Birds

Backyard Birding: Our Little Oasis Update

I live in the burbs. With that said, there are some inherent challenges to birding on a home postage stamp of land. Fortunately over the years, I have found little ways around the hurdles of suburb-living and birding. I like to think that I have reached a happy compromise. At the moment, we are providingContinue reading “Backyard Birding: Our Little Oasis Update”

Backyard Birding: How About Those Hummingbirds

I love to watch hummingbirds, I find them captivating. A few weekends ago we were at a rustic cabin. Where the owner had recently placed a giant hummingbird feeder with fresh homemade nectar! Upon arrival at the cabin there were about a dozen of those little hummingbirds buzzing all around the feeder and crepe myrtle close by.

Backyard Birding: An Elusive Painted Bunting

During our weekend excursion out to the Das Jager Haus, I had the privilege to spend my days under the shade of a small pecan grove capturing images of many beautiful and bountiful central Texas native birds. The sheer quantity of hummingbirds, titmice, chickadees and cardinals was absolutely insane, but there was one bird that took my breath away; the painted bunting.

Das Jager Haus in Fredericksburg, TX

We arrived mid-afternoon on Friday after about a 2.5 hr. Drive out of the Austin burbs. The ride out was typical fare for this part of Texas and especially beautiful once out beyond Dripping Springs. I’d imagine someday buying a few acres from a rancher out here and doing a homestead/cabin type setup for long weekends and maybe to retire to someday.

Backyard Birding: A Swarm of Sparrows

I should also mention that sparrows symbolize good luck in many cultures while also symbolizing companionship, happiness and hope (thank-you insomnia). Maybe it isn’t such a bad thing to be swarming with companionship, happiness, good luck and hope!?!

Backyard Birding: House Finch in The Wild

The coloring of a red finch is not a naturally occurring pigment. In fact, the pigment depends on their diet. If the bird had a really healthy diet it will exhibit bright red markings, whereas poorer diet would show by the colorings being more of a muted orange-yellow.

Backyard Birding: A Shamanistic Mockingbird

ell, how about that! Having read this somewhere and sometime after falling into a wikipedia and google induced black hole, I thought it would be fun to share some of the Mockingbird pictures I captured the last couple of weeks.

Backyard Birding: Our Home Birding Sanctuary

As you already know, I really enjoy nature photography. I enjoy it so much that when I am not out in the “field” with my camera and gear, I will be in the backyard ready and waiting for a photo-op. Yeah, I’m a pretty big camera nerd nowadays. With that said, I decided this pastContinue reading “Backyard Birding: Our Home Birding Sanctuary”