Margined Calligrapher on Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

aka: Tiny fly on tiny flower!

Just a slice of the backyard on a pleasant Friday morning...

Red Shouldered Hawk

Our red shouldered hawk was back this week, hanging out on the holly bush.  It seemed to be looking down into the bush, not sure if there was a squirrel, rabbit, or birds that it was hunting.  These photos are through our window, it flew off before I could get the window open enough for a direct shot.  Still, this was probably less than 20 feet away.

 

Alight

 

Detailed

 

A short wander on a grey and drizzly day, just a few photos...  

Butterroot at Schon

 

Just a little something from today.  My new Facebook cover photo

There's A Moon In The Sky

 It's called the moon....

Waxing Crescent moon...  Stars, Planets.

Just a little phone photo.

In the Catbird Seat

 I saw a new (to me) bird the past couple of days, was finally able to get some decent photos:

This is a Gray Catbird.  Pretty cool, I liked his/her black "cap".  Anyway, it got me thinking about the old saying about being "in the catbird seat"...  I don't remember the last time I heard it, but I know my mother used to say it.  I'd never really thought much about it, until now.  

Wikipedia tells me:  "'The catbird seat' is an idiomatic phrase used to describe an enviable position, often in terms of having the upper hand or greater advantage in any type of dealing among parties. It derives from the secluded perch on which the gray catbird makes mocking calls.  Another source says "The phrase appears to have originated in the American south, although the date and circumstances are uncertain. ."

Common Blue Violet

 Our backyard is filled with these wonderful tiny violets.  The benefit of several years w/o lawn service, I suppose.  

Sometimes you have to lay on the ground to get the right angle...

Bluebird Sunday

 Bluebird activities this Sunday morning... These are from a series of 30= photos taken over 2 minutes. I suspect they're "courting", but odd that there were at least 2 females hanging around. Fascinating...

Squatter

 I think I know why no birds have taken up residence in the #2 box...   This squirrel was just hanging out on the lid, on a rainy Friday morning

Hummingbird(s) are Back!

 I put out one of our hummingbird feeders about a week ago, just saw our first Hummer today.  Naturally, I didn't have my camera ready, so the photo is pretty bad.  But there will be more opportunities!

The Spring Rush

 Apparently (or reportedly) springtime has a huge migration of birds through our area.  I was reminded of that recently, and have been using the "sound identification" feature of the Merlin ap, to see what we hear.  Over the month of April (through this morning), we've heard 46 different birds in our backyard!  I wish that I had seen all of them, but sadly, no.  I've seen most of them, but not all in my backyard, and not all this month...  

Chipping Sparrow

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White  Throated Sparrow

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Here's a list of the 46 birds "heard" over the month of April (so far)!

• American Crow
• American Goldfinch
• American Robin
• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Blue Jay
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Brown Creeper
• Brown Headed Cowbird
• Canada Goose
• Carolina Chickadee
• Carolina Wren
• Cedar Waxwing
• Chimney Swift
• Chipping Sparrow
• Common Grackle
• Cooper's Hawk
• Dark Eyed Junco
• Downy Woodpecker
• Eastern Bluebird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Eastern Phoebe
• Eastern Towhee
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• European Starling
• Hermit Thrush
• Hooded Merganser
• House Finch
• House Sparrow
• House Wren
• Mourning Dove
• Northern Cardinal
• Northern Mockingbird
• Northern Parula
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Red Bellied Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Rose Breasted Grosbeak
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Song Sparrow
• Tufted Titmouse
• White Throated Sparrow
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Yellow-throated Warbler

Easter Bunny?

 Easter Bunny? I was checking the bird feeders during a break in our deluge, and the rabbit decided to come out and explore. I stayed still, and it came to within 3-4 feet of me. Usually they are a LOT more skittish. These photos are straight from my iPhone (with the 3x lens).

Brown Headed Cowbird

 Brown Headed Cowbird, on a wet, wet, wet April day.

Throwback

 I took this photo back in October of 2022.  It is along old Rt. 66, I think it was just south of Springfield, IL.  At the time I pressed the shutter, I thought "That's it!".  Later, looking at it on the computer, I was still pretty happy with it.  Then I posted it to a couple of photo sites, and the response was, well underwhelming.  A few days ago, I was posting a few photos to a newer (to me) site and decided to post this there.  While it got a little more response, it was less than expected, and not exactly enthusiastic.

So now I'm sitting here with my "imposter syndrome" flaring up.  

Oh well, I still like this one.  A lot.  Could it be better?  I wish the placement of the cars was different, both are blocked by poles.  But I did take several tries with passing cars.  And I'd like a hint more motion-blur on the cars.  And maybe a more 16x9 kind of crop, to cut out some of the foreground...  Or maybe I should print it and hang it on my wall, and enjoy it as is.

/rant