Focusing on Flickers

milkweed pod

Today ...

Along our deck railing we have multiple plant hooks where I hang bird houses, bird feeders and plants. One of the hooks had been empty since last month when I put away our hummingbird feeder for the winter. Yesterday I put a feeder there filled with sunflower seeds. Today I watched to see who would show up. The results: many chickadees (one pictured above with a seed in his mouth), titmice, white breasted nuthatches, one goldfinch and one purple finch. Then there was a little brown headed guy that I didn't immediately recognize. When I saw him fly to a tree trunk and walk upside down, I assumed it must be a nuthatch even though it looked nothing like the white breasted nuthatches that we see all the time here. I looked it up in my field guide, and yes, it was a brown headed nuthatch.


Also seen today, 3 bluebirds splashing away in the bird bath -








Although it may look like it, I did not take the above photo from inside a jail cell, nor were the birds in a cage. I was shooting the photo from inside our house, and didn't want to spook the birds by opening our vertical blinds.

Coloring up

Here are 3 of my gouldian finches in various stages of their juvenile molt. I took this photo a few weeks ago, and they are actually much more colorful now. Soon, I'll take some new photos.

Pearl, all grown up

This is Pearl - my "silver surprise" that I wrote about in my July 4th 2005 post. She has completed her juvenile molt and is now a beautiful purple breasted silver gouldian finch.

Footloose

This was a real treat for our little Pup 2 who rarely gets to run free. At our own home, we always walk her on a leash, since our woods house many hawks and a few eagles. But I've never seen a hawk or eagle at my parents' home, so we felt that it was safe to let her run (almost fly) across their yard.





Here she is tuckered out and tucked in.

Sunbathing turtles

The turtles were enjoying the sun as much as I was today.



This one called his friends to join him -