There’s just something about the Turkey Vulture that I love. They’re not particularly handsome birds. I guess it’s that their looks seem to give them alot of character and personality. And also, since they eat mostly carrion (dead animals), they don’t bother the other birds, which makes me happy :)

I never knew how abundant they are in this area until I started looking up. Now I see them almost every day. Sometimes solitary, sometimes in groups circling overhead. Other times, just perched… probably relaxing after a good meal…

Next time you see a Turkey Vulture, don’t be afraid. But if you see them staring at you and licking their chops, you may just want to schedule a doctor’s appointment to make sure you’re alright :)

The Northern Mockingbird has some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. One particular fella would sit on the roof and sing all night long. I think he was trying to woo a mate :)

He would sing a few songs and then he would do sort of a flip in the air, displaying the beautiful white markings under his wings. This would go on and on…

Northern Mockingbirds may be considered drab by some, but not by me – I think all birds are absolutely beautiful – they were made by Jesus after all! :) And their singing is heavenly!

They are female Bufflehead, which are very small ducks. Because of their size, from a distance they stood out immediately from the seventy or so Canada Geese that were also swimming on the lake.

Another interesting thing about the Bufflehead is that they dive for their food. They both went completely under for at least ten or fifteen seconds before surfacing. Presumably they were eating or looking for something to eat :)

They really are beautiful creatures. I was blessed to see them swimming, diving and flying across the lake today.

I realize that the photos aren’t that great, but considering how far away they were, I think the detail is pretty good. One of these days I’ll get around to purchasing a digiscoping set-up. Then, look out! :)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that this Cooper’s Hawk is absolutely beautiful, and he has to eat just like everyone else. And after Adam’s fall, God made him to eat other birds. I know that. I just wish he wouldn’t eat any of the birds at our feeder…

I realize that I have to get over this, but every time I see a pile of feathers beneath the feeder I feel a bit guilty, as though I’ve lured the birds there with all of the seed and suet and nuts that I put out for them. I really enjoy watching the birds that come to our yard (and believe me, we get plenty!), but I don’t want to see them gobbled up by a hungry hawk. Maybe I can put the feeder somewhere with more protection from predators. Any suggestions would be appreciated…

I really think these are beautiful birds. I know, I say that about all birds, but it’s true, and Jesus made each of them beautiful in their own way :) I love this little fella’s rusty cap and eye stripe! And take a look at how comical  this one is:

He’s so silly looking, I wonder if he’s just a baby. Either way I really love Chipping Sparrows. We don’t get alot of them in our yard, but it’s always a treat when we do!

I think this one is a juvenille, because I saw his Momma (or possibly his Poppa) giving him something to eat. Maybe that’s why he was sitting there… so he could get a nice meal…

These photos were taken on the perimeter of the pond at Norristown Farm Park. There were lots of these little guys flying all around the fields and the pond that day. The tree he is perching on is right next to the one with the baby Green Herons and their nest.

Oops! I think he saw me. I’d better get out of here!!! :)

Two baby Green Herons in their nest! We almost didn’t see them because of the great cover that the tree provided, but their slight movements caught my eye. I was very surprised (and quite pleased) that the camera was able to focus on them rather than on the leaves in front of them (which is what usually happens!) :)

They were almost too cute for words, all fuzzy around the edges with tangerine colored beaks and bright green legs (except for the knees, which were also tangerine colored).

There were also two adult Green Herons hanging around the pond that day. I’m assuming that those were the parents. They didn’t come anywhere near the nest while we were there. I guess they didn’t want to attract any attention to their little ones.

So despite the ninety-plus degree heat, God certainly gave us a nice treat that day, allowing us to see another stage of His wonderful creation!

He is a White Pekin Duck, and sadly, we didn’t see a mate for him anywhere around. But he seemed happy enough anyway (probably hoping that we had some bread or other goodies to offer him :) He was standing right in front of me so I was able to get some nice photos.

He was very cute and very friendly. I also love his little feet!

Once he saw that we didn’t have any treats for him, he wandered back into the lake for a nice swim…

I hope we get a chance to go back and see this little guy soon!

What initially caught my eye, other than the size of these amazing birds, was the fact that their heads weren’t red. I am used to seeing Turkey Vultures in this area, but these fellas were a first for me.  So I turned the car around and thanked our Heavenly Father that I had my camera with me for a change :) I pulled up on the opposite side of the road so I could photograph them from the driver’s seat (the road was straight, not winding, so I could see if anyone was coming – and more importantly, they could see me!)

In my excitement at this photo opportunity and the fact that I was able to get so close to them, I didn’t remember to get an exact count. But there were at least seven of these beautiful (yes, I said beautiful!) creatures surrounding their meal.

Unfortunately, some cars started to come up behind me and I had to move, only getting these two pictures, but at least I was able to keep them in focus :) One of the things I like most about birding is that if you keep your eyes open, you never know what you might see!

That’s why yesterday was such a great day. I had cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeder, and filled the seed feeders with a new mixture that included a variety of nuts. I decided to leave the camera inside while I sat out on the patio with just my binoculars, my field guide, and a Dachshund :)

To my great surprise and delight, one of the first visitors to the yard was a White-Breasted Nuthatch. Adriane had seen him once before, but this was the first time I had spotted one of these little guys in our own yard! He was on the feeder, grabbed a nut, and flew off to the neighbor’s cherry tree about 25 feet away. I got a wonderful look at him through the binoculars as he had his snack, then proceeded to “peck” at the bark while he haphazardly circled the tree in a downward-facing position (my assumption is that he was digging for insects below the bark). A short time later, he flew onto the fence post and sat there for about three or four minutes, giving me a great chance to just observe and enjoy the wonderful color patterns in his feathers, his unique compact shape, and more. Jesus did a wonderful job (as always!) in creating him :)

I also got to see (and hear!) our Ruby-Throated Hummingbird couple, as well as some Northern Cardinals, European Starlings, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, House Finches, and American Robins. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and their snack treats. I even got to hear our American Goldfinches singing for the first time!

This experience reminded me what I love about birding. It’s the beauty and enjoyment of God’s creation and not necessarily whether I can post a photo on my blog.  There will be plenty of opportunity for that in the future. Yesterday was all about the fun of it :)