So far I have seen and identified 35 bird species from our new home in central Connecticut. Of these I have photographed 26. Nearly all have been seen through the expansive window views. Indeed, the most recent addition to the list was an adult Bald Eagle soaring just above the back yard as we were having lunch in the kitchen.
The majority (24) of these species were seen as they fed on or beneath the feeders, but I try to capture their images in more natural settings, such as this White-throated Sparrow...
...Song Sparrow,
... Northern Cardinal,
...Red-winged Blackbirds,
...and Eastern Bluebird:
Gray Squirrels had been busy gobbling up the sunflower seeds, so readily dispensed by the tube feeder:
I decided to substitute this feeder with one which I had used in New Mexico nearly 20 years ago. It is surrounded by a coarse wire mesh. It admits smaller birds but discourages the squirrels. After I switched feeders, the birds were suspicious and reluctant to visit them for a day or two. The squirrels persisted but had little success.
One squirrel perched atop the shepherd's crook above the feeder, as if waiting for the situation to improve:
Unable to reach the seed, this squirrel nibbled at the suet:
The suet is popular with the woodpeckers, such as this male Red-bellied Woodpecker:
The original feeder had short perches which discouraged larger birds. The wire enclosure now permits the cardinals to rest on the wires and reach the seed:
The bluebirds are still in the process of selecting a home. I have not seen them collecting any nesting materials:
The cold and windy weather has discouraged us from taking extensive walks, but one afternoon this week the surface of Diamond Lake was free of ice and undisturbed by breezes:
Sunsets were colorful nearly every evening, even when storms threatened:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Linking to:
Skywatch Friday
Weekend Reflections
Saturday's Critters
BirdD'Pot
All Seasons
Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)
Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________
You have very colourful birds coming to your feeder. I imagine I would spend far too much time just gazing out of the window at them.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been amazing to see a bald eagle out your kitchen window! I love the squirrel antics.
ReplyDeleteAll these are wonderful photos with beautiful sky and birds.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Marvellous sky.
ReplyDeleteYou're accumulating a pretty impressive list of yard birds, Ken!
ReplyDeleteAll that color certainly brightens up an early spring day. We're sending our migrants your way as fast as we can. (The bird types, that is.)
Enjoy your weekend!
How wonderful to find new species for you!
ReplyDeleteHello Ken,
ReplyDeleteIt is great you are keeping a list of birds seen in your yard. You are seeing a nice variety of birds, I am sure you will see some warblers move through there too. Beautiful photos of your birds and the squirrels. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a favorite and the Bluebirds. Gorgeous view and pretty sky images. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
These are lovely wildlife shots. Haha … I like the squirrel atop the feeder, appearing to wait for the situation to improve. A lot of life is like that. :)
ReplyDeleteYou have some wonderful birds coming to the feeders Those woodpeckers have to strike a pose to eat! Enjoy your weekend! It's stormy here today.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful birds and gorgeous lake!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking & sharing!
~Anni @ I'd rather B Birdin'
Excellent photos! I wouldn't be surprised if you discover even more bird species.
ReplyDeleteLovely to build a list like that! We've been colossally unsuccessful here!
ReplyDeleteWoodpeckers are beautiful and fun to watch, unless they are drilling on the side of your house. I've been watching a Cactus Wren building a nest in the tree at our RV site in Tucson, Arizona. We leave tomorrow so we won't be able to see her raise her brood. - Margy
ReplyDeleteAll birds are adorable , I have never seen eastern bluebirds . Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful visitors to your home! How awesome that you see so many different birds out the window.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!
Hi Ken, nice pictures! Could you post a link of where to get that feeder protected with the wire enclosure?
ReplyDeleteI purchased that feeder about 25 years ago in New Mexico, probably from a store such as Wild Birds Unlimited. The nearest similar feeder I can now find on the Internet is from BestNest at https://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=AUD-NATUBE3&src=froogle&kw=AUD-NATUBE3&gclid=CjwKCAjw9LSSBhBsEiwAKtf0n4ArAT_L7cPjsv8opKSdLn_xfNRg0ptMN7BmZpGSvjhGBodsUqaR3BoCFGQQAvD_BwE
DeleteNo matter where your location, Kenneth, you always get the best bird photos. And, of course, the sunsets are stunning as well, even more so with an approaching storm.
ReplyDeleteYou got some marvelous shots here! Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAs for the squirrels, we have a bumper crop of them this year. My husband was committed to catching them and releasing them at a nearby park. I still have the have-a-heart traps but I sold his truck after he died and can't imagine hauling them in my hatch-back - the smell would bowl me over! So I guess I'll need to make friends with them!
Thanks so much for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-few-more-botanical-drawings.html
We have these birds in Virginia too. I only have a few pictures of bluebirds; guess I need the right house for them.
ReplyDelete