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, June 18, 2014

Larger Birds at my Bird Kitchen (May/June 2014)

Red-Headed Woodpecker (one of my favorite and most gorgeous birds we have)
Last week (click HERE)  I showed you some of my smaller birds who visit the Bird Kitchen ALOT...  SO---today I'll show you some of the larger birds who visit us!!!!  Hope you enjoy seeing some of these beauties also.  Be sure to click on them for enlargements.


Red-bellied Woodpecker (has a tiny bit of red on his belly--but not much)

Mourning Dove (we have a little family of them who visit us each evening)

The Red-bellied Woodpecker again (I wanted you to see his back side.  His red head goes all of the way from his neck to his face.  The female's red head just goes part of the way.)

Brown Thrasher  (they nest here --like so many of the birds do in spring)

American Robin  (with us during the winter --but not as much in summer when they can dig up worms)

Pileated Woodpecker (our biggest woodpecker who loves the suet and visits us about once or twice a day)

Another photo of the Red-Headed Woodpecker --who loves the Mealworms

I love this photo showing both the Red-Headed Woodpecker and the Pileated Woodpecker there at the same time!!!  The Pileated Woodpecker has to STRETCH to reach the suet... ha

Northern Cardinal  ( Not a clear photo since I was shooting through the screen;  I love it when Mr. Cardinal brings his babies to the feeders.  The baby's sound is like a tiny tinkling bell.. So cute!)

Red-Headed Woodpecker (See how much I love this guy!!!!!  I wanted you to see more of him!)

Gray Catbird  (We have a cute little family who LOVES to visit the suet feeders.  The sound of the Catbird is the sound of a 'meow'  of a cat... How appropriate...Love his long tail.)  If you want to hear a Catbird's MEW sound,  click HERE.

Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker Woodpecker  (another beauty in the woodpecker family).. This picture shows off his yellow tail area.

Hairy Woodpecker  (looks just like a Downy --but MUCH larger)
We had a bully Mockingbird during the winter ---but luckily,  he has moved on!!!!  Now--the only bully birds around are a family of Starlings (which drive me crazy since they make a huge mess of things)... I do not photograph them since I don't like them---just like you'll never ever see a photograph of mine of a squirrel or chipmunk --since they also cause us so much damage  --no matter how 'cute' they may be..   Like everyone who birds,  we ALL have our favorites!!!!!   I still say though that the Eastern Bluebirds are my all-time favorite birds --so that is why they rated their own blog post  (click HERE for that post).

Well--that's caught you up on Betsy's Bird Kitchen for now.... Hope you have an incredible Wednesday!

Hugs,

54 comments:

Jo said...

Oh wow, Betsy, the blue eye ring on the mourning dove is stunning! I love all your woodpeckers and the fact that they love your home. Thanks for your comment on my post; I recall receiving a Christmas Card from you here in Africa -around the beginning of the next year.Sorry if I didn't thank you. I thank you now!Blessings. Jo

Fun60 said...

That red headed woodpecker is beautiful. You are so lucky to be able to watch all these wonderful birds on your feeder.

Ann said...

so many beautiful birds. You sure get a lot of woodpeckers. I think I've only seen one once here.

eileeninmd said...

Betsy, I love all your feeder birds, especially the woodpeckers.. Have a happy day!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

gorgeous shots Betsy. i love the pilated woodpecker. he is just too gorgeous. love is tune as well. hope you are well. have a great week. ( :

Catherine said...

Hmmm...so any hints on getting rid of Grackles? They are scaring all my little birds away.
Enjoy your birds Betsy!
xo Catherine

Janice K said...

Great picture of the Redhead--I have only seen them once around here a few years ago.

From the Kitchen said...

You don't even need a t.v. with all the entertainment the birds provide. I'm picturing you on the deck sipping coffee and taking photos right now!!

Best,
Bonnie

From the Kitchen said...

You don't even need a t.v. with all the entertainment the birds provide. I'm picturing you on the deck sipping coffee and taking photos right now!!

Best,
Bonnie

George said...

You really got some wonderful pictures of these birds. I really like your side-view picture of the Red-Headed at the mealworms.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Oh my gosh Betsy so many woodpeckers!! I love woodpeckers. I have always wanted to see a red-headed woodpecker Never have though. These are great shots :)

Linda G. said...

I miss seeing birds in our back yard. Perhaps I will reconsider setting up another bird feeding station come wintertime. It gets costly, though, when bears keep destroying bird feeders! Love your woodpeckers.

linda m said...

Those are some beautiful pictures of your birds. I'm amazed at all the different woodpeckers you get at your "kitchen". I haven't seen a one since we moved. I am right there with you on the squirrel/chipmunk issue. They may be cute but the destruction they reek is awful.

The Furry Gnome said...

I can't believe you've got a Pileated coming to your feeder!

Out on the prairie said...

Some nice visitors. There is a red headed near a park I go to that sits in the same area for the last three years. I haven't spotted a pileated there this year yet.

Neal said...

You got some great pictures...wish I had a good place to get shots like that.

Your comment about the woodpecker's red head reminded me of a riddle... Do you know why a giraffe has a long neck? .... Simple.... Because his head is a long way from his body. :)

Shug said...

You have some lovelies eating from your feeders. Amazing how comfortable they seem to be! The mourning dove is so sweet and one of my all time favs is the red headed woodpecker. How nice it must be to sit on your deck and to be able to watch these beautiful birds..
have a great day.
shug

Jim and Sandie said...

I'm sure glad to see that you're helping that woodpecker keep his good shape by making him stretch for the suet.

Arkansas Patti said...

Can't believe how many woodpeckers come to your feeders. I rarely see them here.
Lately a large bird is visiting my hummingbird feeders. I can see a large tail and the bobbing of a head through the nectar but when I open the door to get a better look, it is gone.

David said...

Betsy, We love woodpeckers too... Great photos! One of my favorites, other than the primitive looking peleated woodpecker, is the male Northern Flicker. We just don't see them very often. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Sylvia K said...

Beautiful birds and photos as always!! Hope you're enjoying a great week, Betsy!!

KathyA said...

We share everyone except the red-headed woodpecker. Can't wait to see one of them!

MadSnapper said...

they all look happy and are having a swinging good time at the bird buffet.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

That red headed woodpecker really is gorgeous! Great shots.

happyone said...

You certainly captured some beautiful birds. Lucky you to see so many at your feeders.

Ginny Hartzler said...

LOVE the red headed, I have never seen a real one. Also the thrasher, they like to stay hidden in bushes and shrubs. The pileateds are always such a joy to see because they are so big and impressive.

Linda P said...

All the birds that come to your feeders are interesting to see because they're so different from those we have in the UK. The woodpeckers are beautiful and I especially enjoyed seeing the dove.

Linda P said...

The birds that come to your feeders are different from those we see in the UK. The woodpeckers have different coloured feathers and even the robin is a different shape. I enjoyed seeing the mourning dove also.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Oh how I would love to spend a day sitting on your deck and getting my fill of bird photos.Beautiful post filled with such variety.

Dee said...

Dear Betsy, wonderful photographs--as usual!!! Thanks so much for giving us the names of these birds as I am illiterate when it comes to the names of birds. Peace.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Oh, Wow, Betsy, these photos are splendid. I love all of the birds. They are so colorful and so beautiful. I have always liked mourning doves, but all of these birds are awesome!
You are indeed a fantastic photographer.

Musings, Tea, and Me said...

What gorgeous birds you photographed, Betsy! One of my all time favorites is the Pileated Woodpecker, but I enjoy all of our woodpecker visitors. Never had a red-headed though. I joined your blog and plan to visit often. - Vickie

Betsy said...

Betsy all of your photos are stunning. I think you should publish a book of waterfalls and birds! Oh yes, flowers too! I don't think I could pick a favorite today, they are all so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your bird kitchen with us.
Blessings,
Betsy

Annie Jeffries said...

What a pleasure to hang out here this morning, Betsy. I love the sound byte of the catbird. I'd love to hear the baby cardinals.

Peaches McGinty said...

Hi Betsy!
beautiful photo's! aren't all the birds so majestic and handsome, it must be wonderful to watch them (they must live a happy life in your garden though! it's like a luxury spa!)the Mourning Dove is particularly striking x x x

Our photos said...

What a lovely variety of birds

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

Oh how lucky you are to have so many kinds of woodpeckers. We have the downy and the red-headed, but I've never seen a pileated or northern flicker in person. Wonderful, thanks for sharing these.

Beatriz said...

So many beautiful birds!
Sometimes we can see Pileated Woodpeckers here, they love big trees!!!

Have a nice weekend, Betsy!

Bia

Terry and Linda said...

You have a wide assortment of wood peckers. We have a wood pecker here, but I don't know what kind.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Beth said...

You have quite a variety! Only a few of those come to my feeders. We get mostly small birds. We have our crackle pests who take over occasionally.
I love that red-headed wood-pecker. I have never ever seen the yellow one--didn't know they existed, so I learned something today. :>)

Joy said...

I dont have any of those in my garden:) send some to me Betsy;)

Cheryl @ TFD said...

We have quite a few of these guys in our neighborhood. The Red-headed Woody is a favorite with me, too. They are so beautiful! Wonderful shots, Betsy!

Jeevan said...

Wow! That’s amazing to knowing the catbird and yes it sounds like a cat... cute. It’s beautiful having birds around the homes but you must be glad to receive variety of birds. I too liked the picture on both the woodpeckers.

Anonymous said...

I would be mesmerized watching all these pretty birds. Thanks for the great photos.

Small Kucing said...

My side here kinda hard to spot any birds. It's nice to see them in your blog.

Lisa said...

Your home and your pictures to me are unbelievable

Mary said...

Wow..you have all the big woodpeckers! How neat to see all of those at once. I'm having trouble with pesky House Sparrows eating all my suet. Can't keep them and a few blackbirds away from it so the woodpeckers can have some.

Connie said...

These are all great pictures, Betsy, but I think I like the shots of the red-headed woodpecker the best. :)

Anonymous said...

Such a pretty series of bird shots.

Rohrerbot said...

Like I've stated before, you really have a nice selection of birds at your feeders. You have lots of food that the Thrasher family(catbird and brown thrasher)love. Plus you've got some very nice woodpeckers visiting......put your bluebirds, cardinals, et al and you've got a great sanctuary:) Thanks for sharing!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Oh the red head is a pretty one- you are lucky to have so many wonderful birds visiting you!~

Unknown said...

You have so many different birds visit ing you, and they are so colourful too. Must be amazing to see them up close. Enjoy your weekend

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

You have quite and assortment of bird pics, all very beautiful. I gave up putting food out for birds here because all it did was attract those pesky squirrels and some raccoons.

Pat Tillett said...

Fantastic photos! Our birds are plain compared to all those beauties.