Thursday, January 14, 2010

FRIDAY SHOOTOUT

This weeks theme was suggested by Scriptor Senex at Rambles from my Chair. I was so excited to see that the theme is Birds because I am a bird nut! I love them. Even the ones that other people usually don't care for, I LOVE!

I notice them. Subconciously, I'm on the lookout for them, all the time.


This Cooper's Hawk is a fairly frequent visitor because I feed the little yard birds. These birds will take flying dives into bushes, looking for smaller birds to eat.

This one's for you Scriptor:



Another frequent visitor is the Roadrunner. Yes, they do run across roads (cracks me up), and only fly when they absolutely have to. They will jump up into bushes to get a little bird lunch.

Hubby bought me these concrete ducks one year for Christmas, knowing I would love them around the water dish in the front yard.



Gambel's Quail. I'm not sure where they go in the winter. But during the summer, we are FAT with them!

Yes, pun intended.

The largest family of baby quail I've seen meander through my front yard numbered 17!

These ubiquitous Turkey Vultures during the summer, are nowhere to be found in the winter.

During the winter, these pigeons are huddled together around the electrical boxes on poles. I often wondered if those lines are warm from the electricity running through them.

The Anna's Hummingbird are the only ones left this time of year.
This next one,

the blue bird on the right, I had never seen him before, or since. The photo is blurry, but that's about the best view I had of him too.
My town is full of the biggest, most healthy looking crows I've ever seen.

They like to hang out on the main drag of town (probably because of the fast food places) talking, and watching traffic go by. Every once in a while they will catch a thermal in the sky, and there could be 15 or 20 of them circling. I never get tired of watching them.
I had to add this one. He just showed up this morning. A Red Bellied Woodpecker.

I could go on and on, and on, but I won't. Please fly on over to the Friday My Town Shootout site, and check out everyone's contribution for this week!
Have a wonderful weekend!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love them all, but the crow, is truly awesome...I have been trying for 2 weeks now to snap a pic of this cardinal that comes around my window every morn, but just as I pres the button he flies away, as if he is taunting me... ;)

NanU said...

Aw, g'head, go on and on! You've got such great birds and such wonderful photos of them.
Apparently, the roadrunner acts like a very early bird - it seems wings developed as a way to get a little lift for running faster. Birds ran before they flew.

Have a great weekend!

Suburban Girl said...

Wow, quite a collection of birds in the wires! And I learned something...I thought roadrunners were just cartoon characters!

Bagman and Butler said...

A roadrunner!! Wow. Beep beep. And, of course, I liked the turkey vulture although I am probably the only one.

Pauline said...

I've never seen such plump quail! They are beautiful. Like Mark, I also like the turkey vulture - nature in the raw. And the birds lined up on the power lines! Lots of fab shots.

Barry said...

Its great to see what a real road runner looks like!

Strangely my wife and I were just watching a program about crows last night, and how intelligent they are. By far the smartest of all birds, if the least colourful.

pam said...

I try to get pictures of my birds, but I can't take a good picture ever!

Unknown said...

you have some really awesome shots. glad to see the road runner, because I have never seen one!! (except in the cartoon) lol

Cynthia L. H. said...

LOVE this post!!!! You've got some great shots here!
;^)
My favorite is the Road Runner, too, because he is the state bird of my home state, NM. Amazingly, since Oklahoma sits at the crossroads of the East and West, we have them here, too! I do spot a rare one on occasion!
;^)

Patience-please said...

I love bluebirds! And this is the only one I've come across so far in the shoot out.
And that's the biggest beak I've seen on a crow! He's the Jimmy Durante of crowdom!

spiritsoflena said...

Love your shots. You got some really great angles!

Scriptor Senex said...

Road Runners, Humming Birds, Woodpeckers - what more could a man want! A great post, Thanks Shabby Girl.

Harold said...

Those quails sure are fat/fluffy! Nice shots!
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Cheers,
Harold
myworldthruthelens.blogspot.com

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

your photos of birds big and small makes me think of my Dad and his 8 brothers, and lots of cousins. They were all named about birds. The oldest, the biggest bird, and down the line. The youngest uncle is smaller than a swallow.

I must put this comment on my site.

GB said...

I've never seen such plump quail either. We have California Quail here in NZ and they are quite tiny in comparison.

Love the Roadrunner. I've never given it much thought but, if I'd been asked, I think I would have said they were a made up cartoon bird. How sad is that?

Chef E said...

Awe darn it, your road kill shot made me realize I had some buzzard shots I forgot about, but would have been cheating, since I took them in Texas! I love your birds sharing water, real or otherwise!

Flora & Fauna

Books I have known & loved

  • Life of Pi
  • A Hundred Years of Solitude
  • Kite Runner
  • The Way the Crow Flies
  • Fall on Your Knees
  • Poisonwood Bible
  • East of Eden
  • Shantaram
  • I Know This Much is True

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