Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to DECEMBER . Hope you have an awesome and grateful month!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

2009 Favorites: BIRDS


As we complete another year and start a new one, I love to look back and pick out some of my 'favorites' during the year. Today I will show you my favorite BACKYARD BIRD photos which I took during 2009 in my yard. However, after getting into this project, I found it quite hard to do since I have probably 500 bird photos this past year to go through... SO--picking my fav's proved to be more difficult than I thought it would...

BUT--here it is (knowing that I left-out many of the birds which visit my feeders constantly--such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Nuthatch, Chickadee, etc.).. Hope you enjoy my favorite bird pictures taken in my yard during 2009. Above is a bird which I love, who only visits us twice a year, in Spring and Fall, when they are on the way either north or south. They are only with us for a week or two while in-flight to their destinations. This bird is a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. The female is brown with a HUGE white eyebrow --and is pretty, but very different from the gorgeous males. Below are more.





These are my BABY BLUEBIRDS in their Bluebird Nestbox (in my backyard). Having the Bluebirds nest in our yard is the one thing which started my HUGE interest in birding!!!





The speckled BABY BLUEBIRDS --coming to the feeders, not long after they were born.





AND---this gorgeous male BLUEBIRD is proud of himself. The couple had EIGHT babies this year (2 broods). AND --the good news is that the family returns next Spring!!!!! Yeah!





In the spring and summer, most of our birds mate... AND--when they bring the babies to the feeders, I am there, camera in hand, to snap some pictures. Daddy CARDINAL is in charge of teaching his babies to feed themselves. I wish you could hear the baby... He shakes all over and makes a tingly sound. SO CUTE!!!!





ROBINS are ground feeders and NEVER come to the feeders. However, this Baby Robin made it to the deck railing ---so Daddy came looking for him... Isn't that baby just precious???





This BROWN THRASHER is waiting for ME to leave ---so that he can feed his little ones, which are still in the nest in the Jasmine Bush in our front yard. We have Brown Thrashers most of the year (except in winter)---and they DO come to the feeders since they LOVE Suet.





I get SO excited when I see this bird at my feeders... He doesn't come much---but when he does, I try to get his picture. This is a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER . Isn't he pretty?





I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Woodpecker. He's the largest one we have around here and he can make alot of noise with his loud 'call'.... He is a PILEATED WOODPECKER--and he doesn't come to the feeders very often. So--when he does come, I am lucky to get a picture of him.





I love NORTHERN FLICKERS --but they never come to the feeders. However, when I was in the yard one day in early spring (before the leaves popped out), I saw these two guys 'talking' to each other up in the tree.. I thought at first it was a male flirting with a female--since it was mating season. Later --while looking at the pictures, I realized that they both are MALES... SO--I guess they were 'fighting' over a lady!!!!! ha





DOWNY WOODPECKERS visit our suet feeder regularly.. Isn't this one pretty???





This is one of the funniest photos I have taken of a bird. This MOURNING DOVE was sitting on the side of the birdbath.... Looks like he is afraid to put his tootsies in the water!!!!! Isn't he a cutie????? Mourning Doves frequent our feeders --and the ground below ALOT.

Since I am limiting myself to 12 pictures, I'll stop here. BUT--as you can imagine, there are many more great bird pictures... I just hope I get this many in 2010...

Happy Birding!!!!

Hugs,

42 comments:

Kirigalpoththa said...

All these are my favourites too :)

Diane AZ said...

Fantastic bird pictures! I remember watching the baby bluebirds grow up through your photos. My favorite is the Rose Breasted Grosbeak, his expression is so cute! Wishing you another year of great bird captures :)

eileeninmd said...

They are all wonderful birds to see in your backyard. Looks like you had great bird sighting in your yard. The Redheaded woodie is the only one I do not see in my yard. You are so lucky to see a Pileated on your feeders. I see them on my trees and flying over but not on my feeder.
Happy New Years, I wish you many new bird in the new year.

MadSnapper said...

My favorite is the Robins, the colors are so pretty and they are so cute. i like all of them, we have cardinals and doves but no robins, thrashers, blue birds. those baby blue birds are adorable. I like the family photos on the side bar. Family and Friends are all that matter

Dorothy said...

Hi Betsy,
Very good selections! It would be an awesome task to pick out 12 favorites out of the hundreds I've made! Good job! It's nice to know other people who get excited over seeing and photographing the many beautiful birds!

Tabor said...

Wonderful photos...the grosbeak I have not seen but all others linger in our yard from time to time.

Kathy W said...

That's so neat you had all those baby birds around. They are cuties. I love the bird in the first picture. Never heard of it before.

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, I love the bird photos. Those little ones are so cute and that woodpecker is awesome. I enjoyed your Christmas pictures. Those Willow Tree Figurines are a favorite of mine, too. You two look great in the red Christmas shirts.

Beth said...

Those are GREAT photos, Betsy! I can see why they are your favorites. The mourning dove shot made me laugh out loud---so funny! And I adore the shot of the baby robin and his daddy. Wonderful!

amelia said...

Lovely shots! We have all these birds except the blue birds. I think we are too far north.
Our most common bird right now is the evening grosbeak. We have a huge flock that cleans us out of seed daily!
The pileated woodpeckers don't come to our feeders but they are in the trees around us.

Connie said...

Betsy, you had so many wonderful bird photos, I would have trouble picking a favorite too. I did enjoy seeing the progress of the baby bluebirds though. That was really interesting. Hope you get many more great shots this year! :)

Valerie said...

Love your birds. Love birds in general. After the squirrels dumped most of the seed from the feeders yesterday, I was ready to take them down - until today when I had a mass of everything at the feeders. I guess I will hang on a bit more!

Darla said...

Great photo picks here! Now that I have a new camera, I'm trying to take better bird photos!

I Am Woody said...

You have certainly captured some awesome moments!

Sunny said...

What a wonderful collection of bird pictures, they are really fun to look at and you did an excellent job of photographing them!
Enjoy your day.
Sunny :)

Joe Todd said...

Great photos I'm going to have to get a new camera. Snow on the ground in Ohio/cold. Three of four bird feeders are empty and garage needs cleaned. Have a great week

Roses and Lilacs said...

You are so lucky. I have never seen a piliated woodpecker in this area. They are on my wish list (wish I could get one to my suet feeders:). Last year was the first year I had the red headed woodpecker visit me for a while.
Marnie

Anonymous said...

They're all very precious, those babies are ADORABLE! I love the Cardinals - They're just so beautiful!
The babies in the nest pull at my heartstrings tho - I wanna feed all animals & keep them all from any harm

Susie said...

Hey Betsy, I enjoyed seeing all these bird pics. I've never seen a Flicker before. They are really pretty!

Small City Scenes said...

You and your birds---all are beautiful. It is so nice you share them with us.

May happiness and joy follow you into the New Year. MB

Busy Bee Suz said...

These are all so great!!! But really, that dove takes the cake. I love him!!!

Kelly said...

...these are my favorites too! You're so lucky to have a Red-headed Woodpecker at your feeder. They are rare around Cincy...

imac said...

Nice collection Betsy, also love your new Header.

Cheryl said...

Oh Betsy, I can hardly wait for spring now after seeing all your bird photos! Your bird photos are what drew me to your blog in the first place! Thanks for the ray of sunshine on this very cold day!
Happy New Year!

Becca's Dirt said...

I love looking at your bird photos. You capture so many wonderful photos of birds in various stages. Happy birding in 2010.

Happy New Year to you and George.

Peggy said...

Have a very blessed New Year!

Snap said...

What a lovely collection of feathered friends from 2009!!!!!!

Tina said...

Wow Betsy, you've really captured some interesting shots of so many birds...just think this time last year we were still pretty new to this birding thing...but now you are one of those experienced birders..can't wait to see what you capture at your feeders and nest houses this Spring..ohhh how far away is that season??? Do hope you and George have a nice New Year. Stay safe!!

Mary said...

Great variety of babies this past year. I love that baby Robin shot :-) I never see the Red-Headed woodpecker. Only have 1-2 photos and always from somewhere else. I don't see Flickers very often either. The Pileated is around and I can hear them, but they seldom come to the feeder. You mentioned all your goldfinches...I used to get 50 or more, but now I may only have a half dozen. That Dove looks strange!

The Retired One said...

I LOVED all of these...and that Pileated Woodpecker???? DROOLING here!

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Great pictures of your birds.I must tell you that in the last couple of days we have had a Northern Flicker come to our suet feeder.I was very surprised the first time he came.Good luck with many more pictures in 2010.
Blessings,Ruth

Diane said...

I always love to see your birds, Betsy. I couldn't tell you which I like best, they're all so special. Love your banner.

EG CameraGirl said...

You have so many different birds that come to your feeders! Nice review of 2009!

SquirrelQueen said...

What a fabulous year in review Betsy, all of your little birdies are so cute. My favorites are the dads and babies, especially the Cardinals. The Mourning Dove is so funny, he does look like he's afraid of the water.

Hugs,
Judy

marmee said...

bird watching and documenting is just simply the best. great fun betsy.
loved seeing you and george on christmas morning having such a great time.
happy december.

Connie said...

I remember most of these from your earlier posts. I can see why you couldn't pick just one, I couldn't either.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Besty I enjoyed looking at all your favorite bird photos ---what wonderful personalities each and evey bird had and what good parents they were! You get so many different birds that I have never seen .. all so pretty!

Happy 2010 to you nad George!

Hugs, Pat

diane b said...

You have so many pretty birds. I love the ones with red on them.

Anonymous said...

Great pictures. The little mourning dove toes are so sweet. I wonder what he's thinking.


You have reminded me that I need to take more bird pictures this year.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: You get so many great birds, your so lucky.

Lagean Ellis said...

It's no wonder such beautiful birds flock to your yard! Thanks!

penny said...

I'm amazed at the colors and numbers of different birds that come to the bird feeders in your yard Betsy. The photos you take of them are gorgeous.