Enjoying the Unexpected

Snow, the first week of December...I haven't seen this in a while.
Arriving Saturday morning (Dec 5th), it stayed for the day, glistening and twinkling by afternoon as it dripped in the airy light. There is something comforting and satisfying about feeding birds when the weather is so cold and uninviting. All of us (me included) fluff up to stay warm. And that includes this sweet wintering White-throated Sparrow captured in the dim overcast light.

His November arrival always makes me smile. And this is the first time I've seen him on the "holly perch", the dead apple tree stump in front of the holly. A favorite perch for birds approaching the feeders, and for those dropping by for a berry snack, he typically prefers hanging out underneath the shrub. But in the midst of all this snow, he seemed to think the perch was a grand idea.

And squirrels. There are many! We seem to have a large batch of late juveniles with irresistable faces and naive curiosity. This one ventured within six feet of me. (Click the image and check out that baby fur!)

Sweet and trouble in one bundle,

their thick winter coats were striking against the snowy blends of gray and white. Add a colorful leaf or two, and we have nature's magic!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #67 at Birdfreak.com, to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

The Beauty of November's Berries

Covered with berries and leaves earlier in the month, the Dogwoods in my yard are now bare of both. (Click images to enlarge.)All that remains are their upreaching limbs and tiny white buds, reminders of the crowd of birds, especially the robins, that covered their branches one morning and boldly announced their arrival.

But there are plenty of other berries still around, among them this native American Beautyberry (below) that I found at Ijams Nature Park. Expecting to find very little in the way of color when I stopped by, it took me by surprise. I even double checked to make sure the brilliant orange leaves were attached to the same limbs as the berries!

Who but Nature would pair these luscious colors together in such a grand display?!

October is most definitely a glorious month for leaves. But as November begins to fade, I think it steals the show, hands down, for its bountiful display of berries. Just ask the birds and squirrels who are busy harvesting them!

Tufted Titmouse--Singing in the Rain

If someone were to ask me, why do you love birds so much? I might have to answer, have you ever met a Tufted Titmouse?

Today is a cold, rainy November day, the kind of day we expect to have this time of year in east Tennessee. But after yesterday's brilliant sunshine, who can complain. And this one was brightened for me by the colorful Tufted Titmouse family, one of whom landed on the empty feeding table outside my door and scolded loudly. (click on images to enlarge)

After I put the suet out, I noticed him happily singing on the holly. I stepped out with my camera hoping he would continue and let me get a few images. As you can see, he didn't seem to mind. Even when a couple of chickadees flew in, attempting to dethrone him, he just turned and sang some more.

A colorful part of every season, these little birds are so much fun to have around. If you haven't met one, introduce yourself!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #65 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Impressed with a Red-bellied Woodpecker's Tongue!

On the day that the crowd of robins visited, a parade of other birds joined them in the dogwood tree. Among them, this Red-bellied Woodpecker male. (Click images to enlarge.)

It's always a treat when he visits the dogwood tree, and this time was no exception. He flew into the dogwood limbs, hung upside down to pluck a berry, then flew to a nearby trunk to reposition it before swallowing.

It was this that surprised me. He used the trunk's surface to reposition the berry, so that he then held it at the tip of his bill.

With his long tongue extended, he used it in a lever-like fashion to move the berry into swallowing position.

Once the berry was gone, he scooted around the tree to forage some more. But then, paused, looked back at another dogwood berry, hung upside down and stretched his tongue out to pick up something from its surface.

A fun and intimate encounter. I hated to see him fly away. The good news--he's my neighbor!

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #63 at Birdfreak.com, to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Whooping Crane Activity Book--A Fun Peek Inside!

While the ultralight-led Whooping Crane Class of 2009 is making its way south, children can read all about how imagination and innovation have helped us help our endangered Whooping cranes.As the author and illustrator, the complimentary distribution of this book gives me great satisfaction. After introducing children to our magnificent Whooping Crane and the reasons for its population decline, the book takes them through the magical story of how a young chick learns to follow costumed handlers and ultralight aircraft 'parents' in preparation for its first migration journey south. (Click on the page images to see enlarged views.)

The 32-page book is packed with fun facts, illustrations to color and activities designed to stimulate young imaginations of all ages and get readers excited about taking care of our Whooping cranes and their habitat.

Teachers may click here to fill out a complimentary order for their students ($10.00 shipping). Individuals interested in buying copies for the children in their family may purchase them for $3.00 plus shipping on Operation Migration's Merchandise Page or by calling 1-800-675-2618.

A Crowd of Robins and A Dogwood Tree

A cold front welcomed in our first day of November, so I set feeders out for the birds. Titmice, chickadees and cardinals gathered but it soon became apparent there were many more birds in the yard than usual.

When I walked over to the Dogwood to investigate, I found a crowd of American Robins in the tree eating the ripened dogwood berries.

Not a bit shy about their new surroundings, the robins, mixed with a few Cedar Waxwings, were hungrily picking berries in as many different ways as you and I might invent. Some hung upside down, others grabbed berries in a fly-by fashion, still others found a convenient spot and picked and swallowed them one by one. Sometimes as many as half-a-dozen gathered on a branch at a time. And all around, on nearby limbs, more birds waited their turn.

It was heavenly. They were so close, so busy, so accessible. As you might guess, I took a ton of photographs. And while I enjoyed the party, others came to dine--a male Red-bellied woodpecker (I will show you more about how he uses his tongue in a later post), two male Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, a Hermit thrush, an Eastern Phoebe, a White-throated sparrow, three Northern Flickers and a Northern Mockingbird.

Need I say what a fine party this was for me? (Last image, Northern Mockingbird).

Lively October

October is so lively, so full of change and energy. Weather is changing. Leaves are changing. And almost daily, new migrants are visiting the trees in my yard. I can't keep up with them all. I want to paint each and every one of them.I love the chance to meet a new bird, read about where it nests, see where it travels, where it will spend its winter. I marvel when we have a chance meeting, that the wonderful oak tree in the front yard provides rest and foraging along his journey.

This is my sketch of one of these birds, the Magnolia Warbler (probably a male) created in my new Brenda Books sketching journal. It's a beautiful new journal with real rag watercolor paper. I'm finding it intially a bit intimidating--so brand new and inviting. You know, the feeling. You don't want to mess it up.
But that's watercolor and journaling. You plunge in. You make a mess. And altogether, it doesn't turn out so badly. And on top of that you have this wonderfully intimate experience, with a bird, with its lifestyle, with the magic of October.

Don't Miss Those Beautiful Faces

Today it happens to be the Carolina Wren family I'm speaking of, though I've said that about other birds recently, too. Birds do have such compelling faces. Sometimes they catch my attention because I happen to be at the banding station, seeing the beautiful details for the first time. But mostly, its my camera that brings them close enough for me to notice, to see their faces like I've never seen them before.
And today I had some help from another Carolina wren, just a few yards away, singing on the same side of the house, making me wonder if it was one of this year's juveniles. When the male in the image finished singing in response, he flew up over my head to the deck. But before I show you the next wren, I want you to notice his bill, its length and curve. Right after the image of him below, you see the image of the wren that was foraging beneath him in the holly. Look at her petite little bill, a wholly different look!But now, lets zoom out so you can get the whole look. Check out that position, especially her left side!
I got such a chuckle out of these images. Even wondered if this is a juvenile but couldn't find any tell-tale yellow around the mouth corners.

A poster bird for sure!Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #60 at Birdfreak.com, to promote the conservation of our world's birds.