So, here are a few of our Michigan birds. The redwinged blackbird is always seems to mark the arrival of spring, as much as a robin does.
Barb must have blackbird friendly food because these colorful little guys were everywhere!
They're feisty fellows, too! We witnessed more than one scrap among these fellows!
My favorite, and one of the fastest moving, was the red bellied woodpecker.
I don't know why they call these the red-bellied woodpecker. As far as I could see the had tummies white as snow.
But their heads were spectacular! That's a little sparrow next to him.
And of course the cardinal. We see cardinals year round here.
And year round, they are a favorite.
Of course, it all comes back to the new life. Pretty soon I'm thinking there will be a few more robins in Barb's neck of the woods!
The tea post will be coming up! Meanwhile, I may be spottier than usual visiting your blogs and commenting. Real life appears to be getting into the way of Cyber Life! A combination of travel, internet issues and a few other things are placing time at a premium. I'll do my best to keep up but might be slower than usual with comment replies!
Hi Jeanie,
ReplyDeleteI love those vivid blue eggs in your photos!
The reddish tinge on the red-bellied woodpecker's mostly white belly is only visible at just the right angle. We can sometimes see it when one of them is at our suet feeder because they sort of hang in an awkward position to pick and choose from the seeds in the suet. Like many birds, the r-b-w was named by early ornithologists who worked from skins of dead birds, where the red might have been more obvious. The fact that they worked from skins often caused the names to be a bit confusing, as the skins might look different from the live birds.
Some natural history museums retain their 19th century bird-skin collections -- at the one in New York I was startled at a whole display case of passenger pigeon skins, for example. I think the University of MI Natural History museum has very extensive collections that are still used for some research purposes.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I had the same thought abut the red belly. I was glad to read Mae's info. Relax and enjoy the things in life that get in the way of cyber stuff. It will keep, but life will not - as I recall you mentioned in one of your blogs. Love to you and Rick
ReplyDeleteGreat bird photos. I really enjoy your new camera.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bird captures and the colour of the eggs is superb!
ReplyDeleteWe had our long weekend last weekend in Canada. It's called Victoria Day. I hope you have a great long weekend :-)
I'm also having internet issues, so I can empathize and totally understand.
ReplyDeleteI have a love affair with cardinals. They are my favorite bird, and I see them here, but not nearly as much as I did when I lived in Southwest Missouri. Sure loved your photos, though. They were excellent.
Oh my!! What beautiful pictures you got!! So pretty aren't they?--the little birds scurrying and fluttering about taking care of their little homes and families. Love the photo of the eggs...my goodness....that shade of blue is just so gorgeous isn't it?? Definetly not man made!
ReplyDeleteWhat stunning photographs about a wonderful nature and wildlife you've made, my lovely, I'm so amazed by all birds, but the woodpeckers are always my favorites, I love them so much !
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Saturday and your Sunday ahead, Dearest Lady, sending much love and many dear hugs to you
Dany
Thank you for sharing your wonderful birds eye view of these gorgeous birdies ;-)
ReplyDeleteReally great shots and those Robin's eggs are just so perfect.
We have Cardinals nesting in our garden this year.
They've had to brave weeks of rain and now scorching heat.
Fingers crossed.
Take care Jeanie ♥
oxo
Loving these bird photos. Your friend has some great species that show up at her feeder. Happy memorial day weekend. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found time to sit and watch the birds.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about not being around as much. Real life is always more important than cyber life, and internet issues can't be helped.
Lovely! The red-winged black bird we have but the cardinal, that I don't see in our hood. Even your woodpecker is different. So thanks for posting them. Never knew eggs can come in blue colour naturally.
ReplyDeleteThose birds are just gorgeous and the eggs look like you painted them. I have had a blue bird in my yard recently that I enjoy watching.
ReplyDeleteLove the nest pictures!
ReplyDeleteWow - I love Barb's paradise for birds. You're so lucky to have Cardinals. I love them but rarely see them - none at altitude. Have fun and stay relaxed in whatever you do, Jeanie. Real life is the most important!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds -- and looks! -- like a perfectly lovely day! Great captures of subjects that don't always like to pose. Those shots of the woodpecker are amazing!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a wonderful and restorative holiday weekend,
xoxox
anno
I love birds. So many favorites in this post.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time away.
Hugs
The Robin's eggs are sooo beautiful - I thought they weren't real at first and so perfectly formed.
ReplyDeleteYou have some colourful birds in the States, I'm fascinated by the Red Cardinals!
I'm always on the back foot with my blog visiting, as Im still a working gal, time is my enemy but I try to do my best!
Always love catching up with you dear Jeanie!
Hugs
Shane x
Wonderful captures, Jeanie. Our blackbirds come in plain black, no fancy wing colours for us.
ReplyDeleteI adore the blue of those robins eggs!
I've never seen a redwinged blackbird before. Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my guest post on Sandra Cox's blog. :)
LOVE LOVE LOVE. We have been enjoying seeing so many blue jays, wrens and EAGLES! YES! Unfortunately however, we have had a boom in the hawk population but we do have red winged blackbirds and even WILD TURKEYS! teeehehehee
ReplyDeleteoh, those turquoise eggs:) So bitty and full of promise.
ReplyDeleteAnd big wow for all the feathers and flutters you found, too.
I love redwing blackbirds...they hold a special place in my heart.
I get excited when they return.
Thanks for the bird love.
Big joy to your bright feathers,
Jennifer
Robin's egg blue! I'd forgotten what the color actually looks like. One of our egrets lays eggs that are blue, and I've called them Robin's egg blue, but they aren't. They're much paler, and not quite so stunning. Love the pics!
ReplyDeleteWhen we sit out back the birds keep us entertained. The mockingbirds love to get into fights, very protective of the nest. Loved your pics, especially the eggs.
ReplyDeleteHope your day was glorious today………..
Love all the birds, but I must say I am so jealous you have cardinals. It is a favorite bird of mine and they just don't come to Portland.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures make it easy to see why they came up with the term 'robin's egg blue'! Those eggs are so pretty, as are all of the other bird photos. Cardinals are so pretty! We have them year round in these parts, too! We see lots of birds at my parents lake home. They've had a lot of orioles and finches lately, which are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteOh Jeanie, you got a picture of the red cardinal! It is a dream of mine to one day see the red cardinal. We don't see them around here where I live in California. These are awesome pictures of all the different Michigan birds. Love that woodpecker - we call it the red headed woodpecker here. And that blackbird is so interesting to look at. Bird watching is one of my favorite things to do. We must be kindred spirits. :)
ReplyDelete~Sheri
ps I was looking at some google pictures of this bird, and I noticed that the belly has a bit of red. Most of the woodpeckers I see here are a bit different. Their heads are all red, and that's why they are called the red headed woodpecker. I have seen a few of the red-bellied ones too. Oh, this is so interesting to me. :)
ReplyDeleteIncredible eggs, I always love to see the birds. I meant to say before, I think you mentioned you had a new camera, the photos are wonderful.Love the one with the sparrow just waiting just in case!
ReplyDeleteGotta dash - I know all about real life getting in the way of Cyber Life, but that's the fun of blogging isn't it, it's always there!
Have a great day
Wren x
Those eggs are a really spectacular blue. I don't think any British birds have eggs of that colour, so at first glance I thought your post would be about a sugar egg hunt! :)
ReplyDeleteThere are some very pretty birds in your neck of the wood. The blackbird with those flashes of colour is particularly striking.
I hope that whatever is keeping you busy is good. I have been blogging (and visiting) very sporadically lately, and I don't really know why.