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,