Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

December Backyard Birds

Here are some of my sweet little backyard birds ---taken during the month of December.  Above is always a favorite --especially in winter.  He's a male American Cardinal, sitting on a very cold Rhododendron.





Here's one of my favorite woodpeckers,  the Northern Flicker.





And of course,  you gotta love the Mourning Dove.   Bet he's chilly sitting on that snow!!!





All of the birds flock to the feeders when the weather is bad.  This year we have lots of Goldfinches and House Finches...They play a game trying to see how many of them can get on the plate at the same time!! ha





Here's a close-up of one of our cute little Goldfinches.  They are such sweet little birds,  not nearly as aggressive as the House Finches.





Then there's another favorite,  the White-breasted Nuthatch.  He talks to me from the trees when I am outside...  He love peanuts ---but, as you can tell, will also eat Suet, along with black Sunflower seeds.





I cannot finish this post until I show you ANOTHER picture of my favorite bird,  the Pileated Woodpecker.  Recently,  there have been two of them chasing each other.  They will go round and round on the tree--but they respect each other enough so that only one of them will come to the suet feeder at a time... Love these birds!!!!

I am so thankful that those sweet little Eastern Bluebirds nested in our backyard several years ago---and from that minute on,  I started reading all I could about birds,  started feeding them,  and the rest is history. What a wonderful hobby!!!!!   Even when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed (as the saying goes),  the birds will ALWAYS make me smile...

Have a great day!!!
Hugs,

P.S.  On another note,  please pray that they will find out what is killing all of the birds in Arkansas,  Louisiana and now Kentucky... SCARY!!!

66 comments:

eileeninmd said...

A great post on your backyard birds, Betsy. The feeders get really busy when there is snow on the ground. Has the Pileated visited your suet feeder? That would be cool. Have a great day.

Beth said...

Your postings on your birds is a favorite of mine and I look forward to the latest update.
Beautiful birds and such good company. You're right about them changing a morning from the wrong side of the bed to good.
I didn't realize about the other two states being affected. wow.

Big Dude said...

You sure get good shots of your little fellers. I like watching the nuthatches go down a tree head first. I need to get out and fill my feeders today before they get mad at me.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Oh the beauty of the birds.I would agree that the birds have a way of making me smile,I love to have them around.
I do hope the mystery of the birds will be solved,this is disturbing news.
Blessings,Ruth

Neal said...

Very nice. I wish I had a good place to take pictures of birds.

Catherine said...

All these birds are so sweet. It is scary when nature is messed with and animals are the ones to suffer. Hopefully they will find out soon what is hurting the birds. Very sad.

Warm hugs,
xo Catherine

pam said...

We used to have a pileated, but I haven't seen him this year.

diane b said...

I always love seeing your birds. They are so colourful. I love your header too. We heard about the bird deaths too. It sure is scary. It makes you think of the canary down the mine.

~mel said...

LOVE the cardinal pictures against the snow!! Yeah ~ there's something about bird watching that's very relaxing. It is a wonderful hobby and puts a smile on my face too. I just wish I had a better camera and got the photo's you get. AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!!

Arkansas Patti said...

Love the pictures. Those little darlin's are worth every pound they eat. My cats enjoy the show from the window as much as I do.
Still not finding any of the reasons for the bird kill credible. Then there was also the 100,000 fish kill at the same time on the Arkansas river.
Arkansas is having strange things going on when you throw in the daily earthquakes around Guy.

Darla said...

These beautiful birds do bring a smile to your face. I have been wondering about what's killing those birds and fish..sounds biblical doesn't it?

RoeH said...

I was going to say the Cardinal was my favorite bird until I saw the Woodpecker and knew how much I love to watch them nail a tree. Then I saw the Mourning Dove and remembered how much I love waking up to their cooing outside in the early morning. Then saw the Goldfinches and just how adorable are they.

I'm so fickle.

Tabor said...

What a terrific collection of birds. No squirrels? Or have you chased them away?

Sunny said...

Hi Betsy ~ Ohhh thanks for showing us all your cute little birds :) Your pictures are always so 'alive.' Yes, birds falling from the sky....is really scarey, I agree. Have a wonderful day ! (hug)

MadSnapper said...

these are all beautiful birds, but i love that plain Jane Dove, i love the sounds of their cooing. i bet this one is not cooing right now, looks so cold and sweet of course.

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Your photos are fabulous. John and I have been seeing a new to us bird and thanks to you, I just learned it is a Norther Flicker. Isn't the pileated a grand bird to see? Thanks for sharing these sweeties with us and enjoy your day.

Karin said...

Lovely to wake up to those lovely photos of your backyard birds! They are beautiful feathered friends and you are so blessed! So sick to my stomach about the news of those birds falling out of the sky - seems like for different reasons in different places. May God have mercy on us!
Blessings for today!

Kathy W said...

Wonderful shots of your birds. Always love cardnals. Hope you and George have a wonderful day. Headed off to work.

Pat - Arkansas said...

Wonderful bird photos, Betsy. Looks like you had quite a bit of snow in Fairfield Glade. Not even a dusting, here. I know exactly what you mean about the birds making you smile. No matter how decrepit I may feel at the time, if I can see a bird or two (especially daddy cardinals) at my feeders or perched in a nearby tree, my heart is lifted and I get a bit smile on my face. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of birds.

Jen said...

I always enjoy your bird posts Betsy - 'cause I know I'll get to see a Pileated. :D
The birds falling from the sky is really really weird - I hope they find out what's going on.

Sharon said...

Really nice pictures of the birds! I have only seen a few starlings, the little birds haven't spotted the feeder yet, so I may have to find a different spot, even if I can't watch them as easily. I know they are have to be hungry.

Out on the prairie said...

You need a thistle feeder for your goldfinch and other finches.They really like that.I love your pileated, I went out where I sighted them last week, but could only hear them drumming where I couldn't see.

Fred Alton said...

Betsy, I thought of you during our New Year's holiday. We watched a yellow-bellied sap-sucker setting his "sap trap" on the elm tree in our front yard for about three hours. I had never seen one stay in the same area on a tree like that for so long. I wasn't able to get a picture because of company being here - but did point this incident out to our guests.

KathyA said...

Just bought another birdfeeder on Overstock. It should be coming today. We had to nail, yes nail, the suet feeder to the oak tree, as raccoons kept running off with the whole feeder!! We actually lost three last year.

Diane said...

I just don't think I could ever pick a favorite bird. God sure went overboard when he created them. I know I do have un-favorite ones - hawks, birds that kill the others.

Maybe I'm a suspicious person but I'm wondering if somebody threw them out of a plane!! They were flying in the middle of the night! Does that sound odd to you, it does to me. Diane

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Hi Betsy, as a fellow bird lover, I am loving this post and your photos. I have feeders that I keep filled and love watching them.

Have to say I'm getting a tad bit worried tho. I haven't seen but a few birds since the weekend and I've been keeping an eye out for them. The story in the news of the beautiful red-winged blackbirds dying is a strange one. I see several every summer, they seem to like to nest close to our pond.

If my pretty cardinals don't show up at the feeders soon...and I saw a dozen or so last week...I'm really going to worry!

Have a great day!
Hugs,
Cheryl

DayPhoto said...

Love your birds, Betsy! One question...do you have a cat? Do the neighbors cats bother your birds?

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/

Dorothy said...

Beautiful birds, Betsy! Talking about the Goldfinches being sweet, have you noticed the sound they make while eating? They say, sweeEEEET! sweeEEEET!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Beautiful images, Betsy. Birds certainly display the creativity of their Creator, don't they?

imac said...

Beautiful Birds.

Strange things are happening all over the World?

Busy Bee Suz said...

They are all gorgeous. I love that they bring YOU so much joy.
Have a beautiful day Betsy!

Anonymous said...

Very strange about all the dying birds. First they said they thought it was from New Year's fireworks and that the birds died from stress. I don't think so.

Di

Ginny Hartzler said...

I love the picture of the dove looking over his shoulder. And the little goldfinch looks kind of sleepy! We used to have lots of flickers come to our driveway, now I haven't seen any in years! Don't know why, I won't allow Phil to use any poisons in the yard, not even weed killer.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Betsy: The birds know where they can always get a good meal and fresh water, and it looks like the word is out :)
We are having the same birds right now, except the larger woodpecker, he's huge !
Today I counted twelve Mourning Doves, all feeding at once, isn't that special for the Twelve Days of Christmas !
Thank you for brightening my day,
Hugs,
Jo
x

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Ooo and Ahh! I just am wild about your bird photographs! How about our snowfall today - but nothing is sticking (a good thing I think). I'll wish you a very wonderful day today!

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

I LOVE bird watching, in the winter especially! The pileated Woodpecker is my favorite also, but rare for us
kim

Anonymous said...

Great birdie pics, Betsy! L♥ve that Cardinal!!! =)

Kay said...

Well we have the house finches and the morning doves but none of those others. They are really pretty.

amelia said...

I love your birds and I'm so jealous that you get cardinals!! We are just too far north to have them but they are so pretty!

I think you have our flickers though! They all leave here in the winter and head for warmer places but your house doesn't look much warmer than ours right now!!

floweringmama said...

Betsy,
Great shots, as usual! The cardinals are always my favorite, they were my elementary school mascot . . . years ago!

nanny said...

I think the dove and finches are my favorite ones...I guess cause I have more of them and love to watch them.

The birds were about 20 miles from me....strange happening!

Pedaling said...

pretty. Love how the focus is on the birds with the background blurred.

Unknown said...

I like the first photo. It's so beautiful.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

I think I heard that another bird kill occurred in another country but I can't.
I love these bird photos...they are all my favorites!!! Betsy, your photos are some of the best I've seen in blogland!!!

Connie said...

Such great pictures, Betsy! It's nice you have so many different kinds to watch. I think the cardinal is my favorite. :)

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

Love your backyard birds. I wish I could figure out a way to keep the squirrels out of my bird feeder. They eat all the food and leave none for the birds! It's awful about the birds in Arkansas and Louisiana...I hadn't heard about the ones in Kentucky!

FaysaL said...

I don't know about the birds,but here every bird is beautiful.This birds are the soul struggler in this winter. Its really so chilly for many animals.

mamahasspoken said...

You have some amazing photos of birds! I never get any good pictures of birds mainly because I don't like going out in the cold ;o)

Tracy said...

Betsy,
I totally agree with the birds in LA and AK...so sad!
Your photos of the birds are all lovely. I love the cardinals;I just think thye are stunning! Tell me what your secret is to attracting birds because I want to add a few bird feeders but don't know which direction to go...so guide me...

Christmas-etc... said...

I am so totally with you regarding birds! I just love them and so enjoyed your backyard view into their world! I will go running to the window when I hear magpies fussing or see sparrows take a seat on the telephone wire. I don't enjoy the great variety you have - and I so miss those gorgeous cardinals that I grew up seeing and the blue jays of my native Virginia - but I find such joy even in pigeons! Amazing how they take off from a standing position and shoot straight up! They are quite large too!
Thanks for this!
I am very disturbed to hear about the birds that are dying in Arkansas... I didn't realize that it had spread so far. I will pray!
Blessings for a wonderful 2011, dear Betsy!
Ann

From the Kitchen said...

Betsy, I love your bird posts. I think my very favorite is those birds sitting on the feeder. They look like the lunch bunch catching up on what's happening in the neighborhood.

Best,
bonnie

Velvet Over Steel said...

You are so lucky to have those beautiful & interesting birds living in your backyard.. and they are very lucky to have you feed & cherish & appreciate them too!

That is so scary about the birds!!! Praying!!

Hugs,
Coreen

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I enjoyed your photos and writing about the birds. We got our feeders up late, just a week or so ago, and while the sunflowers are all out of the feeder, we haven't seen any birds eating off of the feeders. I did see some doves and such at a feeder about a block away, so maybe they'll find us again. I did see a few birds on the deck the other day, but they were gone when I went back to the window with my camera.

They talked about the birds that died on the news again today, but it didn't make sense to me that they would all have flown into something.

Tes said...

Beautiful feathered friends, Betsy! I am encouraged. Your feeders get busy during winter when snow comes. Lovely photos!
Happy New year to you and George! *hugs*

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the pictures of your back yard birds. I snapped a picture of a downy woodpecker this morning. I took the picture with my short lens. I am hoping to see the woodpecker tomorrow and take its picture with my long lens. I'll post a picture if I can get a close up!

Pat Tillett said...

Those birds are so beautiful.
I wish we had some them around here! Great photos Betsy! thanks...

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

These pics of your birds are awesome...hugs...m..

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I always love when you show the birds that are at your feeder Betsy! God bless you for being so faithful in feeding them. You get the most wonderful variety of beautiful birds! The red cardinal is one of my favorites...your header could be made into a beautful card!

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Lisa said...

I love all the Birds. How very beautiful. I have some that come and go and when they see me they are gone. Your so lucky that you can capture them. Its not a secret that when I get a few birds I m very lucky.
I had a woodpecker come to my feeder and Im sure he loved to see me with my mouth hanging open. He was a beauty. Ive had the Bluejays and are gone as soon as I move.
What should I do. Dress in camo or what. Loved your post.
Hope this new year is the best and you capture the beauty that God has put before us all.
Hugs

SquirrelQueen said...

All of your little bird are so sweet Betsy. The cardinal is beautiful and I always like flickers.

Just before I came over I was reading a story about some birds in Sweden. I hope they find the cause soon.

The Retired One said...

OH Betsy...all of my FAVORITE birds...I am so jealous but happy for YOU!!

EcoRover said...

Especially like your yellow-shafted flicker. Always a happy sign of spring when they move into the cottonwoods hereabouts for nesting. Take good care of 'em for the winter before you send 'em back north!

Twilight Man said...

Who says birds have small brains? They all seem to head to your house everyday because you are so kind to offer food and love to them, even in coldest winter. They all know it and can feel your warmth. This is big merits for being kind to all living beings as taught in our Buddhism way of life! Keep feeding dear!