A Cat and a Chick

I've added four new birds to my list…the common nighthawk, the brown thrasher, the palm warbler, and the gray catbird! I was expecting to see the thrashers; they visit front yards around the 'hood. The Stokes guide says they're here year-round, but I only have seen them in the spring. Anyway, the other day I looked out at the feeders and -- !! -- immediately realized there was a gray catbird trying to get suet. I did get a few crummy shots thru the glass…

Also, about a week ago, I drove hubby to work in the early AM…as we were creeping down a gravel road in the park (did I mention he's a state park ranger?), the headlights caught a familiar, unique shape nestled down on the road…the bird promptly flew off. The shape was unmistakeable, it was a common nighthawk. The nighthawk is a permanent resident of the park. There's a slight chance it was a Chuck-will's-widow, but most likely a nighthawk. This, from the park's bird check-list I found on-line. Hubby's got strict orders to acquire a hard copy for me…many birds I haven't seen! Yes, yes, I need to get seriously serious! The #1 to-find has been, all along, the FL scrub jay…but there's also buntings, L. shrike, WE vireo, BG gnatcatcher, RC kinglet….!!

Ok I just looked outside at the feeders and the gray catbird was back…took more photos, still crummy! Stokes guide says they do not come to feeders (no feeder symbol) but this guy seems interested in the suet…they winter in FL so maybe he needs fuel before heading north...

Finally, a thank you to Laurence B. for the info re: my "chipping sparrow" that you believe is actually a  morphing palm warbler! Woo-hoo! I thought it was "off" for a chipping…looked up many images on Google and it does match the morph male palm warbler, which winters in FL.

This shot's blurry, obviously…but you can see the reddish-brown patch under the gray catbird's tail...

And there's the black skull cap...

…Does it just figure my clearest shot is of the back side...

Along came a Carolina chickadee while I was trying to capture the catbird…you can see the mealworm feeder above it…all crumbs…someone's eating them but not the bluebird, ARG! At least, not as far as I know…I've seen other birds checking it out.

Who Let the Birds Out?!

Spring has definitely sprung in the kingdom of feathered frolickers…I barely posted about my long over-due ID of an Eastern bluebird, (seen on a power line, during a walk) when lo and behold, I looked out the window at the feeder pole and there sat a bluebird! I was even able to dash for the camera, which sits at the ready on the guest bed near the window…and get one shot before it zipped away. 

The following pictures were taken on two different days during a very short period of time...

I would think this is a female...

Not to be overlooked, finally a goldfinch sighting…I was beginning to wonder if I'd missed them this year...

I'm a bit thrilled to say, the Carolina wrens have become braver and less scarce at the feeders…this one didn't mind sharing with a pine warbler (r), even...

I saw four blue jays coming and going from the feeders at the same time…

The Carolina chickadees are appearing…no mistaking their distinct call…

But they're hard to capture…and fairly scarce...

I couldn't resist this shot through the lattice-top fence...

My guess is that this is a chipping sparrow, morphing from winter to summer coloring…

Update: A fellow birder, Laurence, feels this is a morphing palm warbler, pointing out the narrow bill…I would have to agree, the bill's too narrow for a sparrow. I've compared it to images online and it does match a palm warbler. Thank you Laurence!

…A female yellow-rumped warbler...

…And a male, hiding in a leaf-sprouting tree near the feeders...

…Up in the newly-leafed maple tree, a male No. cardinal waits for a turn at the feed…

At the front of the house, in the next-door neighbor's driveway, some serious drama unfolded…

One No. mockingbird gives the stink-eye to another…

…followed by strutting and posturing...

…Moments later, a kerfuffle!

…A blurry kerfuffle….

Until someone squawks, "I give!" and plays dead...

…Followed by more kerfuffling…

Now was this males being territorial,

Or a mating ritual?!

I hope the former, yeesh!

…Yet another new visitor…not very welcomed, either! An American crow checking out the base of the feeder pole…it didn't eat or even peck at a thing...

…While up above in a neighbor's pine tree, another crow looked on. The Stokes guide says they come to feeders. Please tell me this is NOT going to happen! N-o-o-o-o! It's bad enough I have to put up with the hoggish, couch potato mourning doves. Ack!

A Feathery Tail…or Two

 Well, I'm finally back at my Blog, updated my bird sighting list and now posting the latest photos collected in the past month or so…I saw my first bald eagle in Florida about a week ago! I was driving, so no photo…the eagle was soaring over the coastline, hunting breakfast no doubt...

A recent round of beach therapy…in-between Arctic Vortex blasts…resulted in a first sighting of 3 black skimmers at Flagler Beach, since moving to the area. I'd seen a couple at Fort Lauderdale Beach a couple years ago, but didn't have my camera then (gasp!) 

The larger birds shared the shoreline with the usual sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, and this lone willet…

Meanwhile, back at the "ranch"...

The titmice are showing up a bit more, flitting in and out as rapidly as ever...

…And the pine warblers are back, equally good at flitting about…although, this fellow allowed me to get within 8 feet to take photos...

…Along with the pine warblers there is an occasional Carolina Chickadee, scarce really…

and still about impossible to photograph...

The fairly abundant pine warblers and No. cardinals chow down daily…

…The feeders can be so busy that there is literally a queue in nearby trees…the chipping sparrows are back in abundance this winter as well…

…The red-bellied woodpecker couple is back…they're suet lovers...

…And the squawky, pushy blue jays…have been seeing a pair together at the feeders more often than I did last year…but they still don't seem to like to share with one another...

…I know we're getting more than one type of mottled brown sparrow at the feeders but can never seem to get a clear shot…is this a song sparrow? Or…? Probably just a "vague" chipping sparrow…

…Hubby likes the olive-colored female cardinals...

…Like last year, a downy woodpecker has made a few scarce appearances, not 

at the feeders, but pecking at our small trees...

…Not to be left out, the brown-headed cowbirds are back, sporadically as usual...

…The Carolina wrens are also scarce and flitty, seen in the background mainly but also they take a peek at the feeders, not sure they actually eat anything (don't think so)...

…The yellow-rumped warblers arrive at dusk, mobbing the maple and small trees in our front yard...

The American robins are back too…these lovely red berries don't stand a chance…as soon as they were ripe, the robins came, conquered, and left…in 3 days the tree was BARE. Well they're still about town, just not at this property now that it's been wiped clean.

The Blurry Bird Blog Bit II

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...