Winter Storm Warning

Well according to the  Weatherman we're going to get a couple of inches of snow over the next two or three days. Possibly, maybe, if we're lucky. Don't have a lot of faith in the type of Ouija Board or the tea leaves and bones they're using these days. They predicated it would start snowing at 10am and it actually started about 9:30 am so not too far out. In an hour it went from nothing to totally white.

Blue Jay

Eastern Bluebirds

House Finch

Northern Cardinal

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Red, White and Blue as well as a bit of reddy, orangey, brown.

The NW wind straight out of Arctic Canada has died down to a chilly 7mph breeze this morning and although it wasn't my favorite lighting conditions and as the Coopers Hawk wasn't about I did a bit of photography. It was still way below freezing when I went to put some bird feed out but at 25f it wasn't too bad. I need to get out and find some new perches, I'm getting bored with the ones I keep recycling.

Northern Cardinal

Red-bellied Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Northern Cardinal

Warm Lighting

Just generally screwing around with Capture One and I liked the look of this Goldfinch from the other day. The lighting looks very warm but I don't think it was in reality.

American Goldfinch in winter plumage.

1/2 hour 457 shots

I didn't manage too long this morning as the gale blowing through the open window was straight out of the Arctic I think. Still I took 457 shots in just over half and hour, that was after the Coopers Hawk pissed off of course. Colder than the proverbial Witches Tit out there.

Carolina Wren

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Northern Cardinal

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

Nice Cardinal

Another one from today of one of 3 Cardinals that argue about who's owns the feeder.

Northern Cardinal

Waiting for the floor to dry

Playing the domestic goddess this morning and while polishing the floor and waiting for it to dry I poked my lens out of the window for a few minutes.

Carolina Wren

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

House Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

White-breasted Nuthatch

Bit of exercise

 I needed a bit of exercise as I'm putting on a few pounds so I decided to go for a walk around the lake. It was a bit chilly and some of the sheltered bays were icy. Not a great deal bird wise, a nice adult Bald Eagle, a Belted Kingfisher and Hairy Woodpecker were the highlights. The light wasn't bad and I didn't take any big lenses just the 14-24mm, these were all taken at the 14mm end.

View looking North to Indiantown Gap in Blue Mountain

Belted Kingfisher

Stream Crossing

White spot in the middle between the trees is the Outback.

One of my favorite views.

Damn Coopers Hawk ......again

Monday morning; chilly with lots of birds at the feeders, nice lighting as well. Just right for a bit of photography out of the window with a nice cup of English Breakfast. I got set up pretty quickly, slid the window open and installed the smoked lexan sheet in it's place to keep the mid 30's breeze out. Dropped the camo netting, setup the Z7 and 500mm on the tripod and waited. Apart from the one Cardinal that made a very tentative nervous appearance then buggered off that was it. Not a bird in sight, the feeders out the front, the feeders out the back and the feeders out to the sides all totally devoid of birds. and 2 1/2 hours later they still are. I know he's out there, I just know it. I've looked but can't see him. but the birds in hiding can. Bastard Coopers Hawk.

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Todays Birds

Heavy overcast and chilly this morning but I wanted to take a few pictures so I set the flash up in front of the feeder setup and took a few shots before the Coopers Hawk showed up and every bird in the vicinity vamoosed. You've got to love the colors on the Starling, iridescent Blues, Purples and Greens at least.

Blue Jay

Eastern Bluebird

Starling

Sunday Morning Birds

 

It's a cold, bright sunny Sunday morning. I managed to get a few shots before the Coopers Hawk made an appearance. As there was a freezing breeze blowing in I didn't last too long. Heres a couple from this morning before I head outside and put stuff back into my newly repaired shed.

Northern Cardinal

White-breasted Nuthatch

Gray Catbird

While its been a pretty nice sunny day I've not been able to take advantage of it to do any photographing. This morning when the light was really nice there were no birds to be seen. I didn't even bother to go outside to look for the Coopers Hawk because I can't do anything about him. He just ignores me yelling at him to F*&^ Off, maybe he doesn't understand my accent, perhaps I should try yelling F*&^ Off in an American accent. I sometimes have problems with Siri not understanding the Queens English so perhaps that's it. Anyway here's another from last May instead.

Gray Catbird

 

Last May

Having spent last May rarely leaving the house and gardens I was able to spend a lot of time out back in front of the waterfall photographing the birds. Here's a few from last May I haven't shown on here.

Baltimore Oriole

Northern Cardinal

Orange-crowned Warbler

Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler

2021

I really hope 2021 is better than 2020. Thats all I'm going to say about that. 

My shed has been finally repaired after the humungous wild cherry crushed the roof during a storm. There's another huge cherry that I'm very wary of and I think it needs to come down. I think over the years 6 of them have fallen. I think every one has been hollow at the base, which is not unusual apparently. There's several of their offspring growing in various places around the yard so I dont feel too bad about loosing the big ones. 

It's been snowing frozen ice this morning so I've not been out much except to fill up the feeders. I did go out and yelled at the Coopers Hawk that frightened off the birds I was photographing. Just looking out the little bastard is still there. The feeders were very active until he showed up. They wont come back until he moves off. I yelled at him but he was high up in one of the tall oaks and he just ignored me.

Coopers Hawk

American Goldfinch

House Finch

Northern Cardinal

Red-bellied Woodpecker