These are a Few of My Favourite Things

I would love to soar above the earth, free to follow the breezes. Untethered. Accountable only to myself, or my baser instincts. But Free. As a bird.
I don't know why I feel this way, only that I do. And that one of my greatest life pleasures is being outdoors, watching birds.
This hobby passion has taken me all over North America and parts of the Caribbean, and now is the primary reason we travel. To see new birds. Yes to see new places and meet new people and have new experiences, too. But, those of you who share this addiction know. It gets in your blood.
I have over 25 bird guides/books, 50+ bird sculptures and miscellaneous pieces of bird art, four pairs of binoculars, 10 feeders, an account at the local feed store (!)...well, you can see that it is a pretty major part of my life.
Over the past few years, since starting this blog, I carry a camera with me (as well as binoculars) and I now have several hundreds or thousands of photos. Which I have decided to start culling and organizing a little...starting today.
So here are my favourite bird shots of 2011...no particular commentary, just that each and every photo is a memory of a small, feathered thrill that left me smiling.
Funny. As I age, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, or what we did on the weekend -but I can remember  taking every single one of these photos!



2011 was a wonderful year, birding mainly along the routes and rivers of the Ottawa Valley, and along the eastern seaboard, from Connecticut to Long Island, Delmarva, Cape May, South Carolina and all parts in between

enjoying many flights of pure fancy!

Lunch is Ready

Having been away for the better part of the week, during which time there

had also been a significant snowfall, I came home to empty feeders

in need of replenishing.

First step: clearing a bit of snow off the porch...

One of the pleasures of feeding is that the local birds that overwinter get to know you. As soon as I step outside, they magically appear and start chattering away to bring in the rest of the neighbourhood who might have missed the fact that the two legged creature with big, bulky, funny coloured feathers was outside holding goodies in her five pronged claws.

No sooner up, then they're at'em. Shelled nuts for nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, jays...they pretty much all love them.

Kids and peanut butter.

They're reasonably well behaved, and take turns.

'course if you have a wee beak, like a Redpoll, you don't have to wait for any nuts, you can go directly to the finer seed, like nyger.



And there's no waiting particularly, because it sprinkles all over the place.  

The nuthatches eat lots of peanuts..which considering the nut is almost as big as its little head is quite a good trick.

They wait in on line for their turns. 

and keeping an eye on all of the proceedings is PW, waiting on the far side of the tree, not realizing that the bright red cone is a beacon. I see ya!

Black sunflower, nyger, shelled (and often unshelled as well) nuts, finch mix, suet, and water- that'll do it and you too can have a flock of featherbrained friends- who frankly, are often more entertaining than  homo sapiens.

Chip Off the Old Block

Today was a sunny winter day, crisp but no wind,  a perfect day for a look around the yard. It was also a perfect day to  climb up a tree

and beat the pulp out of it

...if you're a Pileated Woodpecker of course.

There is no mistaking the sound of a Pileated Woodpecker pounding the living bugs out of a branch. They move purposely up one branch, and then another, foraging their way through the woods.

There is no such thing as subtlety either. This is a bird that knows what he wants, and will go to great lengths to get it. Chip-off-the-old-block is his middle name. And he leaves large chips of bark
and wood all over the ground -a sure sign of his visit.

In Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, he calls the Pileated Woodpecker (aka Dryocopus pileatus) the slightly unseemly

Log Cock.

But if you think about it, there's the Cock of the Walk  -  or the flamboyant rooster who is master of the chicks.

And this guy, old Chip,  is definitely the biggest bird on the tree

in this neck of the woods!

So Log Cock it is - A finely feathered pecker indeed.

Knock on Wood

The loud drumming echoed throughout the woods that lead immediately from our door. No mistaking what it was...and within minutes, there he (she?) was. The guide book says the male has a more extended crest (surprise), but unless they're side by each, it's hard to tell. At least, I can't tell. But! There's Woody!

Right at the bend in the driveway.

Knockaknockaknockaknocka.

Not caring one wood chip that I was standing at the bottom of the tree.

The effort was intense and practically non-stop. Apparently, the drumming is to establish territory, but since this Pileated Woodpecker has been in our yard all winter, I think - -I hope - - that she/he's actually carving out a home.

How many of North America's largest woodpecker might fit in the hole? An adult is 16-17" long..that's a lot of feathers that will fill the room.

Not to mention the little woodies.

Doesn't appear to be anyone home...yet...

knockaknockaknockaknocka

Knock. Knock.

Who's there?

No, not me! I'm your common (but cute) garden variety Downy Woodpecker. You see me practically every time you come out onto the porch. You should get rid of the screen so can see me better...and the guy behind me. Knocking.

Yup. It's me. Pileated Woodpecker. PW for short. You can call me Woody.

 Got any food in there? Hahahaha ha! Nope.

This is fun! Food and a swing! Hahahaha ha.

Tastey, too.

Hey check out who else is hanging out today...

American Tree Sparrow!  Like your bi-coloured beak .

And your yard guardian

Pining for some nuts. In a pine tree. Hahahaha ha.

Nice little restaurant. Maybe I'll be back!

Hahahaha hah! Wonka wonka.

Hot August Night

Hot August night...
And the leaves hanging down



















And the grass on the ground smelling sweet
















Move up the road


















To the outside of town




















And the sound of that good gospel beat
















with thanks to Neil Diamond...never, ever (!) thought I'd remember the lyrics to any of his songs, but it's 30 C right now (for Americans that's 30 x 2 + 32= 92 F) and I'm not complaining, given the cool, wet summer we've had up til this past week. So the heat is great, and Hot August Night just came in to my little head. The photos are all within 5 minutes of here.
Time to go jump in the river!
Also,thanks to National Geographic, for the shot of the Pileated...we have them, but my camera just ain't up to it. ( note to self: time for a new camera!!!)