Oh yes, yes I did enjoy, especially that redtail. You are so good.

STUNNING and well worth the wait!

Thanks for posting those beautiful pictures. You are indeed a very talented person!

C3D :-)

I absolutely loved looking at the birds! Many of the same birds visit our yard and feeders, but I never get to see them that close and still! Thank you, Jeanner!
Debbie

i am partial to the redtail as well!

i had a catbird this am being very uncatbird like. out in th open in a tree. i had the suspicion that i was being checked out.

Thanks Jeanner! I always love your bird pictures.

:) Mary

Jean, your photographs always make my day! Thank you so much for continuing to share them with us as often as you can. :)

*waving back, and blowing a kiss, to the yellow warbler*

Brenda

OHHHH AHHHH! Wow. You have a wonderful bird show going on there! Your photography is really good. Thank you! PJ

Stunning. I don't care what you say - you are up there w/ the best of the best, lady!

Ah thanks guys ... I enjoy sharing them with you.

The red tailed hawk was the toughest ... they circle over the yard almost every day but point that camera at them and they high tail it over the trees. I had to lay in the garage and wait for them to fly over, I'm glad my neighbors can't see me - they already think I'm nuts.

Sitting by the pond on a warm summer day, watching the birds and the butterflies and taking pictures ... it doesn't get any better than that (except it's more like sitting under the invasive honeysuckle while getting bit by mosquitos and chiggers and missing the best shots because sweat is getting in my eyes .... but I still love it!)

jeanner, i am picturing you with urban cammo trying to get that picture!

my neighbors are probably wondering why i go out and stare at the same plant every morning then hover over it and at times take several pictures from different angles :)

I tot I taw a red-tailed hawk land in our big tree this morning! This thing was HUGE (at least a foot tall), and it was gorgeous. I think it was one of the young'uns that have been raised in the cottonwood tree behind our house.

There I was, out in the front forty, watering can in one hand, no camera in the other, and I thought, Why can't I be more like Jean? Why can't I Super Glue the camera to my hand so that I always have it for photo ops such as this? And why aren't I wearing my cammo pants?

Brenda

What beautiful pictures!

brenda, if it happens like me, the pic ops never happen when you are armed. btw, if the tail was brown and barred with darker brown, it is a juvie. if the tail is red, it is an adult. don't mind me, just being a know-it-all :)

Hey, that's why I love posting here, because I'm definitely NOT a know-it-all. I need backup. :D

It all happened so quickly (gliding, landing, sitting pretty), but I really think it had a banded tail with darker colors! I know the chest was white, with brown vertical speckles, if that makes sense.

I took the camera out yesterday morning, as I will today, but it didn't show up.

There is another bird, though, maybe someone can ID for me. Again, not a very good pic, but it's one of a few birds that have been hanging around. They have a weird flight pattern, where they take off from their perch, swoop out (or up) and around, returning to their perch, almost like a boomerang (or like they're snagging some insects in mid-air?).

Anyway, I've mentioned it before as having a light yellow front, and you can just see some peeking out from above the tail in this pic. They usually hang around in pairs, and they're very protective of their "area". This is the one and only time any of them have ventured this close to the house, that I've seen, anyway. It was very hot that day, and it definitely wasn't doing the swoop thing. Maybe someone can help! :)

Brenda

{{gwi:171436}}

wow! you found a rare bird indeed, brenda! i have never seen an invisible california pipsquawk before :)

Definitely a flycatcher! Your description of his flight is perfect. It can be tough to identify the exact flycatcher, some of the differences are very subtle but they are all have a different song. I'm going to venture a guess at a western kingbird. If that's not it, look at the list of similar birds, maybe you will find it there. Check the link below ....

We have a phoebe (another flycatcher) that was following me around last weekend when I was cutting the grass. It would fly ahead of me and perch in a tree until I rode by and stirred up all the bugs. It would swoop down and catch one than fly to the next tree. It figured out my cutting pattern and knew where to go next - it was a riot! And made cutting grass so much more fun! But alas, no camera, although I was tempted to try it but I was afraid I would hit a bump and lose it.

Lucky you to see a red-tailed so close! I only get the fly-bys. I did have a juvie sharp shinned hawk hanging around this winter but they are pretty small, not much bigger than a jay. And very good at hiding! Hmm, I've got some pictures somewhere ....

Here is a link that might be useful: western kingbird

I wish I could do that!! Jean, your pictures are delightful and I appreciate the ID. Sandy

I do have pictures of the sharp shinned hawk (imagine that !!! LOL!!)

{{gwi:171465}}

{{gwi:171466}}

Caught this titmouse as he was sunning on the back deck. I find it curious that birds need to "sun" when it is 90 degrees!

{{gwi:171467}}

that pic is hilarious. hmmmmm, brenda, funny how that pic showed up. i swear it wasn't there earlier!

my faves are the raptors, owls, and accipiters, jeanner!!! thanks!

I figured that's what you meant, FTM, since I couldn't find a listing for an invisible california pipsquawk. LOL

Jean, you are awesome!! That's the bird, a Western kingbird! Finally. Thank you SO much!

As for the sunning part, I noticed that when we had our terrible heatwave, with temps into the 100 + 'teens, many birds seemed to do that during the hottest part of the day. It was almost like they were cooling themselves with their beaks open and their feathers spread apart like that.

LOVE those pics! That little hawk is just the cutest thing!

Brenda

You could publish a book with bird pictures no problem Jean.
Brenda you have neat birds hanging around! PJ

Brenda, glad I could help. The flycatchers are neat birds but very territorial, like there aren't enough flies to go around!

This was posted on one of the bird sites that explains why birds sun.

1) exposure to heat and and light activates ectoparasites such as bird lice and perhaps drives them away from areas of the body that the bird has the most trouble reaching and/or to areas where they can be captured most easily in the bill;

2) the sun's ultraviolet rays release vitamin D from the preen oil, which in turn is ingested by the bird in the preening that typically follows a sunbath;

3) the sun dries and fluffs the feathers by evaporating moisture and oils from the plumage, thus maintaining good insluation;

4) birds may be able to increase energy reserves by absorbing solar radiation directly through the skin;

5) it feels good, especially when molting causes skin irritations;

6) some optimal combination of 1-5.

what fantastic pictures i love them keep them coming please