On Tuesday night, a coastal cyclone type storm (Nor'easter, so named because its strongest winds are from the northeast) pounded us with high winds and overnight snowfall accumulation of 14 inches ( 35 cm). The next day the sky was clear, but the temperature remained well below freezing with strong gusty winds. Lights flickered and some residents lost electrical power.
The day before the storm hit was sunny and the wind was calm. I walked out in the back yard a few times, hoping to see some birds in their natural habitat. My only photo opportunity occurred when two Red-shouldered Hawks flew rather high overhead. I obtained only one clear shot before they continued on:
Back to my window, an Eastern Bluebird approached the heated bird bath, only about 5 feet away. I quickly switched the lens mode to macro and got fairly good focus but limited field of view. The deep shadows attenuated the brilliance of the bluebird's plumage:
Other birds appeared at a more comfortable distance for my long lens.
A male bluebird was a fleeting subject:
An American Robin perched in the bare Aspen:
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker perched nearby. I increased the saturation to better show its eponymic red underbody.
Reliable feeder birds included...
Male Downy Woodpecker:
Male Northern Cardinal:
A brown-striped White-throated Sparrow:
A possessive Blue Jay:
Turkey Vultures had been absent the past several weeks, but a pair showed up warming their toes on a neighbor's chimney:
Sunset on February 6:
Striped Skunk caught on Ring security camera February 15:
For my Reflection meme, I had to go back to a November, 2009 view of sunrise from our back patio in Florida,
This week's header: Sunset on February 12, 2024
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My Corner of the World
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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Kenneth, wonderful bird photos. We don't see Eastern Bluebirds at our feeders. Hope nothing startled that skunk so your back yard is free of bad smells.
ReplyDeleteFantastic bird series here
ReplyDeleteI really love your bird photos!!
ReplyDeleteYour Bluebird pictures are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous skies. The Blue Jays look like they have a lot of personality!
ReplyDeleteDelightful captures!
ReplyDeleteThe Feb 12 sunset is incredible.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Great sky colours.
ReplyDeleteHello :=) I posted about the lovely Eurasian Jay this week, but your Blue Jay is even more beautiful. Lovely series of bird shots.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by the skunk video. Great photos as usual.
ReplyDeleteHello Ken,
ReplyDeleteLove the shot of hawk in flight. Your Bluebird images are lovely, my favorites.
You do have a great variety of birds at your feeders. Lovely collection of birds and photos. The sunset is gorgeous. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great day and happy new week!
Mighty colorful window watching!
ReplyDeleteI love the reminder about your Vulture "toe-warming" story. One of my favorites.
It's almost a New England day here. Cold and rainy. No worries. As that little orphan girl said: the sun will come out tomorrow. Hope the birds do, too.
Take good care, Ken.
Wow ! I had never experienced all of these adorable birds in my region , we are at the verge of spring . Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.
ReplyDelete...Kenneth, your bird images are all fabulous, but the bluebird is my favorite. The sunset on February 12, 2024 was a gorgeous end to the day.
ReplyDeleteWow so amazing birdlife
ReplyDeleteWhat fab birds close up that storm sounded horrendous and what a lovely view and sunset from your patio a nice flashback capture 👍
ReplyDeleteHave a windowwatchtastic week 👍
Nice pictures. Glad the storm did not cause you too many problems. At present I am dealing with a little more rain than I am used to, and it has caused a few flooding issues!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Oakhill, Somerset, UK
THe bird shots are lovely, as always and what a stunner the sunset shots are! Do you have a cyclone season or is it strange weather for you? Sydney seems to have monsoonal weather the last few weeks. It's been massive storms and then a few hours later boiling hot and 35 degrees and then a few hours after that, cold and stormy. It's bizzare. #allseasons
ReplyDeleteYou have an awesome selection of bird pictures, so crips and clear.
ReplyDeleteI visited you via My Corner of the World
My links: 35. I hope you will join us this week at Wed-Sat at #WordlessWednesday (words welcome) https:// esmesalon. com / tag / wordlesswednesday/ See you soon
Beautiful shots! Love the Bluebird.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! Great header.
ReplyDeleteImpressive and beautiful bird photos! I don't know many of them here in Germany. I also made a post with magical long-tailed tits.
ReplyDeleteThey are also quite rare here.
Best regards
The weather is changeable at this time of year. Love that you can see so much from the comfort of your beautiful home! Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteHello Ken, the sunrise is overwhelming and the skunk video is particularly interesting to me because this animal doesn't exist here. All I know is that they can spray an unpleasant secretion. Then it's better not to meet them directly. Your bird photos are, as always, very beautiful. Kind regards – Elke (Nature Thursday)
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