Last week a small flock of 5 golden-crowned kinglets visited the garden. They are about the size of a hummingbird and can survive temperatures up to -40 degrees Fahrenheit by snuggling together in the cold. They don’t really sit still for more than a second […]
All posts tagged: backyard birds
Zunday Zen … Winging it
hungry chickadee coming in for a landing on translucent wings. Have a Zen Sunday! Sabine
Up Close & Personal … The Downy Woodpecker
This time of year we get a lot of woodpeckers visiting the suet feeders. The female downy woodpecker identical to the hairy woodpecker, except for its size and the length of the bill. The downy has a short stubby beak in comparison to its body size. Males […]
Meditation in Moments … Finches on the Fence
Which side is greener? This flock of fluffy finches can’t seem to decide … Late Friday afternoon I noticed a kinglet foraging for insects in the butterfly bush. After watching it for a while I went inside to get my camera. By the time I […]
Up Close & Personal … The Hairy Woodpecker
Lunchtime for this little guy! With the weather getting colder it’s starting to get busy at the feeders. Suet is loved by just about all the birds and even squirrels try to get to it. Hairy and downy woodpeckers are almost impossible to tell […]
Up Close & Personal … Gentle Mourning Doves
This faithful pair of mourning doves has been visiting us for years during spring and summer. They usually fly in, waddle over to where the bird feeders are, in hopes of finding some morsels other birds might have dropped. After that, they always head over […]
Zunday Zen … I spy a …
tuckered out hummer during the height of summer ready for a nap. Hummingbirds have been constant visitors in my garden this summer. Generally, they zip all over the place at neck-breaking speed, then perch on a branch to rest a moment or two. And they […]
Zunday Zen … I Spy a …
quick-moving shadow in the wildflower meadow some slurps on the fly then it’s off again … Goodbye! I hope you had a Zen Zunday! Sabine
Up Close & Personal … The Cooper’s Hawk
The view from my kitchen window is fabulously distracting! I was in the midst of making a salad for dinner one night recently, when I happened to glance out the window. The yard was eerily quiet and not a bird in sight! That’s when I […]
Happy Friday the 13th from my Garden!
The northern, or as it used be called, the red-shafted flicker, is one of my very favorite fine feathered friends to visit the bird feeders in my garden. They are very shy and spooked by the slightest of sounds or movements. I love the dotted […]
Happy Friday from my Garden!
This week I spent some time birdwatching in my garden. I made a makeshift “bird blind” using an old blanket, a beach chair and an outdoor plant shelf to sit behind/underneath to observe and photograph our backyard visitors. Many birds aren’t all that shy if […]
Happy Friday from my Garden!
Yesterday after filling up my bird feeders, I went back outside to see if any birds would come by. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before the regulars flocked in, bringing with them this bright yellow Townsend’s Warbler. It was such a treat […]
Happy Friday from my Garden!
Earlier this afternoon I got caught in the flightpath of a delightful flock of bushtits. Dozens of these tiny birds suddenly appeared on the suet feeders in my garden. They chattered, ate and didn’t seem to mind me standing just about a meter from the […]
Happy Friday from my Garden!
Much of my time was spent in the yard this week. The cycle of life in the garden seems to be never ending. For every weed I pull out, another one seems to come up! Late one afternoon I came face to face with […]
Zunday Zen … A Winter Feast
Cold, hungry, thirsty The snowy table is set for a winter feast. This winter brought an unusual amount of snow to the Portland, Oregon area. Our backyard is a perfect restaurant for the many birds in our neighborhood. One of my favorite visitors is the […]
Zunday Zen … Good Morning to you, too!
Spectacles sharpen the flitting blur at first light. Ruby-crowned Kinglet staring right at me. Wait!!! Where is my camera!?! Thursday morning, when I first awoke, I noticed a tiny bird flitting about the butterfly bush outside my bedroom window. Instantly I jumped out […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 