Cardinal Fledgling

I think this a pretty sweet fledgling Northern Cardinal. It hasn't taken him long to figure out the situation.

Tufted Titmice Part II

Grab a seed and go!

Resting on his elbow.

Let's get cracking!

Checking to see if the coast is clear.

We are really enjoying the Tufted Titmice and fledglings. It is really tough to get good pictures of them because they move so quickly. I really like the 2nd picture of the fledgling and the little one in the flower pot : )

Enjoyng the Titmouse Family

We have several Titmice and fledglings coming to the feeder now. We sure enjoy watching them. I read that they're not afraid of people. My husband sat out on the deck one morning this week and here they came. I went out there and they seemed to like coming just because we were there. Also, we noticed that the Chickadees were coming, too. The Titmice like the Black Sunflower Seeds and the Chickadees like the millet. They both will sit at the feeder working at cracking the seeds open. Fun to watch.

Cardinal Feeding Fledgling

It was very overcast on the day I took these pictures. Male Cardinal feeding his fledgling.

Good day for a male Cardinal picture.

Butterflys and Ladybugs

This beautiful big butterfly landed on the deck, my husband spotted him. Luckily when I went out to get pictures he stayed still with his wings open wide! I've researched for awhile and believe we have an

"Eastern Comma"

This evening while pulling weeds in the garden, I spotted this little pink Ladybug. I assume that's what it is...according to Eric Carle's book, "The Very Grouchy Ladybug", she should be eating aphids off my zucchini.

Northern Flicker in South Dakota

I was up in South Dakota last week at my parent's place. My Dad and I spied these two unusual birds while looking out the kitchen window. These photos are taken through the window with my Canon Point n' Shoot camera. So, sorry that they're not very clear. We thought they were Woodpeckers, but when I got home and started researching, I believe they are Northern Flickers. Northern Flickers are related to the Woodpecker, I guess. We couldn't figure out why they were foraging on the ground, until I was reading about them today on the internet. Flickers like to eat bugs and beetles off the ground. The article said you may scare some up as you take a walk near a wooded area. They do stand upright on trees like Woodpeckers and make cavities and nest in trees like Woodpeckers. I am adding an interesting link about Northern Flickers...

http://buildyourownbirdhouseplans.com/blog/?p=14

House Finches Flock to Feeders

Beautiful male House Finch

Male and female House Finch

We have been getting a lot of House Finches lately. We really enjoy them. The males have been pretty nervous. The females are layed-back, they stay at the feeder eating slowly and meticulously. I believe some of them are fledglings...not quite as wary.

Nature Hodgpodge

The Rose of Sharon bush is blooming beautifully. Last year I saw my first Humming Bird flying in and out of the blooms.

While taking a walk today, I brought my camera. This little butterfly or moth, would not hold still! It was so vibrantly pretty.

This was the clearest shot I could get. He kept his wings folded up tight and occasionally opened them.

What in the world is this bird?

Here is a bird my husband and I see quite often while walking. I looked it up on Whatbird.com believing it was a Mocking Bird. I'm not sure...if anyone can ID it for me...leave a comment, please.

Canadian Geese on the Lake

This is as close as I could get with my camera. We went to the lake to cool off with the family. I was ready to take pictures of the kids, which I was doing, when one of them yelled, "Grandma! There's some geese!" And I'm like, oh yeah...I'm a birder...! Grandkids get just as excited about birding as I do.

It's not a bird...but it still has wings : ) isn't this a beauty. With the help of a Blog I follow, I found out that this butterfly is called a Black Swallowtail. If you're needing butterfly information, check out the link on my sidebar. Thanks to Alan Tilmouth, Northumbria Nature Blog.

My daughter used my camera and got this photo. Another nice day at the beach in Kansas.

Thunderheads on the Plains

We were in Nebraska traveling back home. I said that cloud looks like it's right over our home...home being way southern Kansas. We called our kids, and sure enough, the weather service had just issued a tornado warning. I was just enjoying taking pictures of the beautiful cloud with the prairie in the background before that. Anyway, it rained and hailed, but thankfully no tornado formed. By the time we arrived home, late that night, there were stars in the sky.

House Finches Are Visiting

A beautiful male House Finch.

I am thinking this may be a female House Finch, but a fledgling.

Doesn't he look fierce : D

Now he looks goofy : D

A proud beautiful couple : )

A female House Finch.

A pair of House Finches made a nest in my Boston Fern last Summer. They ended up raising 2 chicks. We really enjoyed watching them and got quite attached.

Tufted Titmouse

I love these little guys. They are so cute, perky, and fast! I believe this one is a fledgling because he was so awkward and curious. He wasn't afraid to pose for the camera.

Sorry this picture was so fuzzy, but they move so fast...I was lucky to get this one. They land, grab a sunflower seed and take off to the trees or bushes to crack it open. Sometimes they'll stay and work on it at the feeder. One was doing that today, but not insight for the camera. I'll keep trying : )

This would have been a good picture were it not for the shadow : (
but, I thought it shows his coloring, especiallly the peachy color down his flanks.

Carolina Chickadees Enjoy Feeder

I believe this is an adult Chickadee with a fledgling.

Fledgling waiting to use the feeder. The feeder was being dominated by some House Sparrows at the time. He was just waiting patiently.

When he got into the feeder, he decided to take full advantage of it and relax, flex, and stretch. He was so tiny he fit right inside the trough.

After stretching, he ate a few seeds.

Here he's doing a little preening. He was quite at home : )

This scene was so cute. You know how birds get into the dust and ruffle their feathers to get sand into their feathers, well that's what he was doing in the feeder trough.