More Backyard Bird Photos taken with my New Camera

Hey guys,
I hope you aren't sick of video games and photos.  I'm trying to keep busy during this pandemic and gaming and learning photography is a big help :-).

In the past few days, I've had lots of lovely visitors to the back yard, and I swear some come every day and are getting to know me.  I love the birds so much!  And also the flowers.

I hope you enjoy!

First up, the Goldfinches:

Gorgeous male Goldfinch

Next up the Robin came to visit. He like to stand on the garage roof.

Pretty Robin

Robin on my Garage, carrying an inchworm

 The Grackle also came back yesterday.  He was very puffed up, trying to make himself look big as he chased a Raven all through the sky. I wasn't fast enough to get a photo of the Raven chase but here he is, resting on the garage roof, all fluffy and cute. I think he was probably defending his nest.  I hope the Raven won't get it.

Fluffed up Grackle; so cute

I don't know if this is the same Grackle or not, coming in for a snack.  I had to spy on him through the bean poles because he is very timid.

Last, but not least, a flock of pigeons has been visiting every day, and this one in particular is getting very used to me and seems unafraid. He or she lets me get quite close and cocks his or her head when I talk, lol.

Pigeon in front of apple blossoms

Pigeon in front of lilacs 

Friendly pigeon

Pigeon listening to me 

I am really enjoying my new camera, immensely.  I can't wait until I can start to walk at my favorite nature trail again.  It's closed due to covid 19.

More birds, Goldfinches, Nut Brown Bird (some sort of Thrush), Raven, and Pigeons

Some sort of thrush

 This little brown bird is so cute. I think he's a thrush, possibly a Swainison's Thrush.   I've always just called them "Nut Brown Birds", lol.

I had a lot of Goldfinches in the yard too. They are so beautiful!

Goldfinch

Goldfinch at my feeder

It was so nice to see these brightly colored birds.

Friendly pigeon

I also get visits from this pigeon and it's mate every day.  They love to sit on our chimney and roof, but often come down to the yard to eat sunflower seeds.  I like the purple on this one.

Raven

There are also several Ravens who live in the trees across the street. They talk and call constantly, and like to perch at the very top of the tall tree across the street. 

Crow or Raven?

From this angle, I can't tell if this is a crow or raven, but whatever he is, he caught something.  He's sitting on our garage in this photo.

I really need to learn more about birds as I'm having a hard time identifying many of the ones that I see, lol. I'm learning.

More Bird Photos; Chickadee and Grackle

I am loving my new camera so much!

Chickadees are one of my favorite birds, but they move so quickly I've been having a hard time getting photos. Finally, today, I got some.

Adorable Chickadee

 I often try to imitate the "Chickadee dee dee" call of the Chickadees because they respond and whistle back.  I was outside today, and I could hear a Chickadee so I returned the call. He returned my call and I could hear him getting closer and closer but couldn't see him. We have lots of trees.  But he kept getting louder and louder so finally I turned around and he was directly behind my head, in the hedges.  Isn't he (or she) cute?

Chickadee in my hedges

These photos make it look like he just sat there patiently modeling for me, but the truth is, I have about 100 photos of bare branches because he kept hopping around and I kept missing the shots.  I'm glad I got a few good ones, lol.  

Chickadee playing hide and seek

He was very curious and unafraid and came right up to me, maybe 6 inches from my face.  But he was constantly in motion, lol.  

I love these birds and often feed them from my hand, on a local walking trail called Whitefish Island. I should try to start feeding the ones in my yard too.  

I also managed to get some photos of a Grackle.  He was way up in the maple tree. 

Maple tree with Grackle, way up high, no zoom

Grackle with Zoom

Grackle in my maple tree

Grackle looking angry

I wish he'd come down lower so I could get different angle photo, but I am happy with these.  His iridescent feathers are so pretty.

New Camera, Backyard Birds; Rose Breasted Grossbeak and White Crowned Sparrow (aka Skunkbird)

I LOVE my new camera sooo much!  

Today was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, and I needed a distraction from trying to replace everything that the thief stole.  So I went out into the back yard with my camera to try to take some bird photos.

 In the last few days, a migrating flock of White Crowned Sparrows have found our yard...and our feeder!  They are super fast little birds that like to run up and down the garden and through the lawn, and they also run right up tree trunks. Pretty cool little birds, but I confess I've always called them "Skunk Birds" due to the stripe...and only bothered to look up the proper name in the last couple of years, lol.  I always forget and refer to them as Skunk birds, which is a shame because White Crowned Sparrow is such a regal name, lol.

 My Dad was out fixing the boat trailer, painting the truck and doing yardwork.  Here he is (above), taking a rest.

 

 This pretty Rose Breasted Grossbeak was way up high in the maple tree! 

The zoom on this camera is amazing!

 This little guy was staring right at me. So cute!

 This Grackle was also far away.  Such pretty colors.

 I don't know what this last bird is, but he was singing his little heart out from the top of the apple tree next door.  Such a cute bird.

Last but not least, more spring flowers are coming up.  Hyacinths and these purple and pink flowers that my Dad calls Hansel and Gretel flowers. 

The buds are on the trees and the grass is getting green and the migrating birds and geese are back so spring is finally here...really here.  And best yet, it didn't snow this week (it snowed for 3 days last week!). 

Hand Feeding Chickadees!

I love feeding the birds and have 3 feeders that I fill all winter long.  I don't stop until the snow is gone and the grass and buds are growing in spring. 

Cute chickadee eating seeds out of my  hand

 My friend Al knows this and invited me to feed the chickadees with him on Whitefish Island a few weeks ago. I thought I had blogged about it and didn't realize until today that I hadn't.  I had such a great time!

At first, the chickadees were shy with me and they preferred Albert.  He told me it's because he was holding the food bag, lol.  I think it was because I kept squealing, "OMG, they're sooooo cute!" and was scaring them away from me.  When I finally shut up, they came to me. It was like a dream!

Me hand feeding a chickadee

Albert offered to take a few photos of me feeding the birds with my camera, so I finally have some decent pictures of myself, lol. 

Me feeding the chickadees.

OK, this pic is more humorous than decent, lol. 

Albert feeding the chickadees

 I snapped lots of photos of Al feeding them, but my good camera was stolen and the cheap one I bought to replace it is very slow between shots so I missed the photos of the birds sitting on his hat.

Albert with two birds in the palm of his hand

Me feeding the chickadees

There was only a bit of snow that day, but we have a ton now; over a foot and a half fell overnight.  We had whiteout conditions last night, and today is a snow day here in town; everything but the Walmart is closed.

Hand feeding the chickadees

 The chickadees were so sweet!  At one point, I had 3 on my hand, and two on my arm, lining up.  They were very patient and took turns. Then a few minutes later two new chickadees landed and started fighting, in my hand.  It was so cute, lol.

 We stayed for quite awhile, but had to leave just as the sun was starting to set.  There are no lights on Whitefish Island so we had to cross over the little bridge back to the Locks .

Albert on the trail, Whitefish Island.

 I rode my bike quite a bit on Whitefish Island this summer and fall, so it was nice to visit in winter. I'll definitely have to go back.

Leaving the Soo Locks

International Bridge