Thursday, January 28, 2021

All it takes is a dusting. . . .





. . . . . also the robins




. . . . . the Eastern bluebirds




. . . . . the Northern cardinals






. . . . . the Northern flickers




. . . . . the Pine warbler




. . . . .the House finches






. . . . .the Eastern towhee


. . . . .the Brown-headed cowbird



. . . . .the Pine siskin


. . . . . the Dark-eyed junco

************

The junco - known fondly as 'the snow bird' - arrived along with a snow
 fall during the night.  Looking out the window at 3:30 am it was
beautiful. Huge flakes of fluffy snow were illuminated under the street
lights, bare branches were outlined in white in the moonlight, and a white
 carpet had been rolled across the lawn.
 At 6:30 am I was out of bed and waiting for dawn with a steaming mug
 of coffee and a camera at the ready.  Knowing it was just a very light 
snow fall and would probably be gone quickly when the sun came up,
it might well have been the only time this winter season that I would have
a chance to photograph our garden birds in snow.
So I was ready - hope you enjoy seeing just some of the garden birds
when they visited, and sure enough the snow was almost gone by noon.



22 comments:

  1. These are gorgeous pictures of gorgeous birds, dear Mary! Isn't it magical to get up during the night, peer out of the window and discover that it is snowing?
    The junco is very aptly named snowbird! I love the brightly coloured birds, too, they look like jewels - but the junco beats them all for elegance with its colouring.

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    1. . . . .plus, he's chubby and so clean looking and doesn't seem to annoy the other birds, just waits his turn on a branch.

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  2. Really beautiful images. Love seeing all the different types of birds. My camera doesn't recognize the memory card anymore so I can't take zoom photos of birds or the moon like I used to. The memory card works in my laptop, so it's disappointing to think my camera might have finally bit the dust (although it is an old one). Take care.

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    1. Have you tried a new memory card Tammy? I think they do eventually wear out.

      These were taken with my Sony bridge camera (DHC-HX400V)not a DSLR, and through the dining room window. I love the camera (actually have two as the first one needs repairs costing over $200 so I've been holding off in hopes Sony comes out with an updated version soon and can put the money toward that). I have to have a camera with a viewfinder - many point and shoots don't have that. I have the iPhone 11 Pro which takes awesome photos closeup, but must use the Sony for distance shots such as the birdies!!!!
      Time to treat yourself to a new camera perhaps - you're worth it!!!
      Mary x

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  3. So many beautiful birds - it sounds like heaven to have them all there together in the snow. What a picture! xx

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  4. Dear Mary,
    What? You have snow? Snow has skirted us for several weeks. Your birds know where to fly if they want to be famous. They all go to Mary's house where they are ready for their close-ups. Beautiful photos.

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  5. The sheer beauty of your photography overwhelms ~~ brava!

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  6. Beautiful photos! I can't wait til we see robins here once again because it means spring isn't far behind! We have plenty of juncos here, they're very common. But we also have lots of snow. More coming Sat night into Sunday - 6-8" - which we're not looking forward to because we have to shovel it!

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  7. What beautiful captures, Mary!

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  8. Mary, those pictures are wonderful of all the birds! You have alot of wonderful little birds visiting you! We didn't get any snow here in the Piedmont. It would have been nice to have just a little dusting. Oh well. I'm glad you got to see some of natures beauties in your yard!!

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  9. Dearest Mary,
    You are an excellent photographer and your birds is about the very same variety we feed here across our kitchen bay window. But we so seldom see snow...
    Never heard the name of snow bird for the junco. But maybe the locals invented such names.
    Here they also call a Cardinal a red bird. That sounds silly to me but we do call it the Eastern Blue Bird. LOVE those, when they come for bathing in our bird bath; such a colorful show.
    ENJOY the scenery, you must have sat outdoors for taking such photos...
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. No, took them through the dining room window - much too cold to sit outside!
      Did walk this afternoon though as the sun was out and not wind - bundled up in layers of course.

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    2. WOW! Our kitchen bay window has been ruined by one painter, pressure washing and there remained spots in-between the double glass. We have been contemplating about replacing it but will be hard for the special made white Corian window sill. We sure don't want to ruin or lose that! Yeah, it makes one shiver for having to be outdoors and sitting still! Stay cozy Mary and enjoy your garden visitors 'through the window' that is. Thanks for sharing them with all of us.
      Mariette

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  10. Wonderful photo's, thanks for sharing.
    Patricia

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  11. What an amazing collection of birds you have, it makes our sparrows and blue tits look very ordinary!

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  12. Such lovely photos Mary, I just love those Bluebirds!! xx

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  13. Dear Mary, thank you for these stunning photos of utterly beautiful birds!
    They are so colourful that the common sparrow here in Berlin become even paler (beige-brown) by comparison - but our typical city-bird is cheeky, sits to hundreds (honestly!) here in the bushes and ignores the robin (my favourite bird) and the blue tit and the Jaybird - the three most colourful birds we can present.
    I never saw a "snow bird" - am in awe - but did the same as you: yesterday we had the first snow - and out I went, very early, camera in hand (which was freezing without the glove) - I took snow-photos (no birds to see except some morose crows) and enjoyed the early crispy snow, well sensing that it would thaw away soon (which it did - though it was very thick in the morning).
    Your birds are so lovely that I think of trying to draw them for my grandchildren, the triplets.

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  14. Darling Mary,

    Thank you so much for your absolutely delightful comments welcoming us back to Blogland. It has been far too long but the happiness in reconnecting has brought us great joy.

    How well we remember your delightful posts and are so pleased to see that you are still here posting the most joyful images which surely bring cheer to all who see them. And, what a happy time we enjoyed together in Budapest. These times will return, perhaps in a different form but change is inevitable and friendship never fails.

    Sending our love from a cold Winter's day without snow and furry friends in Budapest. xx

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  15. What a wonderful array of birds, and the snow makes everything so beautiful of course. It is something we will never experience here in the central Med. We had some small flakes, around 10 years ago, but bow it seems winters are getting steadily warmer and it hardly even rains.

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  16. All I can say is that your bird pictures are just stunning.
    I don't think I have ever seen a Pine Warbler.
    You even captured my favorite bird, the cardinal! How I miss living where they live.
    Wonderful pictures!!

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  17. You have got wonderful colored birds!

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