Yesterday I posted a picture of the Great Horned Owl and her two owlets. Typical of babies, the little owls napped right through their photo opp, but when I returned to check on them this afternoon, they were awake. Their nest is at the top of a broken off tree, and it doesn't look very …
Twice surprised!
In the afternoon, the sky cleared a little, and I took advantage of the break in the clouds to do a little birding before sunset. I knew there would probably be a variety of birds along the trail near the fence post, so that's where I headed. To my surprise, a bluejay joined the others in …
Dreary…again!
Hoping to see a little sunshine this morning, after a cloudy weekend, I was disappointed to wake up to overcast skies. Had it been a sunny day, I would have grabbed my camera (and jacket) and headed to the Arboretum. However, completely unmotivated by the dull weather, I decided instead to park myself in front of …
Cardinals, woodpeckers, and food fights!
The second of two posts on my freezing cold trail walk. Read part one here. Cold, snowy weather brought out the birds, and like this cheerful red cardinal, they were all hungry to the point of squabbling over the food! The female cardinals in yesterday's post were the worst. They flew at the fence post …
It’s freezing on the trail today!
Around noon, I saw a glimmer of light in my window and a little blue sky. Thinking that meant good weather for a trail walk, I grabbed the camera and put on my boots, heavy coat, and warm hat. It had snowed overnight, only about three inches, but enough that I was glad for the …
That’s determination for you!
I think this is the first time I have seen a mourning dove in Chagrin River Park. They are homebodies, usually content to hang around the Backyard Buffet, eating the food I put out for them. A mourning dove in the park was an unusual sight, but then this was an unusual day. After a …
Bright-eyed birds
A tilt of the head and a flash of sunlight can create a glimmer of brightness in these dark-eyed little birds. Photographers call it a catchlight! Look for it in the chickadee above and in these little titmice that took time out for a photo opp in front of my camera. It's the magic that can turn a dull picture …
Especially for bird lovers…
My "Pics" for the Week...January 1-7, 2017 All the "Pics" for this week are birds (except for two squirrels that sneaked in when I wasn't looking) 😃. All pics were taken in my "Backyard Bird Buffet." The first week in January has been very cold (currently 12 degrees) and more cloudy and wet than sunny, …
Bright spots on a wintry day
Overnight the temperature dropped to single digits and several inches of snow fell. The Backyard Buffet looks much more appealing when the ground is covered with a blanket of white, and because that same blanket had covered over much of their natural food, the birds were looking for food at ALL the feeders. That includes …
If you can’t beat them…
I've been trying, with a remarkable lack of success, to discourage the starlings from taking over the Back Yard Buffet. So now I'm beginning to think about changing my attitude toward these pesky colorful birds. Until someone can come up with a good idea for encouraging these invaders to change their behavior and move on …
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 