder, similar to the one linked below, where the grape jelly and oranges are easily discovered. Once they realize that jelly is a treat, you'll want to buy an extra jar or two because they can go through it pretty fast. From my experience, the cheap stuff works just as good as the brand name jellies. If the orioles haven't discovered the nectar in your hummingbird feeders, you may not have success, but the hummingbirds will quickly find the nectar in the oriole feeder so it won't be a total waste. https://www.amazon.ca/Natures-Way-OFP1-Oriole-Buffet/dp/B08KSG3PFS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=YIT7RJQPIRMC&keywords=oriole+feeder&qid=1691277696&sprefix=oriole%2Caps%2C460&sr=8-3

I don't see anything to indicate leucisism. Their appearance is quite variable.