Eastern Blue Jay Chilling

This Eastern Blue Jay was just chilling out, totally relaxed on a hot muggy Florida afternoon.  The beautiful blue, black and white bird was perched in an Oak branch fairly near my neighbor’s bird feeder.   Smart bird.  This bird just was perched there in the cool shade, not moving much at all.  There has been a number of Eastern Blue Jays around the neighborhood in recent days.

There is an abundance of food now so the birds are quite happy.  Eastern Blue Jays are enjoying the small Acorns of the Live Oaks here.  I took these pictures on Sept. 18, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

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The Carolina Chickadee’s Easter Feast

This tiny Carolina Chickadee is such a cute bird!  I took several pictures of this little chickadee yesterday afternoon at about 4:00PM.  The bird was feasting on a variety of bird seed at my next-door neighbor’s bird feeder.  I was really glad to see this bird.  I rarely see chickadees here.  The Carolina Chickadees eat seeds, small insects, nuts and fruits.  They really love the Black Sunflower Seeds, which seem to be an almost universally beloved seed for seed-eating small birds.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Back Yard Songsters

Eastern Blue Jay

Carolina Chickadee

Northern Mockingbird

Smaller birds have been visiting in my neighborhood recently.  I tok these photographs on Oct. 8, 2013 and again on Oct. 9, 2013.  We are likely seeing the first waves of migrating birds from up North.

I was happy to see a Carolina Chickadee, a Carolina Wren, Eastern Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker (one of a pair), and a bright Palm Warbler.  I also have seen a pair of Eastern Bluebirds, and many Tufted Titmice, Common Crows around.  These are all welcomed birds which I happily enjoyed!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Palm Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Carolina Wren

Watching

This friendly White-breasted Nuthatch was curiously watching me watch it.  I have never been closer to a songbird here in TN then I was to this little cutie!  I think I was only about eight feet away from the bird.  I stood still and just looked thorough the camera.  It was when I started taking pictures that the bird became a bit alert and finally moved to the bird feeder from the porch rail.  After grabbing its bird seed from the feeder, the tiny grey black and white bird flew over to the Oak and tucked the seed away in the bark of that tree.  I took these pictures in my yard on Feb. 5, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Chilly Pair of Sparrows

This pair of Sparrows (Savannah?, House?) were happy that I put a little bit of bird seed on my porch railing the other day.  It was a very cold, snowy morning when I saw these birds out of my living room window.  They were up on the porch out of the snow and then I noticed that they flew under the wooden decking of the porch.  They likely were sitting on the ground under the floor boards to get out of the rain and later, snow.  I can’t blame them.  They also enjoyed bird seed out of the bird feeder once I cleared a bit of the snow off of it.

These birds seldom use the bird feeder.  Mostly they eat seeds from native plants here in the pastures and roadside ditches.  I am happy to report that as of this morning,  the snow has melted and the yards are getting greener.  I took these pictures from my living room window on February 2, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the thumbnail image.  Enjoy!

Cardinals

A beautiful brightly colored pair of Northern Cardinals has been coming to the bird feeder each morning.  They live in the Pines along the street at the front of my place.  The male is the bright red one and the female is the brown one.  The juvenile Northern Cardinals resemble the females with a touch more red to their feathers.

Cardinals live in this region all year-long.   They are mostly seed eating birds and use that wedge-shaped bill to crack the shells of tougher seeds and nuts.  They also eat berries, fruits and some types of insects.  They have a musical call whistle and song.  I am happy to have taken these pictures from my living room window on Jan. 10, 2013 and again on Jan. 13, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

I looked out my front window and saw this Red-tailed Hawk sitting in the Oak tree nearest to the house.  It was eyeballing the bird feeder.  I grabbed my camera and took this picture through my living room window.  I had hoped to go out on the porch and take a picture but when I opened the door, the hawk quickly flew off.  The Red-tailed Hawk likely was trying to see if it could find a small bird, or even a smaller rodent to eat.  I think that if the ducks were out, even they would be prey for this larger hawk.  It was a beautiful bird!  I took this picture on Jan. 6, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!