Townsend's Solitaire

This was a second sighting for me but the first time I captured it on camera. Both times I've seen this fella, it was quick. Luckily, I was photographing the Robins (previous post) and he happened to stop by the tree for a very quick nibble and I captured this photo. It shows just enough to ID him!

American Robin in Winter

I absolutely adore Robins and always get a little sad when they stop hanging out on urban lawns at summer's end. That's why I was especially thrilled to see a whole flock of them having the best time feasting on these berries in my neighbor's tree in December! It was snowing and only 7 degrees F but I had the best time photographing them. I took tons of photos but narrowed it down to my favorites!

Black-headed Grosbeak!

I had this beauty show up in my yard for 2 days only around August 7th! An exciting first-sighting for me!
OK, don't laugh but when I first saw him, I thought it was a Baltimore Oriole (which would be very rare in Colorado) and I immediately set out some orange halves. I couldn't figure out why he wasn't the least bit interested in them. I brought the photo to my local bird store and the nice lady set me straight, lol!
I learned something though....House Finches like oranges! So, of course I continued setting some out for them :)

Yummy!

Bushtits!

I always love a visit from this group! They don't come through often but when they do, they come through like gangbusters! These photos were taken on August 4, 2013

Hummingbird! Finally!

I can't believe it's December and I'm finally posting these photos from July! As you may recall from an earlier post HERE that I tried, unsuccessfully, last summer (2012) to attract Hummers. This past July, I hung 2 feeders and decided to create a little Hummer garden in my front yard. It was late July so it was slim pickins at the garden center. I planted red Petunias to get their attention and added some Salvia they had in stock. They had sold out of the recommended kind (Blue-black I think it was), anyway... no luck. I headed to another garden center and the nice lady there told me to get some Agastache and that they were like 'Hummingbird magnets'. It was on sale so that was a bonus! I bought 6 plants, came home and added them to my garden. Next day, I kid you not, there was a Hummer on the Agastache...just like a magnet they were indeed! The little hummer came back a few more times that day so I finally grabbed my camera and sat and waited, and waited and...got the above shots. I have more on my Flickr HERE from this session if you would like to see them.
Eventually I had two of them politely (and sometimes not so politely) taking turns at the flowers and feeder.

They found a favorite perching spot near the new tree in our yard and would sit there for quite sometime.

My two little Hummers visited everyday for about a month and just like that...they were gone :( I miss them so much!!!
If anyone has any idea of what type of Hummingbird this is, please let me know. I tried and tried to figure it out but they are tricky to identify!

Common Grackle-Immature

This young Grackle spent quite a bit of time in my yard for about a week. Mostly hung out on the ground under my feeder and he loved the bird bath! One day he was just gone.  I feared the neighbor's cat got him. A couple week went by and he returned with some other Grackles. I don't know for sure if it was the same bird but I like to think it was :)

American Robin-Immature

Just a little guy getting to know his world!

House Wren

I have had this Wren house hanging in my yard for about 4 summers now and it has never been used. I've seen a few birds checking it out (Chickadees, House Sparrows) but after investigating it, they move on. One day, I actually had this House Wren show up and spend some time in it. It was a first-sighting for me and I was thrilled with the idea of him/her finally noticing this nice house and raising a family. No such luck, he moved on and found a better place, I guess :(

House Sparrows in the bird house!

 On this cold morning in early April, I noticed this male House Sparrow really checking out this bird house that's been hanging in my yard for several years. It has never been used. Birds check it out every now and again but always decline it in the end. 

 End of April and things are getting serious. Male comes around some more and seems like he really likes the place.

Then he decides it's time to show the Mrs. and see what she thinks.

 She likes it and wastes no time getting it cleaned out. Things are looking very hopeful that they are going to raise a family here and I'm excited to witness it. Was hoping for Chickadees bit this will do.

Then I have a slight panic attack! I realized the bird house has been hanging by plastic wire-ties for a couple of years and I had visions of it failing from brittleness with the weight of those little baby birds inside. I must intervene and I could do it when Mr and Mrs aren't looking. I climb the tree and realize my theory was correct, the plastic ties snapped apart with little to no effort. I notice they had imbedded themselves into the branch of the tree from being there so long. This was keeping the house from swinging too much. I had to remedy that since it is no good for the tree branch to be strangled so I placed the new ties much looser. The house swings a bit more but surely Mr and Mrs won't notice or mind. I watch and wait....Mr and Mrs come back a few more times and I think they notice something is not the same and they don't like it. And they never came back again..... :( 

American Goldfinch!

I don't get these beauties in my yard very often but when I do, it's always a pleasure! I'll have to look back in my archives but I feel like this is the yellow-est one I've seen! They are like a little piece of sunshine on a cloudy day! I hope I see more of him this spring!

Eurasian Collared Dove!

At first glance I thought these were the Mourning Doves that visit my yard from time to time, but then I noticed the collar! First time I've had a pair of these visit my yard. They just stayed for a little while and enjoyed some seed under the feeder :)

Mountain Bluebirds!

What an exciting "first time" sighting for me! A lucky catch, too! A spring snowstorm moved through and with it usually comes lots of activity at the feeder. Now the feeder is in my backyard so that's where I see 99% of the birds I photograph. However, I just happened to glance out my front window and I noticed a whole bunch of Robins in the street and in my neighbor's driveway. I didn't look too hard as I was heading upstairs but I just happened to mention to my husband to look out the window at all the Robins...we both looked and I shouted "Is that a blue bird with them?!" Then we both noticed there was more than one. As quickly as I could, I ran downstairs, grabbed my camera and was able to get a few shots before a trash truck came barreling around the corner and away they all flew. I watched all day and they never came back :(  I would guess there was probably 10 or so Robins and 8 Mountain Bluebirds (4 males, 4 females).