Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 20:52

This past week was for the birds, in more ways than one. Even though things are a bit busy for me right now, I still find time to sit in wonder of all He has made.

Here's what I've been seeing . . .

The sweet Phoebe pair wakes me every morning. They have a nest somewhere behind the house.

Eastern Phoebe

I was glad to see this flycatcher back this year. He is a bit tricky to ID but his song gives him away!

Great-crested Flycatcher

Now that the lizards and snakes are more active I'm seeing more of this guy. They are so fun to watch!

Greater Roadrunner

The mockingbirds are just crazy this time of year! They seem to nest later than the other birds. Lots of showmanship going on right now!

Northern Mockingbird

We have a pair of scissor-tailed flycatchers back this year. They prefer a copse of trees down in the field but they often come up to the cottage to visit me.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

 I spotted two females before this guy arrived for a bath!

Summer Tanager

One of the most breathtaking birds, this little guy never fails to delight. 

All four of the flycatchers pictured here are part of the Tyrannidae family called the Tyrant Flycatchers. It's so thrilling to have them all here! 

Vermilion Flycatcher

Next week I'll show you what's blooming in my garden. And some other friends that came to visit!

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled week, friends!

PS Click on the bird's name to find more pictures and listen to their song!

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 23:52

I do love these early days of summer. 

The air still holds a hint of fragrance. The birds are still nesting and raising their young. The heat has not yet zapped us and made us lazy!

It's the beginning of a new season! The sun shimmers and we look forward with anticipation to all we have planned.  The weddings and parties and backyard BBQ's! Days at the lake or the shore. Early mornings and late evenings on the porch. Trips to places known and unknown. Memories to be made!

Summer usually means more butterflies. Sadly, I haven't seen as many around this year. Which made it all the more exciting to find a pipevine swallowtail sampling the blooms this week. These beauties are difficult to capture because they rarely stop! I think this is the first time I've ever captured their dorsal side!

It was late afternoon so the flower beds were in the shade. Otherwise, you would have seen the iridescence in their wings. My friend, Kim, raises butterflies and you can see her beautiful images here. 

One of the reasons I'm seeing fewer butterflies may be because the deer have been eating my lantana blossoms this year. The little buggers. I will be happy when we get our fence up! In the meantime, I've started using the deer repellent spray again. It's a good thing, too, because there are plenty of babies around this year. I found another one "hidden" in the grass just the other day.

It's always fun to watch the babies. Here is a shot of the Mockingbird twins I introduced you to last week. They are learning to navigate the suet feeder.

The Woodhouse's Scrub Jay twins are learning, too! They haven't adapted to the swinging basket quite as well as the mockingbirds!

The pretty house finches don't mind the swinging basket and they're happy to share!

Such a pretty bird!

I've been going through so much suet that I buy it in bulk on Amazon! I can't blame the baby birds. The gold-fronted woodpeckers get more than their share.

And I'm currently fighting with four of these rascals!

Don't let that sweet face fool you! These guys can eat a hole in my sock feeder faster than I can get out the door to chase them away! 

We've had a lot of rain but no one seems to mind. The black-chinned hummingbirds continue to feed through all but the fiercest of storms. Small and mighty wins the day!

What are you seeing through

your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled week, friends!

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 22:52

Hello, friends!

I'm a little late posting this week due to my #ReadUpstream post from yesterday. If you're interested in what I'm reading this month, click through and have a look.

There has been a lot of activity around the cottage this week! Our cottonwood tree is in bloom. Which explains my runny nose and the intoxicating smell in our front yard!

Queen Butterfly

The Mockingbirds have been around with their babies the last few days. It's amazing how quickly they grow! They look just like mommy and daddy except for their speckled chests.

Here they are learning how to navigate the suet by themselves.

There have been a lot of cardinals around, too, with their families. This is a young female.

Items of interest can always be found if you're looking for them.

At least that's what this Carolina Wren tells me as he searches through the flower box for bugs to feed his mate. She is still sitting on a clutch of eggs.

Carolina Wren as taken through my living room window

Summer is here! Whoot-woot!

I hope you're staying cool like this male house finch!

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled weekend, friends!

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 13:52

Spring enters with a chorus of bird calls. This is the most active time of year for the birds and I want to camp out on my front porch and take it all in.

The Mockingbirds are deliriously animated in their courtship. Sitting high atop the oak trees, reciting every playlist they've ever learned in hopes of attracting a mate. 

The smaller birds, like the Black-crested Titmice and the Carolina Chickadees, chase each other through the trees, chattering as they go.

The Carolina Wrens are a fickle sort. Building a nest here, only to abandon it for a better location over there.

My sweet Phoebe's are a joy to watch and wake me every morning just before dawn with their gentle calls.

Yesterday, I watched two red-tailed hawks ascending the thermals, the sun burned their undersides golden as they dipped and soared. I'd love to follow them back to their nesting site but my world has boundaries that theirs will never know.

The Vermillion Flycatcher and his mate dashed through in a flash of tangerine-red. So brilliant my eyes can barely hold the color. 

The black-chinned hummingbirds are back. Two so far. I have two feeders in the yard and they still don't want to share. When the ruby-throats start north the real wars will begin.

The finches are at the feeders again after feasting in the fields all winter. And the sweet chipping sparrows are enjoying the suet I keep stocked.  

Soon the migratory birds will begin passing through and I'll have fun trying to identify them one-by-one. If you're interested, allaboutbirds.org is a great resource site.

Bird watching is a great excuse to slow down and take note of the world around you - you'll be amazed at what you can find in your own backyard!

So tell me, what are you observing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled day,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 9:52

Hello, friends. 

I'm a little under the weather, so I'll keep this brief and just share with you some of my favorite captures from the last week.

It's hard to be glum with the birds singing and twittering outside your window, so I've included links to some of their calls under each photo.

Songs and Calls

Calls

Songs and Calls

Somebody has a bald spot, lol

Songs and Calls

Somebody is grumpy because they're not getting all the suet.

Songs and Calls

My id may be off on the last two. They are either House Finches or Purple Finches. I'm going with the Purple Finch because the color extends so far down the breast. House finches tend to have color just on the upper breast and a lot of streaking down the front making them look like they're wearing little pantaloons.You can see one here to compare. They would have been easier to identify if I had some shots of his back as they are noticeably more colorful than the house finch. House finches are regulars here, unlike Purple finches, but these two may have wintered nearby and be passing through as they head north to their breeding grounds in Canada. Feel free to share your thoughts.

Also, I totally failed at the #shadesofwinter challenge this week. But if you head over to Lisa's or Kristy's you'll find lots of wonderful #wintershadow shots!

Have a wonder-filled day,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday