Wrens are small, active songbirds that rarely sit still for very long. Bewick’s wrens are about 5 1/2 inches long and live in the underbrush along forest edges. Wrens are easily identified by their distinctive white eyebrows, beige and brown plumage and long white-tipped […]
All posts tagged: Bird watching
Autumn Magic at the Oregon Garden, Part 1
Stepping out from the Visitor Center into the Oregon Garden After endless rain all week I awoke to a bright blue sky and sunshine on Monday morning. I decided to enjoy this beautiful day at the Oregon Garden. This Amazing Water Garden was created by […]
Up Close & Personal … The Backyard Meet-up, Part 1
The Northern Flicker checking out the backyard before coming down from the tree … … where he encounters a Stellar’s Jay at the suet feeder. They thoroughly check each other out … … when the jay starts to clown around and then hops onto the […]
Hummingbird Magic
Summer is here and so are the hummingbirds! Hummers rarely sit still. This one however just sat and sipped nectar for a few moments. Crocosmia is a favorite hummingbird flower! “Lecker!” Delicious! Check out the tongue down below! I never get tired of watching hummingbirds! And […]
Up Close & Personal … The American Dipper
For Sandi! That same afternoon where I listend to Daniel’s fabulous cello music in Lithia Park, I had another unexpected encounter along one of the walking paths. Strolling south along Ashland Creek, I crossed the creek on one of the wooden bridges. Just past the […]
Up Close & Personal … The Cheerful Chickadee
Most of the time, chickadees don’t sit still for a portrait session like this one. But when I encountered this tiny chestnut-backed chickadee the other day, I was surprised at the cooperation, or perhaps he was simply just curious about me! Chickadees visit in small […]
Meditation in Moments … Robins of the Round Table
No need to squabble Robins of the Round Table Plenty to go ’round Since yesterday morning, a flock of 40+ robins has been hanging out in my garden. They arrived shortly after I filled up the birdbaths with fresh water in the morning. A few […]
Up Close & Personal … The Spotted Towhee
This spotted towhee visited my garden last Sunday after it had snowed. The clouds had mostly drifted off into the distance and sun rays were peeking through the forest. The afternoon lighting was beautiful and the neighborhood quiet. Suddenly this distinctly patterned bird hopped right […]
Up Close & Personal … The Golden-Crowned Kinglet
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 […]
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 […]
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 … 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!
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 […]
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 […]
Avian Food Bank
Morning, noon and night, Much to my delight, The suet, the seed and the water fountain, Turn me into a binoculared spectator on the mountain. Keeping an eye on the happenings out back, These fine feathered friends sure demand their snacks! Solitary warbler dressed […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 