Crops & Clips: Birding back yard and beyond

Sometimes I obtain better views of birds in my own backyard than of those I go out of my way to see.

A female Anhinga has been spending time just loafing lakeside. Rather than shoot through the windows, I stalked furtively around the bushes in hopes that she would stay put while I focused my camera on her. She registered her annoyance at my intrusion by inflating her throat (gular) pouch and waving her head about wildly:



 

I didn't want her to go, but once she saw me there was no changing her mind, and across the lake she flew:



A pair of Egyptian Geese feel right at home in our yard. The female is in the foreground:





The Little Blue Heron is especially shy and skittish. Sometimes it flies away as soon as it sees me looking out the window. Our lawn slopes down to the lake shore and the only way I can get a view of its legs is to stalk to a point along the shore some distance away. More often than not, the heron gets alarmed and flees:





Luckily I snapped a shot as it took flight and then settled down not too far away:





Looking north at more storm clouds, just after one passed by and produced a double rainbow:





In our local wetlands, Gray Catbirds have arrived and will stay here for the winter:



Brown Thrashers can give you a fierce look-- I was afraid of them as a child after I disturbed one of their nests and was nearly attacked:



Along with the catbird and thrasher, a Northern Mockingbird rounds out my full quota of the Mimic Thrushes (family Mimidae), a Northern Mockingbird on a fence post. This one has a bill deformity-- it has crossed mandibles (click on photo to enlarge):



Painted Buntings are always a treat to see in the wild. Even though my photos are not very good, I prefer them to feeder shots. This male was in a Pond Cypress:



Another peeked out from deep in  the foliage of a Brazilian Pepper:



The green females  are also so beautiful, and this one is out in the open:





Common as they may be, I often find Blue Jays reluctant to pose. This one was perched in warm early morning light:



Along the path, a White-tailed doe and her yearling fawn were surprised to see me.



The fawn pranced past me on the other side  of the track...



...but the adult hesitated before moving by in a full gallop:



= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

 Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

________________________________________________