Mutts 11-14-09

Bluebirds!

I've seen a few bluebirds before. At the park, near some rural fields, on a power line, but never at my house! Yesterday I looked outside and spotted no less than eight bluebirds munching on the poison ivy berries! I didn't think they'd come out this far out because it's pretty wooded here, though most of the people up here have at least an acre each cleared for their yards. The number of different birds I have seen on these vines in the last two weeks is making me really upset that we're planning on cutting the couple trees down in front of our house with the vines growing on them next spring. We're planning on digging out part of a small hillside to expand our front yard, put in a retaining wall, and make some new flowerbeds. But other than our deck out back, this is my prime birding spot (there is a multiflora rose brush pile around the bottoms of the tree where the ground feeders hang out too!) I am definitely going to have to get some bluebird boxes and other birdhouses up before next spring.

Notice the Junco eating the berries in the top left of this picture, too!

This adorable Carolina Wren has been hanging around the house the last couple weeks. Usually I hear him long before I see him, and he's so skittish, these are the only photos I've gotten of him!

White Throated Sparrows are loving the berries...

...and talking with their mouths open!

The cardinals have learned to levitate.

The song sparrow that has been hanging out almost exclusively in the big grassy plant that has gone to seed, finally came up to see what all the commotion was about at the feeder.

It's that time of year again... suet cupcakes!

"I just can't stop singing my praises for your suet dough recipie!"

Yum Yum

The feeder's spinning and I'm starting to get dizzy now.

This baby and it's sibling and mommy have been hanging out in our backyard all summer. When the babies still had spots, we were eating out on our deck, and they were just running around and frolicking for about 10 minutes! They weren't at all bothered by us. Now if they hear us they'll look, and occasionally walk back into the trees, but they don't seem to mind friends hanging out with them.

The sibling

Momma stood up to see what was happening when she heard me clicking away, then she went back to her lunch.

Picture Post

I think this is a Yellow Rumped Warbler... I would love for anyone to help confirm or deny, please :) If so, it's another one to add to my list!

These pictures are all from the past 2 weeks or so... some of the "usual suspects" hanging out in the yard... and some just coming home for winter!

Red Bellies are one of my favorites.

He almost fell in to the burning ring of fire!

Polite dinner table discussions.

Welcome home, Juncos :)

This young guy has been hanging out around here since mid summer. I took a picture with the velvet still on his antlers, and didn't realize that most deer antlers aren't symmetrical. My husband told me they can be in about any shape and definitely don't have to match. This one has a fork at the top of his right antler, and a fork at the bottom of the left one.

This one's gonna need a new set of cheeks if he puts any more corn in there!

Coming soon: Purple Finches, White Throated and White Crowned Sparrows!