Thursday Thirteen #15
Thanks Anni for the header she gave away last week!
Greetings Thirteeners…First I would like to Thank Thursday Thirteen for choosing me as one of the featured sites last week! I have decided to do my TT on birds. Birds that I see in my yard and have come to love. I have never really cared much for caged birds. After moving to the “woods” in 2002 I have discovered the beauty in watching birds in their natural habitat. We go through about 50 lbs of seed every two or three weeks. We also have suet feeders that we keep full with fresh suet from the butcher. Lots of birds come to feast in our woods because there is always plenty to eat. While we get a big variety of birds I am sharing the most beautiful and interesting to me. Here Goes….
1. The Pileated Woodpecker. The first time I saw this extraordinary bird was Thanksgiving Day 2002. We have three who come to the suet feeder every day. They are a very shy bird and announce their arrival with a very loud jungle like screech. One morning we awoke to one perched on our bedroom window pecking a large hole in the window frame, the feeder was empty. We rarely allow the feeder to go empty any more. This bird is 19 to 20 inches tall.
2. The Northern Flicker. I have been seeing this bird for about 4 years. One cold winter he just showed up at the seed feeder. We see them quite often now at the suet feeder all winter long. Last spring we had a huge flock of them in our front yard picking up acorns and grubs. This bird is about 12 inches tall.
3. The Yellow Bellied Sapsucker. I have bee seeing this guy since the winter of 2004. He comes only in the winter and only to the seed feeder. This bird is 8 to 9 inches tall. We have all the usual woodpeckers here too but these are unusual.
4. The Scarlet Tanager. I have only been lucky enough to see this beautiful bird twice. Both times in the late spring. The red of this bird is unlike any other, so bright. The black wings make this fellow a sight to see. When one flies into your yard you are sure to notice him. This bird is about 7 inches tall.
5. The Ruby Throated Hummingbird. I first saw this little guy in the summer of 2003. I started feeding them with a hummingbird feeder. Sugar water tinted red. They are attracted to anything red. We had so many hummingbirds that summer that it was hard to sit outside without being divebombed by these guys. We stopped feeding them. They still come around to gather nectar from trumpet shaped flowers in out gardens. Fully grown they are about 3 inches tall.
6. The Rose Breasted Grosbeak. This guy always shows up late spring to early summer. He comes to the seed feeder and usually hangs out for a couple days. After two or three days the female will show up, every year I hope they will decide to stay and nest. They haven’t yet. This bird is about 7 to 8 inches tall.
7. The White Breasted Nuthatch. This bird is very plentiful here. They stay and feed at our feeders year round. They are often called the upside down bird because they crawl down the trees head first. They also feed upside down. We have nicknamed our property “Nuthatch Hill”…I like the sound of it and all that it implies. This bird is about 4 to 5 inches tall.
8. The Indigo Bunting. This is one of the most spectacular birds in our yard. The beautiful indigo color makes him hard not to notice. After studying about this bird I have learned there is no blue pigment in their feathers. They are really a black bird but the sun refracts off their feathers in such a way that they appear blue. These fellows stay with us all summer. They have a beautiful song. This bird is about 5 or 6 inches tall.
9. The Eastern Blubird. These amazing birds come every spring and nest here. We have made houses for them and we get several pairs each spring. Last year we had 4 houses nested. I love to hear them sing. This bird is about 7 inches tall.
10. The Barred Owl. I have to say I heard him long before I ever had a chance to see him. What a scary sound, when you are outside in the dark. A magnificent creature, he keeps the snakes and the mice at bay. No woods is complete without him. This bird is about 2 feet tall.
11. The Wild Turkey. We are used to seeing a flock of these most anytime. There is always at least one Tom. We often see them when they have young and are teaching them to hunt for food. It is not uncommon to see 15 to 18 of these turkeys scattered in the yard scratching for food. I have found out they are not afraid of crows and will if provoked spread their wings and chase a crow away. Yeah Turkey! These birds are from 3 to 4 feet tall.
12. The American Robin. This is one of my favorites. While not an unusual bird, his arrival will always signify the end of winter and the beginning of a glorious spring to me. They never eat from our feeders but prefer to eat the grubs they dig from the ground. This bird is about 9 to 11 inches tall.
13. The American Bald Eagle. Now I have never seen this majestic bird in my woods but I have seen him in the woods less than 3 miles from here. I am hopeful he will someday find his way here.
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Those are some beautifully colored birds. How lucky to see them all!
~I DO feel lucky to have them all visit!…..Mo
Wow!! These photos are amazing. I’m glad to know that the Bald Eagle is slowly making a comeback.
~Hi Susiej, I remember the first time I saw the eagles, they are huge and doing well in Indiana…..Mo
The scarlet tanager is pretty neat actually. I am not really a fan of birds. It dates back to childhood and Alfred Hitchcock, but you have some interesting selections here. Happy TT.
~Hitchcock ruined the beauty of birds for many but made an awesome movie…..Mo
These are so beautiful! Makes me “homesick”!
~Oh…so you do miss “pete” LOL…Mo
scarlet tanager is so gorgeous i do love all birds too
~Hi Marcia, that is the male tanager the female looks like a large finch. Thanks for the visit….Mo
Yay! I noticed you were featured too, and I congratulate you
Nice post - fantastico birdies 
Happy TT.
~Thanks Chuck, glad you like the birds…..Mo
Beautiful pictures of some beautiful birds!
~Glad you liked them…..Mo
I love your bird photos. My favorites are the red tanager and the indigo bunting. Such rich, deep colors. We don’t have really colorful birds like that around here.
~I love the colorful ones as well, they are hard not to notice….Mo
We have a Vizsla,so we’ve been in every wild place you can imagine. I always SEE birds, but I don’t know them at all. (Except for the evil canada geese and their flying rat cousin Sea gulls). These photos are amazing as are your descriptions.
Thanks!
Happy TT!
~A Vizsla…is that like a Weimaraner? A hunting breed I think, hope he is not a bird dog (LOL)….Mo
Just beautiful!
Lost Hemisphere’s TT #5
~Thanks!….Mo
Hi, What beautiful pictures. I have seen a few of them up here. We can not feed the birds because we have a mother cat that can catch them in low flight.
Love and Hugs,
Joyce
~Hi Joyce! All of these birds are native to Indiana so I am sure you can enjoy them as well. We have two cats who live in our woodshed and they do sometimes nab a bird…UGH! Have a great day!…..Mo
Wow these are fine looking birds.Have you seen any chickadees or tufted titmice?
~Hi Mike, Yes we have lots of chickadees and titmice and all the usual suspects. Most of these are a little unusual……Mo
My favorite is the owl from your list because my son is nuts about owls. Happy TT.
~The owl is a fantastic bird to see in your woods, and quite scary to hear. Thanks for the visit!….Mo
Oooh beautiful pictures! I especially like the scarlet tanager. I love the idea of a gratitude journal!
~Yes the scarlet tanager is spectacular to see. Thanks for the visit and please stp back!….Mo
What beautiful birds!! I liked the Scarlet Tanager the best. What great colors. Happy TT.
~Thanks for the visit Lori. I enjoyed your TT as well. We can all save a little more….Mo
Those are beautiful birds. Thank you for showing those to us. We see a lot of turkeys in our back yard and deer sometimes.
I have something for you on my TT. It’s already been published, so I hope you can stop by soon.
~Hi Betty, Thank you so much for thinking of me! HUGS!!!…..Mo
I’m glad to hear that the robin is one of your favorites
!
I can’t hear about a yellow-bellied sapsucker without thinking of Bloome County.
~LOL, Bloome County! They are a real bird and interesting to watch. Yes, Robin,…I do love robins (LOL)….Mo
I’m on my 15th T-13 today too! How cool that you were ‘featured’ last week on the T-13 Hub! I can’t even get them to list me on the Blogroll although I’ve had their blogroll on my Small Reflections blog for months now … sigh! Life goes on.
I love your illustrated bird list. These are beautiful! We don’t see many of these birds in So Cal (at least not near the beach) but my best friend and sister keep talking to me about bird-watching when they’re ‘on the road’ … so it’s useful to have some background info in my head.
Hugs and blessings,
~Hi Storyteller..what were you just saying about “great minds…” We must think alike! Glad you liked my birds, Hugs!….Mo
Some amazing images there; and marvellous colours.
~Hi Anthony, thanks for stopping by. I really enjoyed the wisdom of your TT this week!…..Mo
Check out my reply to your comment on my TT for today.
~I did. nuff said!..Mo
The Bluebird is my favorite. They come into our yard and play and I could sit and watch them for hours. Great idea and pics for Thur13…Jen
~Hi Jen, I love watching the bluebirds as well, they are such workers!….Mo
Oh, you are so lucky to see all those birds close to you! I LOVE #4! It is an amazing color!
~Hi Brittany, I do feel lucky to see these guys. Before we lived in the woods I had no idea…..Mo
Hello, Sweetie! I just realized that I have not stopped by to visit you in a few days. I am so sorry! Is there a way I can get RSS feed fro your blog? I have yet to find it and often just check blogs that I do get feed from. Know this, tho…I do think of you at least once everyday:).
The birds are beeeautifuulll…especially the Scarlet Tanager and the Indigo Bunting. I must be a hummingbird, cause I LOVE red, too.
Hugs…
~ Hi Phyl, If you look on my sidebar under META there is rss2.0 feed. Click on it and subscribe in the reader of your choice. I have google and feedburner. Hugs to you and thanks for stopping by, I miss you when you are not around!…..Mo
Living in the city, it’s difficult to see this kind of wildlife. I long to be some place where I can see birds and wild flowers and learn about them.
~Hi Corina, I don’t think I could live in the city again. I have learned alot out here in the woods. Thanks for the visit!….Mo
Beautiful pictures. I saw a woodpecker out back just a few days ago. They intrigue me. It is great to see a few Robins coming back.
~Hi Karen, we have so many different kinds of woodpeckers here, they can be quite destructive too…..Mo