Tag Archives: robin

The yard in early March.

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Look who showed up in the backyard in early March. Last year they were here all winter but I hadn’t seen any parulas at all until March. I was sitting outside for a while enjoying the cool weather and the above got close enough for me to get some shots.

That lone robin was still hanging around in the backyard.

Bluebirds were stopping by.

A lone turkey was cruising by for a few days and one day I caught her taking a nap just outside our window.

We get tons of woodpeckers at the feeder and bird bath.

Butterflies on the hanging lantana.

Someone nearby is feeding these ibis. I saw them pecking around the tree and when I went outside to sit down one of them walked right up to me. I had to step back up against the house to fit him in the picture. He wandered off when he realized I wasn’t going to feed him.

Gardenias were starting to bloom.

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In the yard

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I had gone to the grocery store and my neighbor texted me that the turkeys were in my front yard. When I got home they had moved 2 doors down. After putting up the stuff that needed to go in the fridge I ran out with my camera and caught this from my other neighbor’s yard. There were 4 in all but one was hiding on the front porch. They look like turkey unicorns with that small horn on their forehead. I’ve read these are called snoods and females have short ones and the males get longer ones that hang down their face during breeding season.

That lone robin has still been hanging around. One day we got a lot of rain and a small pond formed across the fairway. That afternoon it was full of robins. After the robins left that lone one was still hanging around.

The Carolina wren was looking for nesting material.

In mid-February the hermit thrush was still stopping by the back yard.

This great egret had it’s green breeding face on. It may have a nest nearby.

The pine warblers were still plentiful and not shy at all.

A butterfly finally landed on the hanging lantana plant while I was out filling up the bird bath. I ran in and got my camera and it stayed on the plant for a while.

Early February in the backyard

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The blooms in my hanging Christmas cactus started to disappear and I finally realized why. They are also eating my marigolds. Ugh. I know I created this problem myself with the haven for squirrels in the backyard. We have tons of them. We don’t have dogs and they love the bird bath and hang around for fallen bird seed so they also eat the flowers.

Usual visitors to the backyard in early February include palm warblers, pine warblers, chickadees, titmouse, woodpeckers and a yellow throated warbler.

This lone robin has been in the backyard for weeks now. Then one day we got some rain and he had friends show up. They were picking out bugs in the water soaked grass. The next day his friends were gone and he was still there.

I was sitting in the backyard with my camera when this short tailed hawk made a quick fly over. I only got this blurry shot before he flew over the trees but it was cool to see him while I was in the backyard.

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Splish splash in the bath

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The little hermit thrush has been stopping by the bird bath most days. He always shows up late in the day, sometimes right before dark. A quick drink and dunk and he’s gone.

Even though the weather was cold in mid-January, all of the usuals stopped by for a bath.

My first robin in the backyard. He was all alone and at first he hung out at the bottom of the oak tree.

A little while later I caught on the bath. He has stopped by several times now for a bath.

This red/yellow finch has been a regular for a while.

I’ve been seeing this young little blue heron often. Sneaking around looking for bugs.

My Christmas cactus finally started blooming around mid-January. A little late but still pretty.

 

Hiking Deer Valley

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The sun was just about to come over the mountain early in the morning. It was very quiet and was weird to see those ski lifts just sitting there.

Hiking the trail behind our hotel in Deer Valley.

I ran into a few birds along the trail.  A junco, a few robins and a mountain chickadee. The best was the little chipmunk who was very skittish.

The view from the top of the hill behind our hotel. I zigzagged along the trail on the side of the mountain and ended up at the top of the ski slope.

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Birds at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

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This young Carolina wren was hopping all over the place.

Usual birds: a sparrow, robin and baby mockingbird.

 

A rare bird for me, one that I don’t see in my area of Florida is the American Goldfinch. There were several in the back of the gardens eating the flowers.

I saw several hummingbirds buzzing around but I could only catch this one.

Lots of little critters at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during my trip in August.

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A small park in Birmingham

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We saw a bluebird in a tree and then realized there was one in the nest box.

A small flock of geese were swimming and foraging.

My 2nd northern rough wing swallow sighting in Birmingham that weekend. This one seemed to be resting and let me take several pictures.

A common robin.

While visiting my sister in Birmingham in late March, we stopped at a small park for a quick walk before lunch. She use to walk there frequently and thought there would be geese as well as other birds. She was right. Lots of good stuff in this little park. It was perfect spot before heading to lunch.

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Looking for eagles and owls

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I found the owls in the same spot they were last year. The park is not too far from work so I stopped by one night before dark. Found one of the adults on a branch just above the nest. “My, what big feet you have!”

Found a baby sitting on the nest. A little fluff ball.

I looked for eagles along the utility towers across the bay where they usually hang out. I couldn’t find any mixed in with all of the cormorants.

The eagles are not nesting in the middle of the horse farm this year. There was a lot of new construction going on nearby so I was afraid they wouldn’t come back this year. I found them nearby in a utility tower. I think they took over an osprey nest high up in the tower.

Ibis flying by right before dark.

I found a lone robin near the owl nest.

A late February walk at Circle B Bar Reserve

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Great blue herons were all over the park. Including several sitting on nests.

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A green heron was stalking something.

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A sparrow hiding in the bushes.

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The only black bellied whistling ducks I saw. The park use to be full of them. You could hear their whistling all over the park. I’m not sure why there are only a few now.

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The robins were scrounging on the ground for bugs.

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A lost royal tern. He should be at the beach.

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A wood stork showing off. He was actually moving his foot around on the ground to stir up the bugs, frogs or snakes to eat.

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A limpkin taking a break.

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I caught a blue gray gnatcatcher being still for just a second.

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A red shoulder hawk up high.

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A marsh rabbit on Marsh Rabbit Run trail.

A few things I saw on my walk at Circle B Bar Reserve.

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Lots of birds at Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park

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Lots of robins in the trees.

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White pelicans were floating around.

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Wood duck on a log.  He didn’t have a tag on so I’m thinking he’s a wild one that is just hanging out here for the food.

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Spoonbill shaking off.

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It’s rare to be this close to an osprey. Especially when they are taking a bath. This one was in the big aviary.

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This wood stork was missing part of its wing.

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Both eagles are missing a wing.

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A rare white morph great blue heron was in the main pond. I didn’t see a tag on him. He’s got a beautiful face.

I made my annual winter trip up to Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park in mid-January. It was one of the first cold morning we have had. There was lots of bird activity at the park from injured birds that live there to the wild ones that fly in to visit. I took a ton of pictures so more on those to come.

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