This morning,
it really felt like spring outside. The Cardinals and House Finches were singing, the snarls of the Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds filled the air, and it was so warm that I did not have to wear a coat. Variety and activity is still down but I am enjoying these sure signs of spring. I also serviced the nestbox the Chickadees used last year, it needed a new roof and some other repairs. The BB house is next. And here are some visitors. Wonderfully enough, the Grackle with the white dot on the neck has returned!
It’s still lush and green outside
and the birds remain scarce. Only the MoDos have started coming in larger groups again. Better than nothing, and they look fun with their late molt. Summer will be back shortly next week, and then the weather seems to really cool down. A good time to take the pond out and set up the heated baths. And to get going with the calendars. This time, there will be two calendars, one with Grackles only 🖤
If you have followed me for a bit,
you know that I have some sort of a love-hate relationship with Mourning Doves. I do find them comical and pretty but they can also be overwhelming when groups of 20 and more hit all the feeders and aggressively defend them. As with many of the more “dull” looking birds, they show fascinating details up close. Males and females almost look alike, but there are some differences. I looked them up to be extra sure but to be honest, I am not sure here. I tend to think it is a male because of the more rosy than tanned color, the vibrant neck feathers and the blueish top of the head.
After the snowstorm last night,
we did not have any internet, but the sun was shining and everything looked beautiful. I pretty much put a coat over my PJs and put the photo cams out to capture some of that morning sun. The Grackles were shiny, and everybody else was happy to find food (Bluebird, Grackle, House Finch, Mourning Dove).
A crazy thing happened today,
the sun came out! It feels like it’s been ages. It was a bit cooler too, and there were birds! When I first stepped out in the morning, I could hear a Bluebird, so I put some mealers out in the open bowl, and voilà. What a nice sight after these weeks of barely any fun photos. The Titmice and Chickadees were very vocal and the MoDos feisty as always (yes, that one in the back holds the feathers of the other one 😂 ). Here’s to a good birding week!
It was a day
with crazy weather day here in Michigan today. I only went out heavily bundled-up and was nervous to get on the ladder to replenish the peanut butter on the tree because it was so windy. There was good bird activity, and there is a Chickadee roosting in the Bluebird box tonight, but the light was also bad and everybody literally was out there trying to survive. Here are two photos from today though. A MoDo fighting off a Starling, and a Starling with an ice crown. These guys are so nuts they took baths today. It was so cold that the splashes froze on the lens and I had to de-freeze it several times. I hope you are all in a warm spot, good night! Hoping for snow and sun tomorrow!
The light has been changing,
and in the evenings, can create a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere. The MoDos are natural born posers, and this one played the cam like a pro. The Blue Jay one I loved because it is so opposite of their usual rather noisy character. As a bonus, another one of Forrest, the groundhog. I love the details in his coat, he even has hair on his fingers. Happy October! I hope you have a pleasant Saturday.
Baby birds!
In the last couple of days, the air has filled with more squeaks and begging calls. The Blue Jay babies have fledged, as well as Orioles, Redwinged Blackbirds, more Doves and Grackles. Not pictured but also seen were a Redbellied Woodpecker baby and a young Cardinal. All of them also seem to love the pond, so there is lots of fun stuff happening there. It is wonderful to see them explore things and follow the parents around. (Oriole, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Grackle, Blue Jay, Redwinged Blackbird)
I keep saying
that this is a boring part of the season but it is not like nothing is happening, I guess I am just too excited for the migrants to arrive. However things are changing around here too. A Chickadee has checked out my other nestbox, there are several Robins patrolling the yard now, the Blue Jays have started to come in pairs, the Goldfinches are sporting a very adventurous look, the Juncos are still having fun here and the MoDos are beginning to flirt. The crocuses and narcisus are coming out and trees are starting to bud. I’d say spring has sprung.
More MoDo,
it looks like it wanted to show that it can get even bigger 😆 These posing photos are always hilarious to me because the birds look like something out of Versailles and seem to look directly into the camera. And I guess they do see some sort of reflection in the lens. The second photo is interesting because that one seems to have escaped a predator or got hurt and is now growing new feathers in the spot. The feathers first come out as some sort of spikes called sheaths that encase the growing feather like a straw. At some point, the bird will start preening to pop them open and reveal the new feathers.
Here is
the goddess of the snack drawer. Mourning Doves are smart, even if they might not appear so. My 20-25 know when and where the best food is. And they are vain. I have a love-hate relationship with them. Love for their goofiness and beauty, hate for their voracious appetite and feeder dominance (yes, they can be very aggro). But they truly do some of the best portraits. Happy Friday!
This is why
the squirrels will always have enough to eat… MoDos are such a mess 🤣 Come good into Monday!
And...
things are going to get a little busy here for me and you probably as well in the next couple of days, so I wanted to take a minute to wish you all a merry Christmas / Fröhliche Weihnachten and a wonderful holiday time. Hopefully, you will bathe in presents and food and love as much as a MoDo 😜 I am thankful for all of you.
The September bird
of the Ostdrossel calendar for 2022 is one of my favorite MoDo photos. This silly bird was posing like for an iconic painting. The light and leaves make the look perfect. It is hilarious and beautiful at the same time. The calendar is available in several sizes and you can get it here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel. Have a great Tuesday!
Today, we have
the first more winterish weather here - it’s been murky and sleety all day. The birds are not amused. I hope you have a warm spot and will bob into the week as effortlessly as this MoDo.
Fall is here!
And the weather was appropriate for the occasion. It has been storming and raining nonstop since last night, and I actually made a beef roast today because it felt so fallsy. Funnily enough, I also spotted two Hummingbirds. The end of September can be fun and interesting but apart from those few lucky encounters it has basically been MoDo season here for a bit now. They are fun and goofy and all but I feel like it is time to adjust feeders and food for a bit again to discourage them from flocking here because they keep all the other birds away.
And here's a MoDo
showing a threatening pose. Probably because another bird was sitting on the camera box and the MoDo did not want to share. They lift their wings like sails and puff up their chests to look more impressive. If that does not help, they will also peck. Such goofballs. Have a pleasant Thursday and keep your sails down. Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to food.
We had so much rain
coming down yesterday. The birds pretty much got properly soaked and there wasn’t a dry feather in sight. As you know, I am a big fan of wet birb, so here is a little gallery. Some (ahem, MoDo 😆) seem to have had more fun than others.
(Grosbeak lady, Grackle, Grosbeak man, House Finch, MoDo, Redwinged Blackbird, Blue Jay, more MoDo, Redbellied Woodpecker)
Mourning Doves
often puff up during hot days, to cool off. However, when they do it in front of the camera, they sometimes seem to get into special poser mode. These little sessions can go on for a while, with the MoDo just sitting there, looking at the camera and puffing up to different degrees. I move the camera into a shaded area on hot days, which sometimes creates the weirdest light. Perfect for this MoDo’s “drama shots” 😆
Come good into the week and stay cool!
