Backyard Birds

Enough about Squirrels and Dogs….what about the birds?  With all the bird feeders, large trees and shade, there are many birds to see and photograph in my sister’s backyard.  Now I am not a “Birder”, don’t know the names of very many birds, but I still appreciate them and love to photograph them.  Last year I tried to get a good picture of the hummingbirds, but to no avail due to the quality of the camera.  I am anxious to know if I can get the “shot” I am looking for with this new camera.  But first….some of the other birds in the backyard…. Remember, clicking on a picture will provide a larger picture.

 

  

The “cooing” Doves.  The Doves love to sit on the telephone/electrical wires, and limbs of trees, cooing and cooing.  The first picture above shows the puffed up neck as it coos, and the aftermath of the coo as the bird’s neck returns to normal.

 

 

But the Dove’s favorite place is at the feeder…

The blue birds are around too….not too loud, and take their turn at the feeder if the Dove’s are not there.

Some Sparrows on the roof of the shed above, and a Robin on the grass below.

Now for the Hummingbird.  There is one resident male Hummingbird which has laid claim on the large tree and especially on the feeder hanging on the tree.  He will sit up on the branches and watch for intruders, and he is a very vocal Hummingbird.  Below are a few bad shots of it sitting in the tree.

 

Throughout the day it will make runs to the feeder for food.

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Where he will sit long enough to allow for a picture or two.

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And if you are lucky….you can catch the “it” picture that you have been waiting for.

Yep, I am liking our camera more and more each day….

Note:  To answer a few inquires....no, I did not have a tripod, don't have a tripod yet, but will get a small one soon I hope.  I was sitting, but was holding the camera.  I was around 20 feet away from the bird feeder, and did have camera on some level of zoom, but did not note how much of a zoom.  I did use photoshop to zoom in more, but did not enhance the picture beyond the crop and zoom.  I did have the camera set to take five consecutive shots, it took three...the one in flight was the best of the three.  The two above it were also taken in consecutive shot mode, and these two were part of a series of five shots taken within just a few seconds.

What Squirrels Do All Day Long

  

It has not taken long for the Squirrels to remember how much THEY rule the roost around here.  As much as the dogs try, they never pull one over on the Squirrels….but the Squirrels sure do pull one over on the dogs.  Like below…..

  

Ok, where is that Skruffy dog at....there she is…..  LOOK Skruffy, here I am right here!

Here Doggie Doggie, up here!

All of this to get her attention, and as you see to the left, she is mesmerized on the tree…while another Squirrel is on the ground to her right eating away on the bird seed which has dropped out of the bird feeder.  What about Bubba?  Well, he is on his back roaring with laughter of course.

….even the Doves get in on the act….

       

Yep, the dogs love being back in Sandy and Arny’s backyard, that is for sure.

Mom and Dad have signed the contract, they take possession of the house on the 16th, and we should have them moved in on the 17th….with the new fridge, washer and dryer being delivered on Monday the 19th.  By late August we should be able to break away for a week long adventure somewhere, but that will depend upon the weather.  Right now the weather is so nice, temps in the 80’s, one could go just about anywhere.  But late August in Northern Cal can be brutally hot, so we will just have to wait and see.