Blues & Reds

I have 4 beautiful blue jays that frequent my feeders. Today I tossed some peanuts by the door on the patio so we could get a little closer look at them. I know there are mixed reactions about having blue jays at your feeders, but I think they are such beautiful birds. I know the first picture isn't very sharp, but I thought it was funny. I snapped it just as he was fluffing his wings to hop up the steps.

When I was at the park earlier this week, I spotted my first red shouldered hawk. The "in-flight" picture isn't as crisp as it could be, and there is a twig in the way, but you can see the red on his right "shoulder". (Look at those talons!)

At My Feeder

I was watching the sparrows and mourning doves at my backyard feeders for awhile this afternoon. I left the window for a few minutes, and when I returned, all the birds were suddenly gone. A few minutes later, this juvenile cooper's hawk landed just a few feet away from the feeders. Thankfully he didn't find any food at my feeders and moved on. I managed to get a couple pictures through the window before he flew off.

At the Park

Here are some pictures from my last couple birding outings.


Eastern phoebe









































Eastern wood pewee



























Don't know what this bird is yet










































2 male common flickers, facing off over the female



























On another note, I'm pretty sure all our ruby-throated hummingbirds have migrated. I haven't seen one since 9/20. I'm leaving my feeder out, though, to see if I can attract any migrants that may be passing through. Will be sure to post if I have any!

Juvenile Male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Vacation Birds

We vacationed in the Smoky Mountains last week. I got to add a few new birds to my lifelist: common raven, belted kingfisher, cedar waxwing, and carolina wren. Of course we saw lots of other birds, too.

Following are a couple pictures from vacation, followed by a couple pictures taken at a local metropark.

Cedar waxwing

Wild turkey

Indigo bunting

Gray catbird

Young American Robin

Stopping for a Snack