Tag: wildlife photography

Visit and feed.

Throughout the day and every day for more than two weeks, two immature and/or female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds contested the right to visit and feed from our feeders. Here is one of them, photographed from about 2.5 meters away. Image appears a bit out of focus due to shooting through the kitchen window screen.

The contests and visits abruptly ended about a week ago. We have seen no activity since, so we believe they began the long journey south. We will keep the feeders out and filled for any migrants that come this way during the next little while

Surveyed.

On a gloomy day, a Dark-eyed Junco surveyed the scene below before dropping to the ground to glean bits of seed from below the bird feeder.

Do not know.

I do not know, cannot know, whether this one of our (at least two) resident chipmunks was resting, remaining motionless in an attempt to blend into the scenery, (anthropomorphising here) waiting for me to finish photographing it from about four meters away, or for another reason. Once I finished I called the dogs and we went inside so it had some undisturbed, safe time.

Chipmunk.

As least two chipmunks live in and around our backyard. Faye captured this one the other day.

Toad.

This toad tolerated my getting up close to take its portrait.

Attractively dressed.

This attractively dressed Eastern cottontail found a good resting place under the haskap bush in our front yard. Faye captured this most excellent portrait.

Now I understand.

Now I understand why the bird feeder empties so quickly. Chucky Chipmunks’ cheeks are chock full.

Comfortable enough.

This rabbit felt comfortable enough to lay down in the yard.

Life feeds life.

I have fed songbirds for about 15 years, 13 of which here at this home. I count birds for Project FeederWatch and this weekend have counted them for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

A large number of birds of several species visited yesterday, a little more than two days after a major snowstorm. There had been very little activity today, and early this afternoon I saw why.

Sometimes, I feed more than songbirds. A Sharp-shinned Hawk had apparently been keeping watch, and it pounced on a House Finch.

A very talented friend once used the phrase ‘Life feeds life’ as a blog post title. It seemed like an appropriate title for this post.

Silhouetted

A Cooper’s Hawk, viewed against the early sky just outside my workplace on a very cold winter morning.

A photographer’s note: I used a 75-300mm lens at full zoom on autofocus to shoot this through two windows. I was about 20 feet from the hawk, clearly visible to it and was concerned that any more movement on my part would induce it to fly away.

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