Angry Downy Woodpecker

"No! This is all mine Mr. Nuthatch!"

Need time to bird!

Have I been the only bad birding blogger?! I'm hoping to make it to the cabin next weekend and do some serious birding and hopefully get some decent photos. I've been studying for finals and missing being outside in nature. Also - I'm missing all of you! I think I'll have to have a giveaway to make up for it.....stay tuned.

Suet cake for everybody!

I want to keep him!

It rained all weekend at the cabin making it difficult to get some good birdy photos without getting my camera wet. But I did manage to get this adorable goldfinch - doesn't his feathers looks so soft? I want to keep him!

My new boss - the Chickadee

I've come to realize that the Black-capped Chickadees have become the boss of me. We go to our log cabin most every weekend. As soon as I step out of the car, I swear they start lining up in the trees and start chortling at me. I imagine them to be saying "Fill those feeders lady! Hurry!" And even as I'm filling them, they start surrounding me, a few land on my head or shoulders. I'll put a few seeds in my hand, and the brave ones will land on my hand, clinging to the end of my fingers and grab the seed they like best.


Here is what morning is looking like at our cabin right now.





Here is one of my bossy chickadees! Sometimes I think they peek into my cabin windows and start making their "fee bee" calls even louder to get me out there.

Feeling nutty...

I love how the huthatches hang out with the Chickadees at the bird feeders. The chickadees have been quite bold and like to land on my head as I fill the feeders.



The leaves are at about 75%. Fall has been slow in coming. I'm looking forward to my winter bird arrivals!

I found a bird!

Cold weather and lots of bird food seem to help! I was happy to finally have a bird to photograph. Doesn't the tufted titmouse remind you of the Conehead skit of the old Saturday Night Live show? Yep....I'm losing it....

Looking for birds.

Bird Drought

I am hoping the migratory birds make it my way. Seems like I've been in such a birding slump lately! I took some photos of the Downy woodpecker - but none were worth posting. At least I can always count on my little chickadees! How is autumn looking in your area? We're experiencing a late Autumn here in northern Michigan.

The Miraculous Pileated

“Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.” - Samuel Smiles



Seeing a Loon, Bald Eagle or Pileated Woodpecker feels like a miraculous event for me. I'm always searching for them and always hoping to capture that moment on film. I've been pursuing the Pileated Woodpecker as of late and it's been a long summer. I always hear the Pileated Woodpecker near our log cabin. But as soon as I gather my camera equipment and head out to the deck to get a photo - the normally shy bird is gone in a big whoosh! But on this Sunday morning, I lucked out. I was able to get off two shots until she flew off across the lake. Until next time.....

My Loon baby has grown up!

One of the most beautiful things to view in the morning is the Loon swimming in the lake mist. On this day I set out in my kayak to check on my Loon baby. I was unsuccessful the last few times (paddling all over a 240 acre lake does get tiring!) but at last my luck turned.

Looks like he has a foot cramp! I kept my distance as I didn't want to upset him or his nearby parents - so these photos will not be my best.







You can tell the juvenile apart from his parents by not only his size, but his feathers. They have more of a fish scaley look - not quite the nice and precise black and white patterns the mature adult has.








I'm so glad he made it through the summer. His parents will be migrating soon and the juvenile will probably linger a little longer before heading out. I'm already counting the days till next years babies!


I'll be back blogging regularly now. Hope you're still with me! (I've been adjusting to returning to school and having homework once again!)

My Field of Dreams

If you fill the feeder.........they will come.


This is the 1st time I've been able to attract a hummingbird to our feeder at the cabin. It only took 2 summers...













*I've started classes so once I've "adjusted" - I hope to be back blogging regularly.

Birding by Kayak

It was a nice day to go kayaking...






I saw Lynne's Turkey Vulture friend in the sky...






..and a Blue Heron with an itch.






He looks so regal standing on that tree branch.




What's a lake without a gang of Mallard Ducks?





And who better to sing to me from the trees as I paddle by than my little Chickadee friend.

Look out below!

Bird Humor

How to tell if you're mom's favorite!


















*My mom sent this to me so I'm not sure who to credit for this photo. Hope this gives you a good laugh today! Now I have to email this to my sister and break the bad news to her.......ha,ha!

Birdy Winners!

I decided to break the rules and draw FOUR winners instead of three! Here are the 4 lucky people drawn randomly by my hubby (a.k.a. charming birdy assistant!)

1. Ms. K at Dog Daze
2. Tina at Tina's Bird Yarns
3. Adrienne at Adrienne in Ohio
4. Bird Girl at My Bird Tales

Ladies, please email your address to shelleyupnorth at gmail dot com. Congratulations!

P.S. This was a lot of fun, so for those of you who didn't win this time, be sure to check back for a fall giveaway too! :-)

Bird Dog

Sleeping with her stuffed goose...

Giveaway for my birdy blogger friends!

I was just thinking today of all the great people I have met through my birding blog (some of them even in person) and how grateful I was. I enjoy seeing everyone's photography and learning more about birds. So in order to show my appreciation - I am going to have a giveaway!

I'm going to give away a few token items (birdy and nature related) from my nature store. All the gift items on my store feature my photography. So you may get a greeting card, or a magnet, or a tote bag, etc. - who knows! It's a surprise! I will draw three winners. Here are the rules:

1. Must be a U.S. or Canadian resident. (Sorry - it's easier for me to ship!)
2. Must have a blog.
3. Leave your name and blog address on this post if you want to be entered. Anyone who's a follower automatically gets 3 entries. (Please let me know if you are!)
4. Deadline to enter is midnight August 7th. I will randomly draw THREE winners on Sunday, August 9th.

"The language of friendship is not words but meanings." ~Henry David Thoreau

Mystery Bird

I'm hoping you can help me! Do you know what baby bird this is? It has a pretty long body. Possibly a baby Flicker? But then the colors are so muted.

Thank you in advance for your help! I'm back from Wisconsin and will now be catching up with all of your blogs!

UPDATE: Thank you everyone for identifying this bird as a baby Starling!!!

Piggy

What's special about this Female Grosbeak? Well she stayed on my feeder for about a half hour straight gorging herself.

But I must point out that she was very kind and allowed the Chickadees to dine with her. But only so long as they stayed on the opposite side of the feeder. Ha!

Another scene from the Exorcist?

Have you ever seen a Mourning Dove turn its head 360 degrees and then go to sleep?!

(Remember that horror movie the Exorcist when Linda Blair turned her head all the way around? That movie scared the heck out of me! Anyways, it was the 1st thing I thought of when I saw this Dove. Yep, I need help!)

Loon Family

I have to forewarn you - these are not my best Loon photos. But getting the best shots was not my purpose on this day. I just wanted to experience seeing the Loon family without disturbing them. Loons are highly sensitive during nesting season and with newly hatched Loon chicks. I shot these from a distance in my Kayak with my 300mm lens and severely cropped these photos. When the loon chick is older and more independent, I hope to get better and slightly closer shots.



The parents swim tightly together keeping the baby between them.







The parents keep a constant look out for danger to their loon chick. Predators include Eagles, turtles and even a large Pike fish.









The loon chick is brownish in color right now and very fuzzy. The parents will be teaching him how to do deeper dives and how to fish for himself. For now, mom and dad takes turns feeding him small fish.








The whole world awaits you little one....