Green Heron

I only have crappy pictures to show my latest and newest (to me anyway) bird.

A Green Heron!

I was so shocked to see him land less than 5 feet away from me (I was working on my Creel Fairy Lodge) that I couldn't get my camera ready fast enough and he didn't like me moving around to get my camera so he took off and landed a little ways down the creek, but I looked him up online when I got back inside and found out what he was! For me, it feels so surreal to see Herons in the creek...in the mountains! 

My hands were a little steadier by now, but he was intently moving away from me! 

I hope I see him again!

I love life by the creek!

Birding Life List:

1. Crow

2. Eastern Bluebird
3. Common Grackle

4. Red Belly Woodpecker

5. Mallard Duck

6. Downy Woodpecker

7. Ruby Throated Hummingbird

8. Green Heron

Downy Woodpecker...maybe

In bird watching, sometimes, it can be extremely difficult to decipher the differences between 2 birds. Take the Hairy and the Downy Woodpecker. This is a side by side comparison, but unless I have them both side by side: I can't tell the difference. So, I am thinking it's a Downey, but heck...I could be wrong.

A baby coming in for a landing only to discover that a metal pole is much slicker and harder to get a grip than a bird branch. It was all flutter trying to maintain it's balance!

Not the most graceful of stances as it has it's body and tail torqued in order to stay on...but he finally succeeded in staying put. I love Dad checking out his progress, he seems to be looking at him in question..."hanging on there son?"

When Dad is assured that sonny boy is secure he goes in for a feeding! Poor kid, he had to work for this mouthful of food! 

Birding Life List:

1. Crow

2. Eastern Bluebird
3. Common Grackle

4. Red Belly Woodpecker

5. Mallard Duck

6. Downy Woodpecker

Mallard

Well, I spent this past week making as many signs as I could....only 16, but I have no idea if they will sell or not, so sometimes it's good not to make too many until you're sure how they will be received! lol I did make one sign using my Susan K. Weckesser stamp, "What's Up Gnomey" and you can see it over on the {my sweet earth} blog post today. Would love for you to stop by and see it.

I have new "pets" to feed now, my Mallards! I've only seen them a couple of times in the creek last year, but they never came "ashore" before. The squirrels must have told them how easy I am to train to feed them cause now they are becoming regulars around here.

They heard there was food here along with great service....

Mr. Mallard keeping a close eye on his rival drake who was stalking them, making sure he doesn't get too close to the lady love. He is suspicious that they have already been too close....hmmm...he knew he shouldn't have left her alone in the woods last night.

 Mrs. Mallard has a decision to make....to stay in the relationship or dump him for that new drake...

We took a walk around the garden discussing marital fidelity and then the wife told him that she loved him...it had all been a horrible mistake. Would he please give her another chance?

Darn, Mr. Mallard says...he knew it all along.

Birding Life List:

1. Crow

2. Eastern Bluebird
3. Common Grackle

4. Red Belly Woodpecker

5. Mallard Duck

Birds and Butterflies

I love my little creek that is behind my garden, especially since my neighbor moved in down below me. She is fairly quiet but when her kids come over...well, I am spoiled, I've had peace and quiet for 4 years. I guess I better just be thankful I had it for that long. I'm adjusting by taking my chair and camera down by the creek and chilling. So I did manage to get a picture of a Common Grackle down along the creek bed which I thought was unusual since I've not seen him out in the open areas.

Birding Life List:

1. Crow

2. Eastern Bluebird
3. Common Grackle

Butterfly Life List:

1. Monarch

2. Pipevine Swallowtail

3. Silver Spotted Fritillary

4. Tiger Swallowtail

5. Black Swallowtail

I had to start including my butterflies too since I am adding a new one! I was walking up and down the creek...don't ask....and there he was, so I had to quickly, but silently slosh my way back to my chair and grab my camera to get a picture of him. I was so excited...seriously, I do need to get a life....lol When I got back inside, I had to enlist the help of a group to identify him...
6. Red Spotted Purple!
( who names these things? There is no red, and no purple!! )

Eastern Bluebird

I admit I have several "favorites" and the Eastern Bluebird is high up on that list. One of the reasons the Bluebird is my favorite is because of my mom who absolutely loved them and kept trying ( unsuccessfully ) to get them to nest in their "special built just for them" boxes. We use to tease her about the other poor birdies whom she would chase away and clean out their nest materials..."so unfair we would say...how mean you are"....lol Well, she passed away 4-4-99 and while the family was gathered together discussing her funeral arrangements, we all saw it...a bluebird making a nest in one of the boxes. I think we all had a good laugh saying that mom was finally getting her way, shoving bluebirds into the nesting boxes from heaven. How she would have loved that, and what a moment it was for the family to experience.

♥

Below is one of my favorite pictures...yes, I even have favorite pictures of favorite birds.....how silly am I? So one winter I had this male trying to keep warm on my balcony and he was just so cute, even in his dull winter coat, all puffed up!!

I do get tickled at Daddy Bluebird seeing how many dried meal worms he can carry in his beak. He must have a nestful of hungry mouths waiting on him because he makes a ton of trips to my feeder.

And hoping for a return of the parents bringing their babies to me to be fed. I loved this series of pictures, that I took outside on my balcony! An absolute top 10 moment for me!

 Birding Life list:

1.Crow

2.Eastern Bluebird

Crows

Crows really do not interest me that much, although I know how smart they are, they are also loud and annoying in general. Usually I don't bother taking pictures of them either, but I admit that every time I see them I wish they were Ravens...now a Raven is a bird I would love to fly into my backyard! 

However, back to the crow. This is about the only time that a crow fascinated me. Which means, I actually said "oh wow", and grabbed my camera...a sure sign I am impressed. I've never had one land on my suet feeder before, it's amazing how big they looked when perched on my tiny feeder.

But the amazing part was that he managed to hang upside down in order to be able to grab the suet out of the cage.

I really had no idea that he would have the strength to pull himself up like that!

This is my favorite shot since it looks like he he posing for me and thinking how I shouldn't put him so low on the list of my favorite birds. I do admit he redeemed himself a little bit this day.
Just a little...

Still wish he was a Raven....

"American Crows are familiar over much of the continent: large, intelligent, all-black birds with hoarse, cawing voices. They are common sights in treetops, fields, and roadsides, and in habitats ranging from open woods and empty beaches to town centers. They usually feed on the ground and eat almost anything – typically earthworms, insects and other small animals, seeds, and fruit but also garbage, carrion, and chicks they rob from nests. Their flight style is unique, a patient, methodical flapping that is rarely broken up with glides."

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology  

1. Crow

Keeping a birding life list

I love birding but more specifically, I love the birds that I see in my backyard. I am not one to travel to locations to get a glimpse of a species...for some reason this does not interest me. However I love to see how many different species visit my yard, whether they are in the woods or on my feeders. I also love taking pictures of them to "officially" record them, and it also helps to use the photographs when identifying them too. I am not the best at either and do get frustrated in both endeavors, but I am doing the best I can. :)

Here is information on what a birding life list is:

Definition:

(noun) A cumulative record of bird species that have been positively identified and seen by individual birders. Most birders prefer to record only birds they have observed in natural habitats, and many birders arrange birding tours and travel to local and regional festivals to see more species to add to their life lists. Differences within species, such as male and female birds, are not generally recorded.

Many field guides offer species checklists as an appendix that birders can use to record their life lists. Some birders also prefer to keep life list records in a birding journal or online blog. Additional lists may be kept for backyard birds, rare birds, state birds and other specialized categories.

A great way for birders to keep track of the species they've seen is with a life list which

 is a cumulative record of the bird species an individual birder successfully identifies, and keeping a list is the easiest way to track which birds you have seen. For most birders, however, it is just fun to keep a life list and add up how many bird species you have seen.

To properly add a bird to your life list, the bird must be…

• Positively Identified: The individual keeping the life list must be able to identify the bird in question through field markings or sounds. It is acceptable to have another birder or observer point out the bird species, but to add it to a life list the birder in question must then see the markings for themselves to be confident in their identification.

• Ethically Observed: All proper birding ethics must be followed for a bird to count on an official life list. If laws are broken to observe the bird or the bird is harmed in the process of identification, it would not be acceptable to add it to the life list. For example, trespassing on private property without being invited is a violation of birding ethics and any observed species would not count.
• Alive: Birds must be alive to be counted on a life list. For the purposes of listing, eggs are not considered alive, and dead birds – such as prey of other animals – are also unacceptable sightings.
• Wild: To add a bird to a life list, it must be observed in the wild and behaving as a wild bird would be expected. Domesticated birds, escaped pets or birds that are deliberately imported such as for a zoo, petting zoo or ornamental garden are not acceptable life list sightings.
• Free: A bird should not be captive or restrained in any way to be considered part of a life list. Birds that are in wildlife rehabilitation, for example, cannot be counted, and should not be counted immediately after their release until they have resumed wild activities for feeding, roosting, migrating and so forth. Similarly, wild birds in zoos,aviaries and aquariums cannot be counted on a life list.
• Established: Ideally, the most "pure" life list will only count birds seen directly in their native habitat that have established viable breeding populations for at least several generations. This is the most controversial factor to consider for building a life list, and in general, if the other conditions are met the bird's population will likely be established.Vagrant birds are an exception, but are generally considered suitable to add to a life list if they arrived outside their range without human assistance – a bird that was captured and unwillingly transported before release in a new area, for example, would not count, but a bird that migrated poorly because of storms could be added to a life list.