Sorry about the blurriness of some of these pictures...some birds don't come to the table very often so when they do I have to grab the camera and do as quick a focus as possible...they're usually ready to fly as soon as they see the camera......you see, back when they kicked free of the shell, their parents told the frightening story of how some people hide in their house and take camera shots through the window. Not very sportsmanlike.
So take a look at a few of the very many photos I've taken:
"I see you through that window...YOU LOOKIN' AT ME?? Well, you put out the seeds so don't complain when they all get eaten up."
A haughty bright red male cardinals eats the sunflower seeds and allows the small buff-and-grey sparrow the rest of the pickings. Ain't he generous?
"I'm surrounded!! Ah, I'll put on my Don't Mess-With-Me face." They look intimidated, don't ya think?
Here's another big bird, the Brown Thrasher (boring name, he's really a gorgeous rust color), who shows up once in awhile and doesn't stay long, thus the blurry picture.
A brash, loud mockingbird makes his appearance because, being the State Bird of Mississippi, he feels obligated to show himself at all outdoor gatherings. He doesn't stay long because he'd much rather find a dumb, fat worm than bruise his beak on a seed.
At times, especially when it is COLD (see the snow on the ground?), the table is very full of hungry feathered beings. Even male cardinals who can't generally stand to see each other will be too busy stuffing sunflower seeds to go after each other.
And after hours, when the kitchen is closed, the next visitor cleans up!
A tricky picture to take through a window at night...had to hold the flashlight in one hand and adjust the camera on the critter (oh, you know it's a raccoon!) because a camera flash simply gives a bright white blotch of a picture. This guy squinted a bit at the light, but it didn't phase him one bit from gathering seeds in those clever paws.Glad you came by for a visit. Remember to Be Kind to the Birds...Alfred Hitchcock can show you what happens when you're not!!
Take joy,
Liz
