I had to look up the Pasadena parrots. What an interesting story. I’ve seen flocks of parakeets in St. Petersburg, Florida, living wild after escaping from pet stores and houses. They’re very fun to watch.
Ooh! We have had a bird feeder with a camera for a few years and it's the best. The "postcards" with the birds making funny expressions into the camera is a great way to start the day. And we get so many kinds of birds! My husband got into photographing birds when we were lucky enough to go to the Galápagos Islands last year (frigates! blue-footed boobies!) and ever since he's been going out every weekend at home to photograph birds. This past weekend he photographed bald eagles and screech owls. But even just the birds at our feeder are wonderful. (And yes, there are now names. The cardinals are all named after jazz musicians. The owls after astronomers.) Such a good antidote to some of the other things going on around us. Thing is, with bird flu on the rise, we felt we should take our feeder down for a while. To not be contributing to the spread as birds congregate at the feeder. But I'm so looking forward to putting it back up. The view out the kitchen window just isn't the same without them.
Our family picked up bird watching during the COVID lockdown. It was such a fun way to spend the day, opening the back door and watching Mother Nature.
Have you read Amy Tan’s latest? It’s a beautiful book!
Robyn, I loved this way more than I thought I would. But perhaps I should have known. The other day on my morning walk, I finally saw the woodpecker that had been making that rat-a-tat sound fly into a nearby tree. I stopped and stared for a couple of minutes until I was afraid the homeowners would call the police on me. I agree - way better than doom scrolling. DJB
Glad you liked it, David. One day I heard a flock of sandhill cranes flying over our house and I about broke my neck looking up, trying to find them. I’m sure people thought there was something wrong with me but no regrets.
Yeeessssssss!!! Everything changes when you’re up close!! And I’d be in heaven up close to anhingas and frigate birds! I’ve been using Merlin bird Id (sound id ) to try and get better at identifying sounds. It is learning another language and even when I think I know quite a few I still find myself uncertain. I love your feeder and your bird names!
Thanks, Karen! You're my inspiration! I've only ever seen the frigate birds from a distance and I mean, a very far distance. By the time I see them on the beach, they're way up in the sky, but you can always identify them by their forked tails.
Anhingas in Sanibel are often in the preserve, drying out their wings. And sometimes in the water along the shore, fishing. They are pretty awesome.
Yes, the bird feeder camera helps learning the sounds because I can hear them, the two house finches talking to each other.
It's part of what I love about your photos so much...you always manage to catch their personalities so well!
This is beautiful, Robyn. I have a weird thing with birds, in that I really dislike feathers (as in loose ones on the ground) but have realized that birds do fascinate me--especially when it's types of birds I don't usually see. And let's not even get started on the mysteries of starlings.
I had to look up the Pasadena parrots. What an interesting story. I’ve seen flocks of parakeets in St. Petersburg, Florida, living wild after escaping from pet stores and houses. They’re very fun to watch.
Ooh! We have had a bird feeder with a camera for a few years and it's the best. The "postcards" with the birds making funny expressions into the camera is a great way to start the day. And we get so many kinds of birds! My husband got into photographing birds when we were lucky enough to go to the Galápagos Islands last year (frigates! blue-footed boobies!) and ever since he's been going out every weekend at home to photograph birds. This past weekend he photographed bald eagles and screech owls. But even just the birds at our feeder are wonderful. (And yes, there are now names. The cardinals are all named after jazz musicians. The owls after astronomers.) Such a good antidote to some of the other things going on around us. Thing is, with bird flu on the rise, we felt we should take our feeder down for a while. To not be contributing to the spread as birds congregate at the feeder. But I'm so looking forward to putting it back up. The view out the kitchen window just isn't the same without them.
Oh, that's a good point about the bird flu.
I can totally see the cardinals as jazz musicians. Would love to see enough owls to give them names!
Our family picked up bird watching during the COVID lockdown. It was such a fun way to spend the day, opening the back door and watching Mother Nature.
Have you read Amy Tan’s latest? It’s a beautiful book!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717452/the-backyard-bird-chronicles-by-amy-tan/
No, I haven’t, but now I will. I’m always on the lookout for books about birds. Thank, Adrian!
Robyn, I loved this way more than I thought I would. But perhaps I should have known. The other day on my morning walk, I finally saw the woodpecker that had been making that rat-a-tat sound fly into a nearby tree. I stopped and stared for a couple of minutes until I was afraid the homeowners would call the police on me. I agree - way better than doom scrolling. DJB
Glad you liked it, David. One day I heard a flock of sandhill cranes flying over our house and I about broke my neck looking up, trying to find them. I’m sure people thought there was something wrong with me but no regrets.
Yeeessssssss!!! Everything changes when you’re up close!! And I’d be in heaven up close to anhingas and frigate birds! I’ve been using Merlin bird Id (sound id ) to try and get better at identifying sounds. It is learning another language and even when I think I know quite a few I still find myself uncertain. I love your feeder and your bird names!
Thanks, Karen! You're my inspiration! I've only ever seen the frigate birds from a distance and I mean, a very far distance. By the time I see them on the beach, they're way up in the sky, but you can always identify them by their forked tails.
Anhingas in Sanibel are often in the preserve, drying out their wings. And sometimes in the water along the shore, fishing. They are pretty awesome.
Yes, the bird feeder camera helps learning the sounds because I can hear them, the two house finches talking to each other.
It's part of what I love about your photos so much...you always manage to catch their personalities so well!
This is beautiful, Robyn. I have a weird thing with birds, in that I really dislike feathers (as in loose ones on the ground) but have realized that birds do fascinate me--especially when it's types of birds I don't usually see. And let's not even get started on the mysteries of starlings.