Tag Archives: Backyard birds

Kitchen Door Birds

1 Reply

Last fall, I left my camera in Spain and have had problems getting it back. I replaced it with a mirrorless camera with a decent telephoto. Within a week or two, I knew it was too bulky and heavy for me. I replaced it last week with a Nikon COOLPIX P950 and so far, so good.

The weather has been cold, windy, and snowy – not the best environment for learning to use a new rig. So, I decided to shoot birds at the feeder through the glass storm door. Here are some of the usual suspects that are going through a lot of bird seed and suet.

A Hairy Woodpecker stocks up after the big storm
Of course, Black-capped Chickadees are daily visitors
Female Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinal & Downy Woodpecker
Several Mourning Doves are frequent ground feeders

And one of our favorite winter birds are the tiny Red-breasted Nuthatches.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Here is our feeder setup after Sunday’s big storm. Stay safe.

Here is our backyard feeder setup after Sunday’s big storm. Stay safe.

Birds On The River

1 Reply

We are fortunate to have a home with the Winooski River North Branch flowing past our backyard. Frozen off and on all winter, it gives us some great birding nine months of the year. Here are a few shots that I took last year.

On this frigid day, I can’t help but wonder where these visitors are spending January. Stay warm.

Some Nice Vermont Birds

1 Reply

The year 2025 was pretty dreary in many ways. However, looking through my photos was uplifting. It was one of the reasons I bird. Here are some examples starting with this Red-bellied Woodpecker who spent many days in our backyard, and is back again in 2026.


Other photos are: Hairy Woodpecker, Black-crowned Night Heron (downtown Montpelier), Swamp Sparrow, Common Loons,  Great Blue Heron, Gray Catbird, Broad-winged Hawk, and Wood Ducks (on the river out back.)

Here’s hoping for a year full of birding delights. Good birding!

More Local Birds

Leave a reply

These days on outings, I’m carrying just my camera, not my binos. It’s easier and I can use the telephoto on the Canon for bird spotting.

Here’s a Chipping Sparrow at the ball field.

The other day, I heard a constant cheeping sound and came upon this fledgling on our back deck.

After ten minutes or so, I approached to see if it was tangled and off it flew to the nearby bushes. I trust it will grow up to be a catbird, sparrow, or whatever.

The other morning, a flock of young Cedar Waxwings were foraging.

And then, on our path to the river, a couple of Common Yellowthroats were chipping away at us.

Have a good September of walks and birds.

Testing the iPad

2 Replies

We are traveling to Europe soon and since I won’t be bringing my laptop, I have been practicing with my phone and tablet. Hummingbirds are also heading out soon and have been hitting the feeder and flowers pretty hard. Here are some photos I took this morning where I used the camera and iPad.

I saw my first hummer here on May 12th this year so it’ll be eight months to wait. Viajes seguros mis amigos.

Early Morning Backyard Birds

1 Reply

Nearly every morning this summer, I walk Ginger early. We often start by going down our path the the river and then on to nearby trails. It’s not unusual to see and hear many birds right in our backyard.

Two days ago, this Common Merganser was just cruising down the river.

Yesterday, about six-thirty, we came upon this little Wood Duck family. They gently eased away from us and I wondered if the youngsters were to young to fly.

In a summer of chaos, it’s calming to start the day with a taste of the natural life right around us. Get out and enjoy July.

Some Backyard Birds -2025

Leave a reply

In the last week or so, we’ve had some interesting visitors to our backyard patch. We get woodpeckers every day and here’s a Hairy.

More often these days, we are delighted to see and here Red-bellied Woodpeckers like this morning’s.

Two days ago we saw Wild Turkeys out back for the first time ever. They hung around for a half hour and then moseyed off.

Yesterday, there was this Red-tailed Hawk perched across the river at the end of our path, patiently waiting for breakfast.

Living on a busy street just a mile from downtown, we have a wonderful backyard from which to see nature. We’ve recorded 140 bird species here over the years.

That’s Nature!

Leave a reply

Many years ago, my grandson Dane and his family was visiting our Vermont home on a lovely summer day. We were relaxing on the back lawn when suddenly, in a flash of brown and an explosion of feathers, a Red-shouldered hawk grabbed a Mourning Dove and flew away as we all gaped and shook our heads. Dane, in his young boy voice announced, “Well, that’s nature.”

Ginger and I had a That’s Nature day yesterday. Our walk on new snow started with watching some birds in the back yard.

We went down to the frozen river to walk a bit when I spotted a pile of feathers which I suspect once was a junco, and Ginger was very interested. Probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk had an early breakfast.

We then walked a few miles on trails and returning, I spotted this dead deer right beside the trail. I suspect a coyote/coydog got it . The sight was grisly and I kept Ginger from seeing the carcass.

We then returned to the relative placidity of our backyard and our American Tree Sparrows and American Goldfinches.

I’m reading a great book – The Courage of Birds – by the noted birder/author Pete Dunne. In addressing the worry about backyard feeding causing birds to be killed, he writes “A Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk is going to catch and consume two birds per day no matter what.”

That’s nature!

Dog Walk Birds

Leave a reply

I seldom watch birds without our dog, Ginger, along on a leash. It adds a challenge of stabilizing dog and camera when photographing but we often log 15-20 miles a week together. With mud season in full bloom here, most of our walks are on the great network of sidewalks throughout Montpelier. Here are some recent shots, a couple from today.

Blue Jays are here through the winter.
Likewise, Canada Geese stick around – we see this pair every day.

Yesterday, I came across this Pileated Woodpecker in a close-by neighborhood. I’ve heard them this year but this is the first I’ve seen.

Then, this morning, just as we were heading out, this Wood Duck pair, recently arrived, were riding the river current downstream. They are very shy, unlike our Mallards, but just wonderful to see.

Female (this is the year I master manual focusing.)

Brightening A Gray Day

2 Replies

We’ve had a long stretch of gray days and with icy trails and muddy back roads, one can long for warmer climes. Then, out on a chilly walk, you get a look at a neat bird, it could be a Chickadee or Blue Jay, and your attitude is adjusted. Such it was this morning when this Hooded Merganser, just tooling down our river, brightened my day.