Pileated Woodpecker and an Eastern Bluebird

If it's sunny outside, I try to remember to take out my pocket camera in case I see something.  It's not a great camera for zooming but does it faster than my phone and the pics are slightly better.  Someday I will have a better camera for zooming in, but the best camera is the one you have with you.

I was out with Kyanne on Sunday standing at the top of my hill by the fence and movement in the woods caught my eye.  It was a Pileated Woodpecker!  Not my first sighting behind our house but it's not something you experience often so I grabbed what photos I could.  It was hard to miss once you saw the size.

The next day I was looking out our back window and noticed an Eastern Bluebird flying down in the yard and back to the tree overhanging our fence.  Grabbed the same camera and got this shot...

Not sure where it is nesting...the sparrows have taken over the boxes my neighbor put out.

A sure sign of spring

People associate seeing American Robins as a sign of spring coming.  But not all Robins migrate and it's not uncommon to see them in February.

Like the Junco on the feeder yesterday, seeing a Robin in or on a feeder is not something you associate with them but here is one next door on a tray feeder....

 

Today, I'm going with a relative of the Robin as a sure sign of spring -- the Eastern Bluebird. 

 

Bluebird

Well, Eastern Bluebirds are still around.  I haven't seen any for awhile but caught this one out my back window today.  In two of the pictures a House Finch joins in...

 



Mr. Bluebird and My Friend Flicker

Eastern Bluebirds are not easy to sneak up on so here are my latest efforts to get a decent shot the other day...

 

 

And another bird I like to watch...the Northern Flicker (member of the woodpecker family).  I love the coloring and they prefer to eat on the ground (ants and beetles) so I can see them more easily.  These are out our back windows so the clarity and lighting isn't the best...

 

Bird show this afternoon

I counted at least 13 different types of birds from my back window this afternoon and a possible 14th.  It was a sunny afternoon and I had the feeder out but for a short while it was just popping with activity.  I had a Northern Cardinal on my feeder at one point and that rarely happens.  I saw at least two Eastern Bluebirds and I think I saw more.  I saw a Red-tailed Hawk fly through the woods and up in the sky I saw a Bald Eagle.

I'm still working on better pics of the Bluebirds.  I've seen male and female.  Here's what I got today...

 

From my back window today:

Eastern Bluebird

Downy Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

Black-capped Chickadee

Mourning Dove

American Robin

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Northern Cardinal

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Possibly saw:

Hairy Woodpecker (I feel pretty sure I'm seeing two difference sizes)

Eastern Bluebirds are back

This is from the other day.  I've seen a male flying on the edge of the woods.  Not a great picture but wanted to share.  I will work on better pictures.  A little sunshine would help.



Bluebird

I was watching this Eastern Bluebird after work and it appears they will be visitors at least for the time being and hopefully residents.

Here are pictures I got with my digital camera...





A colorful evening

I looked out the back window after work and was excited to see a male Eastern Bluebird perched on my fence.  At one point, it was down in my yard and also down to the ground by the butterfly bush.  I'll keep an eye on this to figure out if it is nesting close.  At the same time I saw the Bluebird, a male Northern Cardinal was in my small tree.

 



 

Eastern Bluebird sighting

Always exciting to see Eastern Bluebirds.  I saw one on the edge of the woods the other day.  This morning I saw a male and female across the street while I was walking Russ.  The flash of blue caught my eye.  I've been bringing my digital camera on walks just in case but hard to get the camera out, focus and shoot with one hand while Russ is pulling me away!

Anyway, here the male (same shot but 2nd picture auto-corrected for color)...



Eastern Bluebird

From our back window.  It helped that I cleaned the glass.  I would like to put out a nest box next year.

As I read though, have to work to keep Sparrows away and clean often.  We have the perfect spot...