Backyard of Birds

Northern Cardinal. (3/6/16)

While many are binge watching the latest season of Netflix's House of Cards television series, I spent a number of hours this past weekend with my eyes glued to our backyard looking for birds who had begun coming out of their wintry hiding spots or returning from warmer climes. For the second time in as many weeks, spring had sprung (for the moment). Of course, I did watch a few episodes of Cards, though I'd rather savor than binge.

Mourning Doves. (3/6/16)

Mourning Doves. (3/6/16)

Downy Woodpecker. (3/6/16)

Downy Woodpecker. (3/1/16)

Northern Cardinal. (3/6/16)

Northern Cardinal. (3/6/16)

Backyard Birding

Male Blue Jay keeping an eye on American Tree Sparrow. (7/30/15)

I spend many hours a day during the summer watching the aviary (and rabbit) activity in our backyard from either the large windows in the kitchen or from our recently reconstructed open back porch. My wife, who is much more observant (and knowledgeable of bird-types), will often call me to the window if I am elsewhere in the house to tell me that "there is a Gold Finch on the feeder!" or "the rabbits are playing in the backyard!" Contrary to popular misinformation, despite living in a city, there is quite a bit of beauty to observe in the natural world daily. You do, however, need to look for it.

Blue Jays and squirrel vie for position. (7/30/15)

Over the course of the past week or so, I am happy to report a slight uptick in activity around our backyard bird feeders, of which we have three: one cylindrical feeder with traditional variety mix of seed, a second smaller cylinder with Nyjer seed and a third suet feeder. While a personal goal is to lure the more "exotic" (i.e. colorful) birds into range of my shaky lens, it is quite relaxing to observe any birds (yes, even the Sparrow mobs) stop by to interact with one another and the environment.

Female Northern Cardinal glides past squirrel on way to feeder. (7/22/15)

The uppity recreational backyard birder in me would LOVE to see more Woodpeckers and Gold Finches, but the truth is that all birds "gotta eat." As much as I love seeing rabbits in the yard (and they are often within the field of vision of the frames shared here), it would be unfair for me to begrudge the squirrels their due too. This of course, doesn't deter me from attempting to minimize their gorging by using peppered feed and suet (which works better than you'd expect).

Tree Sparrow rests amid conifer branches. (7/23/15)

Downy Woodpecker makes an appearance! (7/31/15)

Downy Woodpecker observes... (7/31/15)

... a mob of gorging Tree Sparrows, which chase him 
from the feeder! (7/31/15)

Male (upper) and Female (lower) Northern Cardinals assess the situation 
from electrical wires. (7/22/15)

Common Male Grackle stops by for a set. (7/17/15)

Female Northern Cardinal, striking in a subdued, earthy way. (7/22/15)

From coloring to call, nothing subtle about the Male Northern Cardinal.(7/22/15)

Gray Catbird--the angler minimizes the generally longer , 
narrow beak.(7/25/15)

The ubiquitous but sharp American Robin. (7/22/15)

Omnipresent visitors: Tree Sparrows and squirrels. (7/22/15)

In a few short weeks, I will return to coaching and school, and with the change of scenery will come a shift in lens. Rather than staring out into our backyard, I will have the parks the girls team and I train at, as well as the courtyard my second-floor classroom window looks out into. There I will attempt to sneak peaks into the trees during the day. Whether at home or t school I look very forward to catching a glimpse of an uncommonly, beautiful bird or the beautiful in the common bird.

Watching Wascally Wabbits

Two rabbits in one frame. (7/20/15)

Welcome back, my lagomorph friends!

Blackbeard waits for the
show to begin. (7/21/15)

During the first two weeks of July, while we were having our house painted, the rabbits that previously had become so common in our backyard had seemed to move into the neighbor's yard (over the past few weeks I would see them occasionally foray into our yard through a loose board on the wooden fence). It took a while following the painters' removal of their equipment, but it now appears that the rabbits are once again comfortable enough to come hang out in our backyard, a situation which makes both our cat, Blackbeard, and I very happy.

As I've written about previously, our area of the city has seen a resurgence in the rabbit population over the last five years. This year, at nearly anytime of the day, it is difficult to walk a block without running into a rabbit lounging in the lawn of peering from beneath shrubs. At one point I wondered if it would be possible to do an unofficial census of the rabbit population, but now realize it would be impossible.

Each morning when I go for a run, walk or bike ride, out of habit I'll whisper "good morning" to the rabbit that daily sits in my neighbor's front yard. Now that our friends are back, we can enjoy watching them interact and do "rabbit" things from our back porch. It is easy to project human qualities onto animals (we all do it with pets, right?),  and this fantasy is only easier to create when the same animals are a part of our daily lives. In that way, one of the rabbits pictured in this photos, the one with the large "red" spot on his back, has consistently visited the yard during the majority of the summer, so much so that we now look for the signifying spot.

The rabbit with the red spot (7/20/15)

You lookin' at me? (7/20/15)

Even this male Northern Cardinal doesn't understand why I'm taking pictures 
of ubiquitous rabbits!  (7/20/15)

Grooming time. (7/20/15)

Making separate meals for dinner isn't so difficult. (7/20/15)

Chillin. (7/20/15)

It is great to once again have these wily wabbits back in the yard. The relaxing summer past-time of watching bunnies at rest and play is hopefully back to stay.

Summer Backyard Birdwatching Begins

Tree Sparrow and House Finch snacking on seed. (5/24/15)

These pictures were taken during the waning days of May and early June, so while colorful and varied, I am hopeful of even a wider array of visitors as we officially move into summer. Between the birds and the bunnies which have frequented the feeder and garden I am please to share that things are looking up. If and when the painters who have been working on our home for two weeks (it's a long story) ever get around to finishing, and the human activity once again minimizes, the yard will be even more welcoming. With our recently built (or re-built as it returns the exterior of the house to a more historically accurate structuring) open back porch, there is now a pleasant locale from which to observe.

Male Northern Cardinal. (6/8/15)

Yes, they are very common in most yards, but I do enjoy the bright colors and sharp coloring of the male and female Northern Cardinal. The two captured in the images above and below came over our next door neighbors fence together and spent a short time surveying the immediate area. It is fortunate that their coloring make them easy to pick out among evergreens and leaves, though I wish I had better luck snapping pictures of them in motion. Who knows, maybe this is the summer I get it right!

Female Northern Cardinal. (6/8/15)

House Finch. (6/3/15)

Despite my wife's occasional (okay, frequent) gentle ribbing about my taking time to photograph the incredibly common American Robin, I do so enjoy watching them. While the pic below is not terribly dynamic they are sharp dressed little birds.

The ubiquitous American Robin. (6/3/15)

The little Mourning Dove below hopped around in the hardened mulch beneath the feeder for nearly thirty minutes before flitting over the fence into the neighbors yard. As I watched him (her?) interact with the yard, he was clearly favoring his left wing. Obviously injured, though I am unsure how badly he was hurt after pecking away at the dropped seeds and discarded shells fallen from the feeder above, he (presumably) hopped or flew into a neighboring yard. A short time later I went out to the yard to see if he was trapped back there but he had gone.

Injured Mourning Dove scrounges for vittles. (6/3/15)

Sparrows. (6/1/15)

Sparrows. (6/1/15)

Like most urban settings, squirrels are constant visitors to most backyard bird feeders, and our's is no different. While I recognize the inconsistent thinking involved, as much as I adore the bunnies that have suddenly become so plentiful in our neighborhood, I would be completely okay with fewer tree rats squirrels stopping by. On the plus side, occasionally you catch them in precarious situation (see below) at which points they do provide a chuckle or two.

The Evil Empire of the Squirrels makes an appearance at the feeder. (5/31/15)

Sparrows. (5/31/15)

Conferring with the Cardinal

Male Cardinal holding court in the garden. (6/22/14)

Had forgotten about these pics from late-June, taken from my kitchen window, back when our garden had recently been planted. It was right after dinner time and I was loading he dish washer, when a red flash went across my peripheral vision. At first glance I thought it was a male cardinal and three females--of course, upon further review that was not the case, while there was a single female, the others were sparrows. When I saw this scene play itself out I said aloud, it's like a "conference of Cardinals," to which my stepson replied, "sounds like you've got a blog post title!" If only...

Interloper! (6/22/14)

Common ground. (6/22/14)

Birds Doing Bird Things

Athena Courtyard Cardinal. (5/20/14)

MY recent lack of posting is not due to a lack of avian activity in either the school courtyard or home backyard (though that has diminished slightly), but the product of a very busy end-of-school year schedule. Last Tuesday as the end of class, one of my students inquired as to whether or not I'd seen any "inetersting" birds in the courtyard recently. To that point in the day, I had not, but as fate would have it, at the end of the day as I went to close the blinds for the evening, I spotted both the Northern Cardinal above and the bathing American Robin below.

Thankful the grass had not been cut for the week just yet. (5/20/14)

American Robin takes a dip in the "cement pond." (5/20/14)

A brief break between splashes. (5/20/14)

A quick air-dry before flitting away. (5/20/14)

Backyard Birdfeeder Roll-Call

Northern Cardinal awaits his chance to hop to the feeder.(4/19/14)

A common, colorful, visitor to our backyard bird feeder in Rochester, New York, is the Northern Cardinal. especially resplendent among the brownish grass and naked branches of tres in springtime, the Northern Cardinal is just a wee bit less noisy than the equally vibrant Blue Jay.

(4/19/14)

Tree Sparrows tam-up to feast. (4/19/14)

American Tree Sparrows are the most common passers-by. The cylindrical feeder does not remain full for long as large groups will snack when available. Amidst tree sparrows and Black-capped Chickadees, the House Finch's rosy red coloring is striking and beautiful.

House Finch atop feeder. (4/19/14)

Snack time for House Finch. (4/19/14)