Orange Crowned Warbler

A Family of Yellow-Rumped Warblers, A yellow bellied Sapsucker and The elusive Flicker!

What a bird tastic kinda day! It started out really rough...I finally had to make peace with the fact that my dream of buying the lens of my dreams (canon 100-400 L series) was not going to come true unless I waited another year. So I headed out to my local camera shop to see what they might have that could come close to it but stay with in my budget. I have a prospect on the horizon that I shall hopefully be purchasing with my tax refund!

But enough about that! I decided that I wanted to get out and see if I could get a few pictures of the birds that I've been seeing on my morning runs. As of late there was the flicker, house finch, purple finches and a yellow bellied sapsucker.

I started off in the park that's in the middle of my development and what did I happen across but a family of yellow rumped warblers! There were 3 males and 3 females flitting from tree to tree!

I couldn't get over how close they actually let me get...if only I already had my zoom lens!

Such pretty sounding fellas! I didn't manage to get any good ones of the female...hopefully soon!

I almost missed this fella! I had already passed his tree when I heard him shimmy further up the tree. I know that sounds weird, but I heard the distinctive 'shushing' of something climbing. I turned and looked up and found my little yellow bellied Sap-sucker!

I couldn't get an unobstructed view of him but I'm still pleased how they turned out!

The above picture is of the yellow shafted northern flicker that I had in my front yard last week... I spotted him underneath an evergreen tree today and stalked him all the way down the street. I didn't end up with very good pictures but I blame a large part of that on the loud barreling truck that drove by just seconds before I would have gotten the shot of a lifetime...ah well such is the nature of bird photography!

I'm not really sure what the picture above is of...I spotted him with a female flicker...I can't help but think it may be a juvenile flicker?

All in all not a bad bird day!

White throated sparrow returns!

Man what a day! I just looked outside and what did i see perched on top of the fence? Yup! My musical little friend...I sure hope they're here for a bit so I can get some good pictures!

A Yellow Shafted Flicker!

Wonder of Wonder miracle of miracles!

On my afternoon run (I'm training for the 1/2 marathon) I was wishing that something would take my mind off of the fact that I waited tooooooo long today and the sun was a killer.

It was at that moment that I then spotted distinctive flight of what could only be a flicker. I followed her down the street...kind of unavoidable with the whole running thing...she'd fly down the street, find a spot and dig away until I got too close and then repeat the pattern.

At one point I stayed on the far side of the street and managed to get withing about 10 feet of her while I jogged in place and watched her beautiful unmoustached face.

Eventually the chase pushed her onto my street and onto my front yard before she was scared off by pedestrians.

I can't believe that there was a flicker in our development, never mind in the front yard! Somehow suburbia isn't there usual stomping ground!

The Fox Sparrow

This evening provided a pleasant surprise for me! It's size caught my eye first...it was substantially larger than any other sparrow I'd seen as of late. I first though that maybe is was some sort of thrush, but looking back I think that I was just really hoping to make it something new and exciting.

The picture doesn't do it's colour justice. So red, so beautiful. His breast was so creamy, it made the streaks look even more amazing. That combined with the grey, made him seen so unique!

I think this means that good things are headed my way. Thank you daddy. I miss you.

The Mourning Doves have returned!

This morning I was greeted with a very pleasant surprise...as I sat down to have my breakfast I noticed that there was a pair of mourning doves wandering around the yard much to my delight!

They wandered around pecking away to their hearts content. The yard was a very harmonious blend of Sparrows, Juncos, Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles & Mourning doves.

I see this a yet another sign of spring and encouragement that the storm system heading our way will just bring us rain and not the snow that southern Sask. is scheduled to receive!

Just out for a stroll to find the good bird seed!

Beautiful Junco's

The Juncos having been flocking to the yard in greater numbers as each day progress' and I have to say I have a whole new love for them.

Their song is like no other...songs so beautiful that it actually moved me to tears one afternoon as I sat outside surrounded by about 35 juncos all singing & vying for the best spot on the feeding stations.

I've never noticed the beautiful brown they sport before and every time the sun hits them just so, I think that they are one of natures truly amazing creations.

Wondering what he's supposed to do with the apples.

The Chipping Sparrow has arrived!

A quick note as I'm in the middle of Easter Dinner....I looked out the patio door and noticed that there was a chipping sparrow hopping around the yard!!!

Yay Spring!!