The Tufted Titmouse is one of my favorite birds (Can't have just one)! I love it's soft grayish blue plumage and dark blue eyes. Or at least I think they are blue. The Tufted Titmouse also seems to have a sense of justice as can be seen in the slide show above. At first not knowing the background of the story one could say the Tufted Titmouse is mean! That Dark Eyed Junco had been feeding for ten minutes straight and not letting any other bird get a bite to eat. I guess the Tufted Titmouse had enough of this guy hogging all the food. It flew up to grab a bite only to be scolded and instead of meekly backing away the Tufted Titmouse grabbed that food piggy and tossed it out of the feeder! The Tufted Titmouse then grabbed a mouthful and flew off to its branch allowing other birds like its partner, chickadees and finches to feed too! It wasn't until I looked at these amazing photos that I realized exactly what had happened, due to the shutter going off like lightning. To capture such a moment felt amazing to an amateur like me. I rarely capture actual interaction! Although I had previously caught a short spat between the two. I am not sure what was going on then other than maybe they did not want to share the same branch. This delicate bird is a delight to watch and quite a challenge catch in flight. I think we have four of them that come to feed. It is rare to see them around the spruce tree at once but on occasion I have seen them. Most of the birds will fly back and forth from the nearby woods to the spruce tree where we hang the food. It can be interesting to watch the birds and even more so if you can catch their interactions. Hope you enjoy the photos. -Julie
When folks talk about the birds who visit their feeder it is usually the flashy Northern Cardinal they most look forward to seeing. There is also a ton of merchandise out there covered in Cardinal photos, painting or shaped ornaments. Why? Because people love Cardinals. Some people even believe that when a Cardinal graces them with their presence that it is actually a deceased friend or family member coming for a visit. While I don't believe that is true, it is a nice sentiment. From my observations we have two pairs of Northern Cardinals. One pair lives somewhere across the street and the other somewhere in the woods around the pond behind our apartment complex. The males fight each other and don't come to the feeder unless they are sure that other is no where near. I have yet to get a photo of a pair of Cardinals together. During the summer months they prefer to stay up higher in the trees, just out of reach or hidden in the woods. The female likes to play coy, anytime the male comes close she flies off about ten feet ahead of him. While on rare a occasion I do see them both feeding on the ground she makes sure there is a respectable distance between them. I'm sure that will change in the spring but for now old red is just going to have to keep trying. After all persistence pays off right? , While the Northern Cardinals do not seem to mind coming to the dinner table with assorted guests, they do approach timidly. They don't seem to mind the flock of White Throated Sparrows around them. However, not all species are as welcoming of their presence. I once witnessed a Red Bellied Woodpecker give the male Cardinal a warning with his facial sword. stay on guard! He just stepped back a couple of steps and allowed the Red Bellied Woodpecker his space. I find some of these photos with the White Throated sparrows funny because it almost looks as if they are snuggling the Cardinals. They were just feeding side by side though. In addition to my son's bird feeder I also take and slather two spruce cones in peanut butter and roll them in bird seed. I use pipe cleaners to hang them in the tree. I also try keep the birds guessing where they are by putting them in slightly different places. Usually one they can just sit on branch for easy access and the other they have to work for. At first the Cardinals paid no attention and were content with what other birds spill on the ground, but lately I have caught the male Cardinal trying to get some of that sweet peanut butter, which is what he is trying to get to in the photo above. Yesterday, I saw the male try to hover and get at the one just hanging. I didn't get a shot as he was on the opposite side of the cone. I nearly died laughing at his unexpected lack of grace and prowess. I wish I had some in flight photos for you but the few I have managed to make did not turn out sadly. I often find I am too slow on the draw and miss. However, I will try, try and try again! After all persistence pays off, right?
I saw some beautiful photos of Snowy Owls in some groups on Facebook and naturally wanted to see and photograph them myself. Wisely, no one wanted to give out exact locations to protect the bird which was in the next county over. Knowing some about the area and the preferred environment of the Snowy Owl I made a couple of guesses (One correct) and researched Snowy Owl sightings. To protect this magnificent creature I too will not divulge the location. I told my husband about the photos I had seen and then asked if we could go for a drive to try to find one. I suggested the location closest to us. Finally he agreed but figured it would be just a wild goose chase. He was wrong it was a snowy owl quest and very successful! We drove out to the location I thought we would find a Snowy Owl and saw a group of photographers lining the roadway. A Snowy Owl Jam. We pulled over but couldn't see it and then drove around the block only to come back to the same area. My husband and son stayed in the car while I put my mask on grabbed the camera and headed over to the group. They were aiming up at something but I couldn't discern so I asked a lady where the snowy Owl was after surveying the trees and fence posts. She looked and sounded astonished and said it's right there pointing at the nearest telephone pole. Jackpot! However, boy did I feel dumb! Turns out it is a waste of time to check the trees, they only use posts, rocks, and hay bails. I had been looking at the fence posts but I guess I had to look higher. I took a few shots then told my husband and got our son out of the car to show him the Snowy Owl. While our son enjoyed seeing the Snowy Owl he did not have the same enthusiasm as I did. We stood out in the cold for a very long time, staring at, photographing the female Snowy Owl on the pole while she rested, preened and looked around at her adoring paparazzi. She did not seem stressed but maybe was curious as I don't think she'd encounter so many folks in the Artic Tundra where she most likely summers. How do I know the bird is female? Female Snowy Owls are larger than the males and have more colored bars on their plumage. Males are smaller and whiter. From the bits of conversation I overheard this female was one of a pair and have been in the area in years past. The lady I spoke briefly to had been coming for weeks and was very knowledgeable. I wondered if perhaps she was a wildlife biologist but I didn't ask. She had been observing the owl since 8 a.m., talk about being hard core to spend that much time in such cold conditions! I had thought we would stay mostly in the car so we weren't dressed to stay out long. At one point I took our son to go warm up in the car. We had to park too far away to be able to stay in the car. We got out after a while and tried to observe her again. This time he was really bored and decided to play in the snow with only sneakers despite being told not to multiple times. Yes, he paid for it , did he learn his lesson. Probably not, but next time I will be sure to pack extra socks, snow pants and wear his boots even if we plan to stay in the car because plans don't always go the way we want. Thank-you Christopher Metott for indulging my adventurous side!
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Julie MetottNature Photographer, wife, mother, lover of outdoor adventure! Archives
November 2022
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