O, happy day!
O, happy, happy day!
O, happy happy, happy day!
(Can you tell I'm happy yet?)
I have redpolls at my feeders!
I have redpolls at my feeders!
I have suspected (hoped) for a week or so that redpolls have been visiting my feeders. About 10 days or so ago the niger seed in the tube feeder began to be eaten at a much faster rate than has been typical. I knew something was eating it, and the two siskins and two goldfinch that are occasional visitors didn't seem capable of working on it that much alone.
But with working during the day, and darkness already settled in by the time I get home in the evenings, I haven't been able to see what was making the seed in that tube feeder go down so fast. Naturally, I have been hoping for redpolls.
I've seen redpolls at my cabin feeders exactly once before today, and I didn't have a camera in my hand for those few, brief moments.
So this morning I'm sitting in the cabin with one eye on my book and one eye on the feeders, just sitting there reading, and you know, hoping. And then a sudden flurry of several species of birds bounces into the feeders and there they were. Three redpolls!
So I look at them happily for a few seconds, and then I wonder, do I dare get up off the sofa, walk over to the kitchen table where the camera is and try to get a few photos? Yes, I think, I've seen them now, I know they were here. It's time to try for a photo. So I roll off the sofa to the floor and crawl over to the kitchen, where I retrieve the camera. Then I turn the camera on and get it ready, figuring that when I appear up at the window the birds will likely fly away. I move slowly, rise up in front of the window, and the birds are still there. I take one shot right away, hoping to get something if the birds scatter. But they don't. I manage to get several shots of them at the feeders before they wander off into the woods.
The one in the second photo looks a bit suspicious, doesn't he? But he's actually looking at something down on the ground.
Hooray! I've seen redpolls at the cabin! And gotten photos!
Posts
8 comments:
Splendid photos, Carolyn.
Georg
You Luckie Duckie!!! I need some red polls! Wonderful pictures :)
Congratulations. We haven't had as many birds at our backyard feeders in suburbia as in past years. I fear that the surprise ice storm in December may have gotten many of them.
I don't think they care if you are snapping pictures. My bunch din't care at all and I had the slider open too.
Glad to see they made it down by you.
He does look to be saying, "Why are you taking my picture?"
My poor birdies are starving, because I can't get out to feed them. I'm on the second floor, and the only way to the feeder on my balcony is through my sliding glass door, which is frozen shut at the moment. I'm sorry birdies!!! I'll be there as soon as I can.
All: Thanks so much for your congratulations. I didn't see the redpolls today, but I didn't really expect to. Just seeing them once this winter is enough to satisfy me.
Pablo: the ice storm in December got the red-breasted nuthatch. I never saw her again after that storm.
Chicagolady: sometimes my door freezes too. Then I just toss the see out the front door. Takes the birds about 5 minutes to find. Maybe you could try something like that??
Carolyn H.
They are beautiful. And I have to laugh at how you had to slide off the couch to fetch a camera in the kitchen. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do the some (sometimes successfully and other times now). Glad you got your pictures!
Carolyn,
How wonderful! I'm happy for you! Send em down in the Cumberland valley when you done with them!
Vern
Post a Comment