So common…the American Mourning Dove…they number in the millions around us. They are not colorful or vibrant. Nor do they do they broadcast a loud and boisterous voice or a demanding demeanor. But like all things in nature, there is nothing really common about them. To the Native Americans, the mourning dove represents spirit and … Read more
It’s awesome to have the colorful Cardinal in the backyard. On days when it snows they can become particularly numerous and active. Otherwise, it can be a challenge to get a good photograph, in good light, as they tend to feed really early, and really late, just before dark. Of course you’ll catch them from … Read more
“Now there is more to a bluejay than any other animal. He has got more different kinds of feeling. Whatever a bluejay feels he can put into language, and not mere commonplace language, but straight out and out book talk, and there is such a command of language. You never saw a bluejay get stuck … Read more
Make no mistake, this beauty rules the backyard feeders. I used to think Blue Jays or Red Bellied Woodpeckers were pretty bossy. They’d announce their arrival well ahead of time, and if any other birds where near the feeder they wanted to command, they were soon shown the door. But try to scrap with this … Read more
The dove is an underrated beauty. A peaceful, tranquil bird of the backyard, it would seem they wouldn’t get too many people excited about their presence, but I find them a true joy to watch. Their soft, drawn-out calls sound like laments and when taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying. How cool … Read more
This Yellow Shafted Flicker, as the name implies, has a very distinctive marking…the shafts on it’s feathers, and the underside of the wings, are a bright yellow. You can’t miss it when it’s flying around the backyard. Flickers are actually in the woodpecker family and they make a great, colorful addition, around the bird feeders. … Read more