H.J. Ruiz – Avian101 – Page 870 – "My Backyard Visitors" – All about birds

Tufted Titmouse

The Tufted Titmouse is a pretty bird that looks like a drawing animation or a toy bird. Fast flyer and not so easy to photograph. I’ve observed this bird’s habits and one of them is that they repeat their feeding techniques to the letter, what I’m trying to say is:

The T.Titmouse flies to a feeder and grabs a sunflower seed, then he flies back to wherever it will open the seed and eat the pulp, (Meanwhile, you get your camera ready and focused to where he grabbed the seed the last time) and that bird will fly right back to that very same spot! All you will have to do is click the shutter! That trick works for the C. Chickadee also.

Actually, this bird is close related to the Chickadee family, is a songbird and an omnivore that feeds on berries, seeds, insects, worms.

Is found in Eastern and part central Canada, in the USA its habitat is from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and Eastern North and South.

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Text and photographs © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101

Tags: birds, nature, photography, photos of birds, Tufted Titmouse

White-throated Sparrow

The White-throated Sparrow is a fairly common sparrow that is found in New England, USA and Canada places where they breed and migrate in winter to southern and eastern USA.

These birds are passerines with white tripes on the crown and white on the throat, the body is light gray and wings brown with creamy bars and light streak on back and tail. Something very distinctive are a bright yellow brow and black eyes.

I have seen these sparrows many times in my backyard even when I haven’t gotten a chance to shoot many pictures, they scurry around the bushes very quickly.

Click on images to see enlargements

Text and photographs © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101

Tags: birds, nature, photography, photos of birds, White-Throated Sparrow

Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher is a bird that I see in my backyard usually after a heavy downpour. It uses its long and strong bill to pull earthworms and other bugs that come out after heavy rains. This bird walks fast and scurries around the whole area. It uses its bill to pock the ground until getting the worm out which then swallows in one gulp. The Brown Thrasher is the official State of Georgia bird, if you didn’t know. Rufus-Brown head, rump and tail, wings has lighter bars. It has a dark streaked breast and buffy underparts. Its eyes are bright gold. They usually nest in dense brush, they are partial migratory.

Click on images to see enlargements

Text and photographs © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101

Tags: birds, Brown Thrasher, nature, photography, photos of birds

Backyard Care

I’ve been working hard in my backyard lately, I have done some trimming of some bushes, weeded tons of it, I mowed the grass also and hedging, etc. While I was there I took a peek to the Eastern Bluebird’s house because I was curious to know how they were doing!,since I hadn’t seen them for a while! When I opened the door there was no nest at all . It seems to me that when I saw the bluebirds days before, they were only surveying the area and did not like it after all after they checked it so much.

It’s all the opposite with the Carolina Chickadees couple, they are in the other bird house with a nest. I see the birds going in and out daily.

Dark Yellow Lilie

My wife Lucy had planted some Dark Yellow Lilies and I noticed one the buds had opened already and shows a gorgeous flower! I got some pictures of it. While I was shooting this flower I saw the biggest Yellow Jacket wasp walking around the Lillie plant. I shot a couple of pictures of the insect too.

I have a picture of some azaleas from the side of our deck.

Also have pictures of my backyard showing a plant that I do not know its name yet. It’s blooming and I love how beautiful it looks. I also have some pictures of Northern Cardinals, we have several couples of them flying around all the time.

Large Yellow Jacket wasp

Our weather returned to warm after having a cold wave for several days, it gets a bit windy once in a while. I have to refill the feeders more often when is windy!

Note: For the people that ask me about how many birds I have photographed in my backyard, the count is posted on the side bar of the blog. (I do not count birds that I’ve seen only)