Thursday, January 27, 2022

Yard bird list is expanding

My new Connecticut yard bird list has swollen to 18 species, of which I have now photographed 13 through the windows. Latest arrivals to the feeder were--

The male Red-bellied Woodpecker spends more time eating the seeds rather than at the suet cake which is favored by the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers:

This view, on a snowy morning, shows off the red on lower belly which gives the species its name, but it is often difficult to see in the field. Since museum collections of bird skins were usually displayed lying on their backs, this feature was obvious to early taxonomists:

One American Robin flew into the holly tree and gleaned the red berries right next to the window. I had to shoot from across the room and never got a good exposure. These are just to document the sighting in eBird:

It approached very close to the window glass and immediately flew away after looking right at me:

A flock of 3-5 American Goldfinches suddenly appeared on January 20. 


They were very aggressive and took over the feeder, confronting other visiting species. They even squabbled among themselves:



A male Northern Cardinal gifted us with a Christmas Card view:

I installed a second shepherd's hook to hold a platform seed feeder with transparent cover (to the far left in this view from the front door of our suite). Since the home is sited on a granite dome, there are few places with enough soil to anchor the iron stand. I could only drive it down about 5 inches before hitting solid rock . I hope it withstands the wind. It snowed right after I put it up. The birds ignored it and its supply of millet, even though they feasted on wind-driven spillage beneath it.


The kitchen windows on the main floor provide magnificent views of the surrounding open space. On clear nights, the lights of the city of Hartford shine bright, about 11 miles distant:


Sunsets have been glorious. Like snowflakes, no two are ever alike. Official sunset was at 4:51 PM. These were consecutive iPhone views between 4:50 and 5:25 PM on January 20th:



Seen and photographed to date (13 species), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, American Goldfinch. Seen but not photographed (5 species) Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Mourning Dove, American Crow.

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Linking to:


Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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27 comments:

  1. Your relocation has certainly not resulted in any less stunning images of birds and sunsets. The views in Fl were stunning, but New England also has its own beauties as you have shown in the previous post and this one, Ken. While you have shared that you use an iPhone for some images, can you also share what photo equipment you are using now. As an owner of a fixed lens camera, Fuji x100F, I know it could not capture wildlife as you have done.

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    1. Beatrice, for the photos of birds at the feeder (and general telephoto) I use Hand-held Canon EOS 90D with prime EF 300mm f/4L IS USM and EF 1.4X II Extender. Lately all my landscape shots have been with iPhone 11 Pro Max, post-processed in Corel PSP (PaintShopPro)

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  2. What a beautiful bird. Your photos are lovely.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  3. Beautiful photos of the sky Kenneth! And the Red-bellied Woodpecker sure is a beauty! :)

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  4. Greetings and Salutations! You certainly are already home in Connecticut. Your photographs are top notch of birds and sunsets. Be safe. Enjoy the new location.

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  5. spectacular sky shots....I like the first one most of all!

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  6. Hello Ken,
    It is great your list of yard birds is growing. The Red-bellied Woodpecker images are gorgeous. You do have a nice variety of birds at your feeders. The sky captures are beautiful. Great photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  7. Nice feeder images. That's definitely a good variety of bird life.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  8. The sunsets are glorious...we never tire of seeing them. And how wonderful to be attracting so many different birds. Goldfinches are fun to watch and we haven't seen any of those lately here in FL. Take care and stay warm!

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  9. Wow, I love all your birds. It is amazing to me how some species are easy going and others are aggressive.
    You got a spectacular sky shot!!

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  10. I really like the photos of the woodpecker. Just gorgeous!

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  11. The views are wonderful and I like the reflection. It's also nice seeing bird species that I don't see around here.

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  12. Awesome images of birds! I liked the sky shots too.

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  13. Beautiful birds and skies! I haven't seen goldfinches yet but they can be bold.

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  14. Beautiful post , what a dreamy sky. Birds are adorable. Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.

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  15. A Christmas card view of the cardinal indeed!! You're on a roll, and all your yard birds welcome your presence!!

    It's always a pleasure visiting from your link shared. Thanks. And happy birding!

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  16. Glorious sky shots, and the cardinal is such a bold red but by fav this week is the woodpecker in the snow with something in his beak. What a brilliant shot! Thanks for sharing at #Allseasons (Normal timetable resumes this week - Friday to Wednesday)

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  17. Those photos are gorgeous Kenneth! Love seeing photos of these cute friends on a snowy environment. 13 out of the 18, that's very great! I hope you guys are coping up well with the Connecticut weather, a large leap from Florida warmth. Thank you so so much for sharing these shots from your new home :)

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  18. Adapting to a new environment - just as any true lover of nature and photographer would!

    Very nice images, Ken. That white stuff provides a different perspective!

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  19. You have captured most of our East Coast birds..Looks like my feeders until the bear broke them two weeks ago..I am now birdless until the ground thaws out enough to get another pole into the
    ground..I am not a happy camper..But now you have no competition..not that my pictures are competition..just the subjects..Love the close up of the Robin..Lovely skies..Stay warm..

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  20. Glad to see more birds. Your total list matches what we might see in a year here in southern Ontario except that the titmouse is quite rare here. And at the moment we have no birds at all!

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  21. All these captures are really beautiful. I really enjoyed those bird pictures. Beautiful sunset!

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  22. What beautiful birds
    but you had me at those sunset photos - wow - that color!! amazing!

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  23. I like to watch birds at the feeders in winter time. Great way to see birds without leaving your home.

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  24. ...the sunset images are fabulous. Sunsets change from moment to moment and just before the Fat Lady sings can be the best!!!

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  25. Great photos showing a wide range of birds for you to observe. I like the woodpecker and the goldfinch.

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  26. Ken, I really lost track of you and your beautiful blog. I'm glad to find you again in your new environment. I know it must be fun to see the birds, some of which I think are different from any we're used to in Florida (the goldfinch for instance? -- we see them in Oregon, but not here). Your robin reminds me of our former life in Oregon when they frequently came and stared at us through the glass patio doors. I think sometimes to remind me to fill the feeders )).

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