Bluebirds

Today was a day at home for me and as always I try to get things done that have been put on hold the rest of the week while I work. It was kind of a crisp and oversast day and I didn't really want to go outside much. My husband came home for lunch and asked if I had noticed all the crows out on the bcak field. I went to look and just as I looked out the window something blue flew by very quickly. I thought maybe it was the indigo bunting but I quickly forgot about it as I saw about 50 to 60 crows in my back field. My husband said he had never seen so many crows together before accept on the movie"The Birds" and I thought how appropriate for the day before Halloween.

I called the Audubon Society and was told this is very normal for this time of year. The crows get together in groups and roost together in the trees. It is like a safety in numbers thing. I told her about the blue bird I saw and how I thought it might be the indigo bunting and she thought maybe it was on it's way somewhere.

Later in the afternoon as i was sitting in my livingroom, I noticed 2 small birds sitting on the wire outside. I got up to look and was so happy to see 2 Eastern Bluebirds. This is only the second time in my life I have seen Bluebirds and actually it was about the same time of year the last time. I of course went for my camera and found them out on the old dead tree that so many birds seem to enjoy sitting in. There were 5 or 6 of them out there and I was able to get a few pics. Unfortunately the day is gray and the pics were a bit dark but you can see the colring on them and can tell they are Eastern Bluebirds.

I looked them up in my "Animal Speak" book and the message they bring was very fitting for me. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Nighthawks

This is the time of the migration of the Common nighthawk. I had been wanting to go over to the Connecticut River and join the survey being done on the numbers being seen migrating but have not had a chance to get there.

This evening as I drove home from work, I found myself wondering if they ever migrate down the Sugar River. I even looked to the sky to see if I could find any but with no luck. As I drove up my road I saw my husband raking the grass he has just cut. I drove into the driveway and was making my way into the house feeling very tired when I noticed my husband looking up. I followed his gaze and to my delight I saw a number of what I thought were nighthawks flying and circling the pool below them.

I ran to get my binoculars and got a closer look. I had only seen a picture of a nighthawk and not the actual bird. I was pretty sure these were nighthawks and asked my husband to get my camera.

They must have been filling up for their trip south because they were flying in circles and very erratically trying to catch every bug they could get there beaks on. They were so quick that I couldn't use my zoom as high as I would have liked but I was able to catch a few pics of them.

It seemed as soon as I was finished taking their pictures, they flew off in a southwestern direction, probably on their way to the Connecticut River to finish their migration.

How lucky I am to have been home at just the right time to see these beautiful birds and how nice of them to save me the trip to the river. Enjoy the pics. Anne

Bald Eagles, Turkeys and Turkey Vultures

The brightest moments of my bird watching this summer have been the moments that two immature bald eagles have visited my yard. I first saw them about a month ago. One flew over us as we were having a cookout. He was huge and we only saw him for a minute. We debated as to what it was.

A few days later my husband saw him again and shortly after that as I was sitting at the table finishing my dinner, I saw him flying towards the house from the mountain. I ran outside and my husband ran and got the camera. I was only able to get a pic from pretty far away but I have a great zoom and after cropping a little you can see him pretty well exept you can't see the yellow color of his very large hooked beak. As he left my sight, I started walking back to my house and noticed another one flying towards my house. I ran and started to video this second eagle. This one was also very fast and my filming couldn't keep up with his flying but you will here my excitement as he flew over my head. Unfortunately I didn't catch it all on video.

I hadn't seen these eagles in a couple fo weeks. Maybe I was too preoccupied with my life and new job. Today I sat in my livingroom about to watch some TV when I saw one of the eagles outside my picture window. I ran for my camera but he was gone. As I walked past my kitchen window I noticed a few turkeys and thought I would at least get some pics of them. I went upstairs to get a better view and shortly after I started to snap pics of the turkeys, both eagles showed up in the sky. The turkeys looked a bit nervous. I took a few shots of the eagles, again from far away. They are so fast. When they left I went outside to see if they would come back. Way over Mt Sunapee, I saw one of them coming closer and I did get a quick shot as he came closer to my house. These are the most magnificent birds I have ever seen. When they fly over my head, I feel like a part of my spirit flies with them.

I think it is kind of funny that last night I was talking to a friend and I mentioned the eagles. He told me that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird. Well, today thanks to my spotting those three turkeys, I was able to get to see the eagles again. I have to say that the right bird was chosen as our national bird. I enjoy seeing the turkeys but it is not the same thrill I get from seeing the eagles.

Enjoy the pics of both! Anne

P.S. In picture 2 and 4 I believe you are looking at a turkey vulture. I had a hard time seeing but I think because the beak is not like the large hooked beak in the other photo'sthat these 2 pics are of a turkey vulture.

Another visit from the Indigo Bunting

As I was getting ready for lunch, I heard the familiar sound of the Indigo Bunting. I looked up in the tree and sure enough he was there. I went up to my new spot to watch him and took a few more shots and a video. He has a beautiful song and I thought I would share it with you.

In the background you can here another bird song that sounds like a whip lashing. I do not know what kind of bird this is and have not been able to find the bird that goes with the song. If you have any ideas as to what kind of bird that is please share. Thank you Anne

Indigo Buntings and other birds

Today I finally was able to get some pretty good pics of the Indigo Bunting. I have been trying for over a week and finally I found a new spot where I could get a good view and snap some photos. Too bad he had his back to me most of the time and when he didn't there were a couple of branches in the way but at least you can see his coloring. I also got a surprise when I put the pics on my computer. I have a picture of what looks to be a Chestnut-sided Warbler. What do you think?

I sat in my field for about an hour yesterday and got a few shots of an American Goldfinch and what looks to me to be a Song Sparrow. I am also posting a pic of a catbird who was sitting in the dead tree in my yard. Seems many types of birds like that old tree. I hope you enjoy the pics and any feedback is welcome. I am so new at bird watching but I am finding it addicting. It seems I am always looking up and listening for songs. Have a great Day! Anne

A visitor

This afternoon as my husband was washing the cars he had a little visitor. He showed up out of nowhere. I have never seen a bird like this one before. He seemed to be looking for someone. He kept running around and squacking like he was calling for his family. This little guy was not afraid of me or my husband. I was able to take some close up pictures of him before he went through the field and into the woods out in back. I hope he will be ok. I looked in my bird book and couldn't find any bird that looked like this one. If you know what kind of bird he is please let me know. Happy Birding! Anne

Update: This bird is a Chukar Partridge. These birds are from Asia. The thought is that he was raised on a game farm and escaped or was dropped off. Because he wasn't a native of this area, I did not find him in my field guide. I am grateful he decided to visit me. He is a beautiful bird.

A Red Bird

Well, as you can probably see I am very new to bird watching. This morning there was a lot of activity out at my feeder. The goldfinches were very busy gabbing away. It reminded me of when I was a little girl and my relatives would speak Italian to each other when they didn't want me to know what they were talking about. They spoke so fast just like this group of goldfinches today. I tried my hardest to get some pics but they are very quick. I got a couple of shots but nothing to write home about.

As I was out there I saw a few reddish birds. I had no idea what they were so I went out to take pics. They are very shy but I did get a few shots. If anyone knows what they are would you please let me know. I looked in my bird book and I think they are purple finches. I have not seen them before. It would make sense seeing that the goldfinches were here today. I was so happy to have another pleasant bird watching morning. Isn't is wonderful how God decorates our world with colorful birds.

Blessings Anne

Spring Birds

The birds have finally found the feeder and I have been enjoying watching and listening to their songs. I never really cared about which song went with which bird before but I am so glad I know now because I can tell if there is a new bird by how the bird sings. Here are some pictures I have been taking the past month. I hope you like them.

nuthatch, grackles, chickadee, red winged blackbird, mourning doves,juncos