Showing posts with label Blue Jay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Jay. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

backyard birdfest....with hummers! (88-89)

This weekend would have been great for birding, but I was busy fulfilling briesmaid duties. So I was very lucky that I got to telework from home today to see what I was missing!

As soon as the weather warmed up this year, I thought I'd give my hummingbird feeder another go. I'd never had any luck before with it, and this spring was no different. I reluctantly took it back to the garage, until a few weeks ago, I saw a hummingbird zip by the window. I got it back out of the garage and filled it, and still no luck. One day last week, I saw another h-bird in the yard, and it was insistent on getting to the finch feeder, even though the hummingbird feeder was just on the other side of the yard waiting for it! The flowers were faded on it though and I think it liked the bright yellow of the finch feeder ports. At one point it even put its bill into one of the ports...what a disaster! I felt terrible. Matt ran out to the store to get a new feeder that we thought would be more attractive. I was gone for the weekend, and I guess that gave them plenty of time to find it, because today there were hummers chasing each other around just outside the yard, and hummers were visiting steadily throughout the day! Super exciting! Ruby-throats are the only hummingbirds in these parts. None of them actually had a ruby throat. (All females I guess? Where are the males?)


#88: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird; my backyard in Kanata; September 7, 2010


Find the hummer!
Check out those iridescent wings!

Birds were seriously buzzing around all over the place in that little park behind my place. Here's another one!
#89: Black-Throated Green Warbler; Cattail Creek Park; September 7, 2010

Finally, we put the sunflower feeder out again to attract some new stuff. I know we see Blue Jays every day, but seriously....how beautiful are these birds?

There were some firsts in the yard today. Matt saw a Northern Parula and American Redstarts from the window. I hope they'll stick around so I can see them too!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

So? Let's get started! IDs 1-11

So, this all started on March 3, and here is what I have seen since then. I figure the first birds are easy, as I get the common ones under my belt.

ID#1: Wild Turkeys; March 7, 2010; near Carp

ID#2: White-breasted nuthatch; Mar 6, 2010; Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa

ID#3: Red-breasted nuthatch; March 6, 2010; Sarsaparilla trail, Ottawa


ID#4: Two Northern Cardinals; March 10, 2010; my backyard (Kanata)
Female:

Male:


ID#5: Pileated woodpecker; March 6, 2010; Kanata


ID#6: Hairy Woodpecker; March 6, 2010; Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa

ID#7: Downy Woodpecker; March 7, 2010; Kanata


ID#8: Mourning Dove; March 3, 2010; my backyard (Kanata)

ID#9: Dark-eyed Junco (I think?); March 3, 2010; my backyard (Kanata)

ID#10: Blue Jay; March 7, 2010; Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa

ID#11: Black-capped Chickadee; March 6, 2010; Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa


The last few days I've been wandering around my neighbourhood looking for more birds. So far, I've only seen more of the ones I've seen so far, and ones that are too far away to ID (for example, a reddish one that I don't think was a cardinal, what could have been 2 robins). Then there's the crows...and some birds I think are sparrow. I've also heard an owl 2 days in a row but he is very good at hiding! Also today, a few red-winged blackbirds on Moodie Drive from the bus, some Canada geese migrating and some ducks. Guess they'll have to wait tough until I can get my shots!