A Bird Buddy

A Bird Buddy

Last year, when I was feeling particularly low and searching for a bit of joy, I splurged on a Bird Buddy. It’s a bird feeder with a solar-powered camera that captures backyard visitors. When it arrived, Paul reconfigure a pole for this little feeder. I went...
A Band of Blue Jays

A Band of Blue Jays

I’ve been home for a week, but yesterday was the first day I had a moment for myself. A gloomy but mild morning, I parked on the porch beneath a blanket with my book, coffee, and camera. A band of blue jays descended upon my freshly filled feeder. They dodged in...
Holy Grackle!

Holy Grackle!

Holy Grackle! There must have been 100 or more in the yard shortly after I filled the feeder. I now understand why they call a flock of grackles  “a plague!”
Birding from the Porch

Birding from the Porch

Mother nature has recently provided us several days in the upper 50s and lower 60s. While not porch weather right off the mark, by late morning, I’ve been able to migrate to the porch – even if it’s with a blanket. I love my house with big windows to...
What I Didn’t Miss

What I Didn’t Miss

The Broad-winged Hawk has been a frequent visitor to our yard all season long. This morning my work day started from home. Working from the porch, I heard the bird’s loud, high-pitched call. It took a few moments before I spotted him perched in a tree. I hustled...
The Hummer Boys Are Back!

The Hummer Boys Are Back!

Hopeful, I first put the hummingbird feeder up on May 1st. I’m not sure when they arrived, but I spotted my first hummer on Sunday – May 8th. At first, it was a lone male. Today the aerial shows began with the arrival of another male. I spent the morning...
Who’s Singing in Your Backyard?

Who’s Singing in Your Backyard?

You likely know by now that I’m an avid, total novice, backyard bird watcher. I’ve discovered this morning that there are birds singing in my backyard I’ve never seen before. I’m often focused on the birds at my feeders (which have been put up...
Spring Chickadee

Spring Chickadee

I finally got around to removing the remnants of my destroyed bird feeders pole.  I’m hopeful that Paul can repair my fancy feeder pole. My lovely red feeder is toast – the central part of it squashed like an accordion. Enjoying the weather, I spent the...
A Glorious Tufted Titmouse Pair

A Glorious Tufted Titmouse Pair

Only once have I spotted a Tufted Titmouse here at Downeast Thunder Farm. That made today’s activity at the feeder incredibly exciting. A Tufted Titmouse pair. I love those big eyes that seem to look in your soul. They were very skittish. Their view into the...
Iridescent Grackle

Iridescent Grackle

Grackles are beautiful with their inky iridescent feathers. I enjoy them when they are not bullies at the feeder. This guy showed off his color – and good behavior today. They always seem to visit in the fall – or at least that’s when I notice them....
Autumn Chickadees

Autumn Chickadees

A gray autumn day brightened for a few house hours allowing me to work on the porch (under a blanket) for a bit. Somehow laboring away on my computer while outdoors makes it feel less like work. Camera at the ready I enjoyed the Chickadees zooming in and out. Happy...
Late Summer Hummers

Late Summer Hummers

I haven’t taken many bird photos this summer; the porch screens interfere with the opportunities. Yet today’s show outside had me washing the sole kitchen window in which I’d left the screen out. A couple of late summer ruby-throated hummingbirds...
Hummer in the Snow

Hummer in the Snow

May 9 and the weather forecast called for snow. A polar vortex they say. I can’t imagine what my first hummingbird of the season thought of this turn of events. In this one it looks like he’s thinking WTF! My sentiments exactly.
Northern Flicker Courtship

Northern Flicker Courtship

It was so beautiful yesterday that I spent my morning working on the porch. I made it through a Zoom meeting and another couple of hours of work before the sun slipped behind the clouds, chilling things down. It was absolutely lovely. No bugs. The wind chimes were...
Robins

Robins

This morning, I spent a good fifteen minutes sitting on the floor by the French door watching a flock of Robins in the yard. I don’t recall ever seeing more than one or two visiting. This one was quite concerned about threats in the sky. They sure work hard for...
The Hummers are Back!

The Hummers are Back!

One of my favorite events of the year is when the Hummingbirds return. It’s as clear a sign of spring as we get here in Maine. The boys returned the weekend of May 11. I saw my first little guy buzzing around the other bird feeders, so I rushed to get a nectar...
Yellow

Yellow

Today was a very “yellow” day at the bird feeder! Male Yellow-rumped warbler Female Yellow-rumped warbler A Goldfinch? Male Goldfinch Male White-throated Sparrow Male Yellow-rumped Warbler

Not My Typical Visitors

I had some unusual visitors at the feeder today. The ducks found a break in the fence and have been exploring new territory. One look at me through the window and they waddled back through the fence to where they should be. Then this beauty showed up this afternoon...
An Evening Timberdoodle

An Evening Timberdoodle

Look who came to visit this evening! A Timberdoodle! Or American Woodcock if you must. Timberdoodle is much more fun to say. I’ve only seen one before and this guy was just a foot or so beyond my porch. Paul spied him while he was talking on the treadmill. What...