Of late I’ve been seeing a lot of a particular Red-bellied Woodpecker. She is, or appears to be a little different than most of the other ones around…a little paler, more gray…and is just stunning to see up close. My photograph, as usual, doesn’t really do them enough justice for how good they look to … Read more
I consider myself lucky to have a hummingbird as a supervisor. He sits outside the office window on a commanding branch of a shrub and peers in from time to time to make sure I’m working. Sometimes he’s nice enough to let me stare back. He might not pay well in dollars and cents, but … Read more
Spring is prime time for Orioles around the Midwest and they have certainly not been in short supply…as my dwindling grape jelly stash would testify. The blossoms on the crab apple and pear trees however were fleeting. Last year, I suspect due to the constant drenching rains, was one of the most colorful and long … Read more
The Brown-Headed Cowbird doesn’t look like much…until the light hits it just right. Then the male radiates a color and sheen that is stunning. Females, like many bird species are more drab, which is normally nature’s way of protecting them during nesting. Funny thing about Cowbirds though…they don’t really make a nest…in fact, they don’t … Read more
The Red Winged Blackbird is so very common. They seem to be everywhere you look. Despite their abundance it sure seemed to take awhile to get a decent photograph of one. I have always loved the contrast of the black body and those vibrant red wing patches. Usually only a sliver of red shows up … Read more
As the Northern Cardinals prepare for nesting, it appeared that the female was the more purposeful of the pair. She has been on the driven, and continuous search for material, twigs, sticks, and grasses, and she’s making quick work of the nest building itself. And soon she will lay the eggs in her created cradle … Read more