AstroGypsies

It is wonderful to have the leaves, except from a photographers point of view, it hides, almost everything! Damn! You hear them, you catch a glimpse of them, then they are gone! Sometimes you get lucky!

Heard this bird before I saw him/her. It took me awhile to find it in the tree tops singing and eating away…another dragonfly bites the dust! A new bird for me, Yellow-throated Vireo. Actually I was informed it was a fishfly he was eating, I had to look that up as well! It was one of those rare afternoons, five or so, no wind, sunshine, few bugs…how can this be, then….as I approached the hill to head down…

Sometimes you hear the before you see them…not so with this guy! What is that red blob in the tree? A Scarlet Tanager! Always wonderful to see them! It looked like a pair, probably catching dragonflies/fishflies as well for supper! Just so bright! Need to search the forest late day more it seems! Listen for the ♫♪♫ Trah lalalalalalalalaaaaaa….♫♪♫! They have been around the last few years, I saw then far away at the boat launch last summer but nice to have them right in front of you!

I usually work on the “If you feed them, they will come” premise…it works, for some birds! Ok, maybe I’m lazy and trodding around in the bush picking ticks off every few feet in the Spring is not my idea of a pleasurable afternoon but I could hit a couple of well worn paths in the future! Or just sit here at home;)

Female Baltimore Oriole…how can I tell? Haven’t you ever been looked at like that before from a prima donna?  Hahahaha! Yeah, and two males were fighting over her charms…

These Orioles are always a joy to see, and trust me, you’ll hear them. They are not shy about complaining if you are too close to the feeder, or if it’s not out yet or even if the jam is getting low…”Lady! Service! Now!”…in return, I get to sit and watch them;) They talk with their mouths full even!

The woodpeckers, Hairy’s and Downy’s can be quite bold, flying right up to me as I put the feeders out in the morning. A new thing as the raccoons have been pilfering them. How I dare I be late! Chop, chop!

The Red-Bellied, well, they can be as loud and demanding as the Orioles! Where’s my orange? I didn’t know they liked oranges?! Now I do! I’m on it buddy!

The male Red-Bellied male has traditionally been far shyer, not now, not when it comes to fresh oranges and suet! These guys always give me a good chuckle and they are so darn pretty!

The Bullies on the block, Grackles, Red-Winged Blackbirds and the henchmen Blue jays are much quieter now. Must be the competition! They are here, but not in their early Spring numbers. The Jays wait for the peanuts each morning and then furtively sneak down to pluck them from between the vine, yes, they have to work for them…still;) ha! The Rose Breasted Grosbeaks flutter back and forth to the feeders. Mostly the males, the ladies must be nesting.

…and the Loon, I’ve seen him/her fishing, time to go poking around in the canoe! The Kingfishers was sitting on the gazebo the other afternoon but flew off before I could get the camera. I heard it first!

Then we have our LBB’s and LYB’s and jut LB’s…little brown birds, little yellow birds and little birds! The Chickadees have moved back into the forest. I see them hunting bugs in the swamps, the Eastern Phoebes are also catching bugs! Yeah, and I saw a beautiful Eastern Kingbird as well! Power to the bug catchers! The black flies are done, but the deer and horse flies are just starting…:(..and ticks…please birds, eat the ticks! Maybe the American Goldfinches and White Breasted Nuthatches can take over there! or maybe, just maybe…I can convince the hummingbirds they taste like sugar water! Ha!

So far the male Ruby throated has not been as accommodating at the hanging flowers baskets as I would like! I reminded him of our deal, sugar water for shots…but yeah, he’s a diva! When I first got the fuchsia he was all excited, over that now…

We’re working on it! have seen a female but she has not been around the feeders much, busy nest building I can imagine! Did you know that hummingbirds can’t walk or hop. Their muscles instead are concentrated near their wings for all that flapping! I do enjoy sitting and just watching them! Catching them in their silly poses at times, just takes time, and sunshine! Need that light for those 1/6400 sec shots! The footie one was at 600mm F9 ISO 3200 in the morning light as he hovered above the oriole feeder, it’s reflected on his breast!

If all else fails, I’ll get the Ospreys to flex their talons;) That will convince him I’m sure! Ha! In the meantime, I’ll keep a look out for an illusive bright green bird to round out the colour scale, or purple, or baby blue…hmm…the possibilities are endless! Stay tuned, It’s time for a paddle around the lake, the Loons are out there somewhere! Saludos amigos!