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and here is Aubry looking out the upstairs window AT the birds.

EXCELLENT flight shots of the Woodpecker and the Flycatcher! The Woodpecker is a female Downy.

I love your White-Throated Sparrow and your Goldfinches in eclipse plumage.

I didn't know it was called "eclipse". How fancy. They blend in with the scenery right now.

I like the sparrow pic too. Thanks.

Eclipse plumage is when they are molting from on color phase to another. Eclipse is the halfway point in the molt where they have elements of BOTH color phases.

I saw a Huge wood pecker today,, I've never seen it before,, It was so fast moving I couldn't get a picture,, I tried but just got Tree bark It had a long beak red head and Much Much bigger then the ones that are here all the time, and it was 'calling" A rolled "r sound is the best I can describe it,,

You have, I believe, a Song Sparrow, Mourning Dove, and a male House Finch.

You have also given a PERFECT description of the largest North American Woodpecker, a Pileated (Pronounced Pill-ee-8-ed) Woodpecker. You heard their "chatter" call. They also have a Kai-kai-kai-kai-kai call, too. These are REALLY cool birds. I saw 4 of them together in a tight bunch on the ground at the base of a large tree, back before I did bird photography. I have a Pileated in my neighborhood. I saw him last spring and heard him a couple of months ago.

Diane, the pics of the sparrow and dove are beautiful.

I've seen a Pileated Woodpecker in my yard only once. He was flying so low and moving slowly. I thought it was because of his size. I'm surprised yours was moving fast.

He was moving fast on the tree,, Like Hopping up the branch and as soon as I got the camera focused he hopped to the back side of the branch outta site,, I went around the back side of the tree and he did it again ,, I guess he knew I wanted a picture and he didn't

Oh. The one I saw was flying. Maybe he hopped faster than he flew.

Woodpeckers, Especially Pileateds, have a relatively slow up-and-down roller coaster-like flight, flapping to rise up and then stopping flapping to drop down. They often chatter as they fly. They are quite fast climbing up a tree trunk. They like suet. (Hint, hint)

Gotcha!! :wink:

I LOVE that dove picture Diane!

And the pileated woodpecker is what Woody Woodpecker is - we have had one in our yard twice since we've lived here - it is a wonderful thing to see!!!

I looked up the pileated woodpecker that's not what I saw,, \

This one was greyish golden bodied ~ black and white back from what I could tell with a red head and looked golden too and maybe on it's chest But Big, around the size of a robin , for example.. Longer bodied then a robin,, I'm trying to find a picture,

I found ONE!!!!!!!!!! The Golden Front Woodpecker! that's it,,! they say it's considered a medium sized woodpecker he looked BIG to me,, I guess because I'm used to see the other ones,,(little)

The Golden-fronted Woodpecker resides in central Texas. It can also be found in the temperate and tropical regions of North America and as far north as southwestern Oklahoma. It measures around 9 to 10 inches long with a wingspan of 17 inches. It weighs about 2 to 4 ounces. It is considered a medium-sized woodpecker. It has deep reddish brown eyes and grayish black bill. It has grayish head, breast and flanks. Its nape is yellow-orange, rear is white and the back is barred with black and white. The male and female have the same plumage but the male has a red crown.
Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are cavity nesters. The male digs up a nest in a dead or live tree. The nest is a bulky collection of bark chips. The female lays 4 to 7 white eggs. The male incubates at night and the female during the day. The eggs are hatched between 12 to 14 days. Both parents care for the young. After 22 to 27 days, the fledglings leave the nest.
This bird’s diet consists of both insects and plants. It feeds on ants, flies, grasshoppers, beetle larvae, frogs and ants. Plants consumed consist of fruits, berries, seeds, nuts and corn. It frequently forages on low trees and sometimes on the ground. It also store food for the winter, usually acorns, nuts, seeds and at times insects.

that's a beautiful bird. I love his checker board body.

Guarding the solar ball Diane sent me.






this little woodpecker was moving up and down this tree too quickly this is the best picture I got.

Your LITTLE Woodpecker is a female Downy Woodpecker.

Angelblossom, you COULD have a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, too. They are VERY similar in every way and you are right ON the border that separates the two species. Either way, it they are GREAT birds to have. I have never seen a Golden-Fronted Woodpecker myself, but we have HUNDREDS of Red-Bellied Woodpeckers in Tennessee.

OMG You know What Thorny after looking that one up I know now that is what it was/is FOR SURE,, The Kwirr sounds is exact to what it was I heard

the kwirr sound of red bellied Woodpecker click on Sound"Kwirr"
I saw Him/her again today,, In my neighbors tree only because I heard it first! It's quite loud with it's calling too.

Diane - we have the red bellied woodpeckers here too - they LOVE the black oil sunflower seeds in my feeders. I'm glad you get to see them too.

Sheri - I love the picture of your birds guarding the solar ball.

Awesome Picture Sheri..
I almost bought a solar Bird bath with spitter yesterday,, I could kick my self for not doing it,,

I may have gotten a Juvie robin, it's so small sorry I didn't have time to focus,,

Juvy Robins don't have a red breast they have a Speckled Breast. here is a pic I took of a Juvy Robin in my yard on May 8, 2005. I was using my OLD point-and-shoot Olympus D580 Zoom.

yeah I looked it up after I posted that and saw they are colored differently,,, But that robin sure was small,
Thanks for the visual for others to know what to look for.
*I didn't have time to refocus as I was taking close up flower picture at the time, * and caught him out of the corner of my eye.
for your OLD camera sure is a nice picture

He landed on the rail about 5 feet from me with a LOUD "THUD!!!". I LMAO at him. He was SO cute and clumsy just learning to fly. Now, 4 years later, HIS children visit me.

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww He's a daddy and maybe even a granddaddy now

[quote
for your OLD camera sure is a nice picture [/quote]


It is not so much the camera as it is learning how to capture the moment, mood, or pose using ANY camera! Learn to take GOOD photographs FIRST. THEN, get a GOOD camera, LAST!!!

Here is that Juvy Robin TODAY (I guess... ).

WOWWWWWWWW Great Picture!!!!!!!

Lizzy brought me a dead titmouse yesterday. Wonder why she won't attack the Grackles.

Angelblossom, you got a male and female Brown-Headed Cowbird. The male has the blue-black body with the brown head.

Mocking Birds



small one in the street


Two small ones in the street,,

Those are JUVENILE Mockingbirds! See the speckling on the breast and the soft fleshy corner of their beaks? That means JUVENILE.

Thanks Thorny I suspected they were. But was waiting on your confirmation!

I am not good a naming birds but I can recognize my mockingbird. I don't know that I'd know a juvenile one though. You're getting good Diane. I probably couldn't recognize someone elses mockingbird though, just mine.

I know or Knew mine. I call him Mr. Mocky. I'm not sure that I'm dealing with HIM now or one of his sons. He MAY not be with us anymore but whoever it is , is very friendly.

You know Lizzy murdered the mocker who stood behind my house singing. The new one stays in front of the house. He wasn't there before the murder. Was it because someone else was singing all day? Don't they sing at the same time?

They can. This time of year you can hear Mockers singing 24/7. There's one singing in my yard NOW and it's 9:30 PM!