Osprey!!! Wow, and over suburbia!

I cannot believe we saw an Osprey.  First thought it was a white headed-Vulture, then thought it was a Cooper's Hawk.  But, then there were two and they circled lower and lower over our yard and neighborhood and I caught two photos!

I bought a new camera--first time trying it out!

Chipping Sparrow

Hummingbird in Flight 

I know that these photos are nothing too too interesting.  I mean, everyone has sparrows, finches, mockingbirds, and squirrels in their yard.  But, these are the normal rhythms of the morning for us and typical of who would be visiting the feeders between 8-9am while I'm sitting by the back door and drinking a cup of tea.

Female House Finch 

Male and Female Chipping Sparrow; she's yelling at him for hogging all the seeds!

A typical image of squirrels in our yard. This feeder has nuts in it.

This female Cardinal is very small and I'm wondering if she is a juvenile. 

Do you see the mockingbird debating on whether or not to go for the suet?

Nature has been exceptionally beautiful this month!

 Wish I knew something about butterflies and moths (or, well, anything at all really).  This was next to the Savannah River near the lock and dam at the Rapids.

This little guy keeps coming back to visit, and with friends.  I swear he's coming to this feeder, because he "matches".  I mean, is it really all about the style of being lemon yellow?  Really!

 I was so happy that the mums bloomed early and was thinking to take photos, when I realized that my son's rabbit, Willow, had found a chosen spot right next to them.  So, here's Willow in the flowers.  Where's Maple, the other bunny, you say?  She was hiding under the shed.

I don't care what my neighbor, Ms. Alice, says about how Mimosa is a terrible plant, that it drips, that I should never have it in my yard, etc. etc. etc.  I think the blossoms are beautiful, the butterflies and the hummingbirds love it, and it gives us shade.  This happens to be in the yard of the neighbor behind us (not Ms. Alice), but it hangs over our fence and it's branches house some of our feeders.  See the black butterfly up towards the top right?  Also, heard that it's related to the Acacia tree, so maybe we'll take some to feed the giraffes at the zoo next time!

Wow...the rain stops & new birds arrive!!!

 We have never had an American Goldfinch at our feeders before.  I didn't think we would get them without Nijer seed, but this little guy came about 4 times to the feeder with the sunflower hearts.  I wish I could have gotten a closer photo or better quality, but, even from across the yard, he was so lemony yellow as to be blindingly bright.  So beautiful!

We had such heavy rains here today, it was a roar of water for hours.  When it was all done, a lot of wet birds came out, like little Mama here.

We also had a paid of Chickadees tag-teaming back and forth to eat a single seed from the flat feeder and then hide in the tree and eat it.  I wish I could have gotten an image of his head, but he was having such a good time munching, he didn't look up.

This squirrel got rather peeved with me for interrupting his theft of seeds at the flat feeder since I was sitting in the gazebo.  So I caught his photo while he was chittering and squawking at me.  At least someone is making use of this empty birdhouse!

Killdeer? (Nope, doesn't have anything to do with the Deer itself)

 Can you believe how cute this little guy is?  Look at that pathetically gazing eye!  My daughter thought this was a little lost sea bird.  We were on the corner of the frontage road to a major highway, I-20, and waiting at the light; I saw him and could tell he was something special.  We actually circled, turned around, and did it again, to find a break in the traffic where I could take a photo without getting into a car accident; I couldn't tell what he really looked like, though, until coming home and seeing on the computer.  A "Killdeer"--what a strange name for a bird, though I read it comes from the call it makes.

 

Anyway, he was just chilling in the parking lot for T-Mobile.  Guess he just wanted a cell phone to call all his other seabird buddies down in Savannah ; )

Fewer geese this year

The kids and I had gotten used to the Springtime hatching of Canadian geese in the Spring Lakes neighborhood. in the past it was like _Make way for Ducklings_ as they would shut down our route to school in the morning while crossing the road. I hope the only reason there were fewer was because of a warmer than average winter. I'd hate to see them go.