Watch the Birdies!

As promised, another entry! I'm sure some of you will need smelling salts after this - two entries from me in one day! Actually, there will be yet another entry today, because I figured that with this batch of pictures it was best to post the other stuff I had in a separate one.

This morning I was out with the dogs, and of course hauled my trusty camera out with me. Lady got me up at the ungodly hour of 7:30, so I was literally up with the birds, who were just starting their daily routines. I see Blue Jays around here occasionally, but I never have my camera with me at the time. This morning I looked in the neighbour's tree, and to my delight a lovely Blue Jay landed in it. Unfortunately I had my camera set on automatic (due to the funky light at that hour of the morning) and discovered that automatic and digital zoom don't work too well together. Oh well, at least I got a picture! There's also a bonus picture of a squirrel in the same tree. I didn't see the little dude until I started zooming in to catch the Blue Jay. Here they are!


Pretty Blue Jay


Cheeky Squirrel

This next batch is of a couple of House Sparrows (also known as English Sparrows) who are setting up a nest in the neighbour's eaves. There are House Sparrows nesting in his eaves every year, and I have to wonder if it's the same couple, or at least some of their offspring. I think it could be the same pair, because over the years they've stopped giving everyone who walks past holy hell, and have taken to just keeping a sharp eye on us. So they've obviously gotten used to us being nearby.


Hanging Out On the Wall


Hanging Out On the Front Fence


Keeping An Eye On Me From the Back Fence


The Other Half of the Couple Near the Nesting Site


This Drainpipe Seems To Be a Favourite Perch


Another Couple of House Sparrows (Perhaps Relatives?) in the Neighbour's Tree -
One of My Favourite Shots!

I was out a little later and discovered a couple of very tiny birds in our tree out back. They are probably about a third of the size of the House Sparrows, so you can imagine how tiny these little ones are. This one was obliging enough to stand still just briefly enough for me to snap a picture. It took quite a bit of searching, but I finally found out what kind of bird it is, and I've had it confirmed by a couple of other people who have them in their areas. This is a Common Redpoll, which is a type of finch. Very lively little dude, and very pretty.


Common Redpoll

So there you have it - some of the neighbourhood wildlife! There are so many different birds in our neighbourhood that it's a bit mind-boggling - I've never seen such a variety in one area before moving to this neighbourhood. I'm starting to develop more of an interest in the different types that we have here, so you'll likely see more pictures as time goes on. At any rate, that's it for this entry - on to the next one!