Its all Mira's fault....

So after calling them f'ing Cardinals on Mira's beautiful Cardinal photos I decided to stalk the elusive, never still, shadow hugging, bird in my backyard. There are at least 4 males and 4 females so it ought to be possible. So I spy a pair of males way back in a tree, have a 400mm lens on the camera already so I get in place, camera focused and...



the f'ing guys take off as I press the shutter release. (The upside, they trees are budding out. Yay!)


Well hell, I have the camera out, lots of bird food on the deck so why not take some photos of much more cooperative birds.




The House Finch giving me the evil bird eye while debating on whether or not to chance getting to the rest of the food.




The White Throated Sparrow could care less what I am doing as long as no one else gets to his food in his area.




While the Blue Jay puts in his brief appearance. Making sure there is something worth jumping down there to grab and go with.




A female Cardinal comes out of the shadows for a brief moment.




Finally the male shadow hog makes a brief appearance just because he could.




Oh no, the Cardinals are teaching Mourning Doves how to stick to the shadows now.


Part of my back yard feeder problem is that they all like to come around when the sun is coming up or going down. It is still all Mira's fault though. O8)

near it,

door between me and the feeder. The birds know it is there, they've brushed it enough. Seems only the starlings hit it hard enough to stun them and well I don't want them eating from the feeder. Yet I think I need a blind inside to hide behind. lol Thing is it would be in the way of any other type of daily living. The birds are fun to watch and they do let you know when the seasons are changing even it the weather is screwed up.

has broken and has become a bit opaque.

Love'em! I like birds. I like your birds. :)

most laid back of the feeder birds.
Some people seem to not like doves for anything but hunting around here. I love seeing them both sit and fly and love hearing them coo all day. I have at least 5 pair that hang around and cross my fingers every hunting season that they stay in the yard area.

I had a couple deer in the back yard so I snuck around the side of the house. They heard me as I emerged from around the corner and stared in frozen silence as I raised the camera to zoom on them. Suddenly the doe looked at the fawn and said "Quick! He's got a camera!" I managed to get a white bushy tail in the frame as it blurred into the woods.

Deer: Nature's Amish.

Exactly why I like to take photos of animals--they disrespect us! I have a lot of photos of white tails too! Plus they are pretty nocturnal, making it more difficult. The problem is not that they are few in number, however. :)

I bet the best way to find a deer is to take your camera in the car, drive down a country road and wait for one to run out in front of you. Certainly, a flying buck is an interesting image.

I don't hunt, but after losing four cars to what deer hunters call an elusive prey, I'm all for extending the season here in NE Ohio. I've yet to hit one that carries insurance, and since my old cars only warrant liability, it's complete loss every time.

I didn't mention that I live in the middle of a small city of 6,000. I'm located near the city's downtown with only business neighbors, but the creek in the back means a lot of deer traffic through the sanctuary of my back yard (where they're welcome anytime).

I joke that the deer and rabbits are living cones for us to steer through on our road. The squirrels are just suicidal. The nearest town to me has about 1500 people but I'm at least 7 miles out. The only real live wild life photographer I've ever got to talk to in person said to think of it just like hunting. You need to hide, stay quiet and upwind. Both have to shoot fast when they get a good shot only you don't kill anything with the camera. I don't think I have the patience and I know I don't have the time.

Now Amish, I can find them any day any, time and have gotten photos after asking. I'm thinking about trying at my favorite nursery this year. I just have a hard time getting up the nerve to ask.

These are the same birds attracted to my neighbor's bird feeder (I don't have one, but hers is just across the driveway). The feeder seems also to have attracted more birds all over the neighborhood. You have some nice bird pics there! Mira has been a great influence on you. Really nice that the feeder gets some sunshine! Birds can be very entertaining, and I can tell you had a good time. Cardinals are a real challenge, but having a feeder helps a lot.;)

I seem to attract the common birds but I don't mind. I have learned that the plain brown birds are not so plain by watching and taking photos.

Not only did you have fun, but you ended up with wonderful portraits to share. I was sitting here scrolling down with a big grin on my face.
You're inspiring me right back. Your work, as always, is so very very good. I'm glad my pictures made you get busy!!!

and yes as an inspiration. I still cuss the cardinals. Good thing they are such a delight to look at. It did help that I had everything at hand so could take them in between ferret feedings. Pixel is still hanging in there.

Getting a Siamese cat tonight. He is coming from Flalala. Poor guy was found under a bush, terrified. He checked out as healthy,was already fixed, has been trained to walk on a leash but is still terrified of everybody and everything. So he gets to come here to live out his life, hoping he learns to not be afraid of us with time. Just warning you of my next time and attention project.

I'm going to be stalking hummers this summer. Plus I want to set up at a client's house where there are multiple bird feeders. All you birdos have put me to shame. Gotta catch up.

a link to a guy that took perfect hummer photos. I just don't remember where. Will try to find it.

Hummers are easier and harder. Harder because of their speed, easier because they will tag a feeder as theirs and show up regular. If you hang around near the feeder they will get used to you and judge you as safe. Without a feeder not sure. I have so many bees (deathly allergic) around hummingbird flower food sources I can't hang around long to try. Hope to see some great shot when you get them.

But failing that, I can catch them at my client's house, too.

I don't feed the birds at my place because of the cats. They're pretty lazy when it comes to catching fast flying things, but no sense in tempting fate.

It's very difficult for me to catch them sitting still long enough out in the 'wild'. But food makes every living creature more cooperative :) :toast:

Beyond that I don't try anymore. I also find it a tad easier to be on the second story. The birds seem to feel safer up at tree level.