By now most of you know how much I love being outdoors...and how much I enjoy birding. I still consider myself an amateur birder but maybe I am not as amateur as I thought. The other day hubby and I went to an open house at a fish hatchery not far from us. There were booths set up and one of the booth was from the Naturalists society in our area. We walked over and were checking out some of the nests they had on display and bird information, anyhow, I started chatting with one of the ladies who was tending the booth and described a bird I had observed in the tree the other day...I told her about it's plumage, where I spotted it and it's call....I think she was impressed with my description...she then went on to give examples of birds she thought it might be...but when she started saying their names...I was able to say...oh no it wasn't that I have seen that...and so on....it got me thinking....maybe I know a little more than I give myself credit. I still haven't determined what the bird was...even after looking in my bird books with one of those being Sibley's the bible on birding.
Anyhow, this lead us to a lovely discussion about birds and one common bird the Stellar Jay...our provincial bird. She and a few of the ladies around her were saying that they haven't seen hardly any this year...I told them they needed to come to my property....we have a high bird count sometimes as high as 14...but generally around 4. They were happy to hear that, as they say that they can be migratory and move out of the area.
I am learning to keep the camera close at hand, and now my binoculars so I can get a close up view of some of the birds that have been showing up around my place. Apparently, this has been an incredibly good year for small birds. I commented that I have been pleasantly surprised at the variation of birds and the increase in numbers. Yesterday was no expectation.... While preparing dinner I looked out at the bird feeder and here is what I saw....
Golden Crown Sparrow...notice the yellow stripe on the head...very distinct for this bird..along with the grey breast and the speckled wings.
As most of you know I live in a rural area....one of the things that comes along with that is you often see things that you just wouldn't see in the city. The other day hubby was coming home and just on the side of the road he observed these...... 
Can you see them? On a closer look.....
Aren't they just gorgeous.....they do have a home...but I guess they just decided they needed to get out for a stroll.
12 comments:
They are sooooooooo gorgeous!! Thank you for sharing!
We get ducks stopping by in our pond from time to time. We have a duck decoy in there to encourage them to visit us.
Congrats on your birds and duck photos... you have some really nice pictures! You have a very nice environment to be able to catch in on some nice wildlife and birds so you are correct in keeping the camera with you... you just never know what you will be able to snap next!
I love the outdoors too and hope to get away soon. Your photos are beautiful. I sent you an email but it came back. I did my little heart thingy, it's over...ciao
I always love your photos -especially the wild life. Today was an extra bonus day in my blog readings with bird photos as you had these great pics and Misty (at My Dogs Keep Me Sane) had some really great bird shots too. Keep 'em coming, kid!
they are gorgeous and I love that you made sure to tell us that they do have a home LOL
you know how we worry
I'm so happy that you're back around more regularly, these photos made my morning.
I enjoyed this post. I like to watch birds and try to photograph them myself and through the years have learned more of their names although I still have a ways to go. You got some good shots for this post. I'll be interested if you do eventually determine the bird that you were discussing with the lady at the booth.
So you're a twitcher? That's a birdwatcher over here. MWM dabbles a bit too, though not to the extent of going into a hide with binoculars, just spotting in the garden. Love the photos.
In birding I would be a novice. But recently as I been walking I find some interesting birds.
My father in law liked to take picture of different birds.
So glad to see you back blogging. And glad your shoulder is getting better. Love those shots of the ducks! So crystal clear - I never knew you were into birding. I'm going to keep checking your bro's blog.
Beautiful!
Do you keep a journal of all of the birds you have seen?
Yes I journal all the birds I spot...and now being able to capture them on film helps me to distinguish them better.....
Post a Comment