I'm still here, have just been "out of pocket" for awhile due to the major distraction of putting a house together, from paint to furniture to what-nots. We're getting there, slowly but surely. New kitchen counters look fab, bedroom furniture is finally ALL here, tho there are a couple small issues that we have to wait for someone to come out and look at...ARG. Anyway, I have finally ordered a belated Christmas gift for myself, it is back-ordered naturally, so probably won't see it for 3 more weeks...a new 4-hook, squirrel repelling, tall bird-feeding pole. Dang they're expensive! If you haven't checked out Duncraft's website, I recommend that you do if you feed the yard birds...
Speaking of, I have been taking more blurry shots from inside the house but have not gone out birding ~ other than snapping beach birds during the past couple of visits ~ in some time. Our weather is up and down, today being down to 55 for a high. Yesterday it was 75. We've had frost a few mornings...one of the perks of living in central Florida. Yes Virginia, it can frost in Florida!
Ok without further ado....the latest (mostly) blurred birdy bling around the homestead...
The chipping sparrow is an occasional visitor...
I believe this female red-bellied woodpecker and her mate are the only 2 RBW's visiting the feeders...I love how they use their tail to stabilize themselves...
What the...? A red-winged blackbird came through briefly...
The titmouses have been checking out the suet...they continue to be very flighty...
The Carolina chickadees are occasional visitors and also very flighty, which is weird considering how people-friendly (curious) the black-capped ones are...
The yellow-rumped warblers are occasional and fleeting...
This is Mo, Larry, or Curly...one of three squirrels that are almost always on the maple tree or under the bird feeder eating fallen seeds...due to crippled nature of the feeder, at least one of them knows how to get to the platform feeder despite the baffle....
Finally, robins! They came, they saw, they conquered....and now they don't visit anymore, but I do see them around the area. This is the first I've seen any robins at all since arriving in Florida over a year ago, tho the Stokes field guide claims they're here year-round. What's up with that?!
The Carolina wren (me-thinks the same one) still visits occasionally, and seems to be getting a little less timid....
Two female brown-headed cowbirds and a male No. cardinal...I wasn't sure what the dark birds were (except female) until I saw the male...
The cowbirds are abundant in S Dakota so I knew him right off....
Beings that this is Florida, there are 'shrooms...this one appeared in our backyard...
The mourning doves are plentiful...
As you can see by this shot...which also captured Mo/Larry/Curly zipping up the maple tree...and a chipping sparrow at the green feeder.
Our daughter visited for a week in early December...we had perfect weather the day we got our beach therapy. Here she's greeting some brown pelicans as they do a fly by....
There isn't much variety of shore birds at the beach here, I'm sad to say, at least not that I've found yet...will try to explore the Intracoastal Waterway side soon...of course there's gulls; this is an immature (winter) ring-billed gull.
The willets are a common sight at the beach...
As are the sanderlings...
...Back on the "ranch"...a female cardinal poises for a shot at the feeder while Mo/Larry/Curly hangs on the maple tree...the cardinals are very common and plentiful, and a bit hoggish of the feeders...
A red-shouldered hawk visited recently...a step up the food chain from the other feathered visitors...
While trying to snap the hawk, I heard a familiar drumming sound...and could just make out this pileated woodpecker in a pine tree a couple houses down, and waaaay up high...
This was the first time I saw a blue jay eating suet instead of the seeds...
Naturally I could only get one blurry shot of this bright yellow fellow... a pine warbler...
Hubby and I went for a bicycle ride yesterday... and discovered a couple of these bright red mushrooms like the ones always depicted in fantasy art that includes faeries and elves...when we got back home we jumped in the car and drove back to the spot so I could take some photos. :o) Do you think they're poisonous? Hmm.
Well, I'll see you next year...I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and will have a healthy, exciting 2013! See you in the new year...
