All About Pocket Knives

Brown Betty "the boss names everything" came by for a snack of cracked corn.

No photos, but we have a pair of Sharp-Shinned Hawks nesting across the street.

Have seen them chasing after birds at our feeders and have also seen the birds harassing the hawks.

Nest of sticks well up in a large long leaf pine.

Beautiful raptor. Smallest in North America, I think.

The illustration is a bit off. They rarely take rodents. They prey on birds. The smaller male will take finches, wrens, etc, while the somewhat larger female goes after robins, Cardinals, etc.

Charlie

Finch with a cute little red spot on it's back.

bighomer wrote:Finch with a cute little red spot on it's back.

Nice!
Purple finch.

We have purple finches at our feeders constantly.

What is that electric motor attached to?

Charlie Noyes

RobesonsRme.com wrote:We have purple finches at our feeders constantly.

What is that electric motor attached to?

Charlie Noyes

The bosses back porch fan.suppose to blow the insects away from her and keep her cool when she sits on the back porch which is very seldom.

Looks like a wacky tabacky plant to me, but just a guess.

"The bosses back porch fan."

Aha. I can discern the fan housing now that you put that fact in my head.

All I was seeing before was a stand-alone electric motor housing, lying on a shelf.

Charlie

Charlie its actually in front of the rail, on a stand.

Short or tall, big or small they all know they can get a snack at big homer's house. I don't know if she's the queen or not but it looks like she's been crowned.

Definitely heard, but did not see, a pileated woodpecker across the street this morning when the dogs and I went out the front door for their walk.

A call not confused with other birds.

Charlie

The little Killdeer is still sitting on her nest by the railroad tracks.

What dropped this?
Found yesterday on our school property here in South Jersey. Too large for a Goldfinch (but I've been wrong before), which I have seen in the area.

Here's some recent pictures of a Red Wing Blackbird and the common but good looking Robin.

Nice photos Joe.

You've either got a good zoom lens or you are one very sneaky guy.

Exceptional Red-Wing photos.

Steve, Little chance my guess would be correct but Brown Thrasher first came to mind.

I've got a Northern Rough-Winged Swallow nesting under the little bridge over our creek. Fairly difficult to distinguish it from a Bank Swallow. The giveaway is that there is only one pair whereas the Bank Swallows live in colonies. The Rough-winged are loners. Much too fast for me or my camera to catch.

-- Thanks guys.

Inside one of the bluebird houses. Mama bluebird is working on her third brood this year.

Ken

A nice picture and beautiful eggs.

We've had four pair of Bluebirds nesting in our boxes this year. First time, ever.

Is it just the graphics generator or are Red Winged Black Birds, actually Navy Blue?

Saw a flock of crows harassing an owl yesterday morning. Flew right over me in the front yard.

The owl was huge. Didn't see its head, so I don't know what type, but the bird was much to lightly colored to be one of our resident hawks.

Charlie

RobesonsRme.com wrote: Is it just the graphics generator or are Red Winged Black Birds, actually Navy Blue? Charlie

-- Charlie, I think my camera was taking in too much light from the sky above the birds at the time of exposure and
faded the color of the birds and the leaves. Less definition, if you will.

FRJ wrote:A nice picture and beautiful eggs.

Thanks Joe. I try to watch and not open the box until the parents are away. Both usually come and go until the female has laid however many eggs she’s satisfied with - usually 5 to 7, fewer for later broods. Then she’ll stay on the nest until they hatch, while the male comes and goes bringing her food. After the first brood has hatched the youngsters often stick around and help. Once the eggs have hatched then they’re all busy feeding the babies. Fun to watch the busy activity.

I have several boxes, not all are occupied all the time. One is about 30 feet from the house where we can observe the comings and goings. This is the third brood this year for this pair so may be their last for the year. I’ll try to remember to get some pictures after the hatch.

Ken

While we were visiting Texas my wife took this shot of a roadrunner. He was not very cooperative and refused to be still.

Nice twice!
I've never seen a road runner. Course I haven't spent a lot of time in the South West.