Young Cooper's Hawk that has been stopping by the azaleas in my backyard. It jumps in and everything flies out!!!!

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Catchfly Ct., Columbia

Howard Co, MD

Quad 39076_B7

Columbia Maryland 7/15/2016

Howard County Quad 39076_B7

Barred Owl

Meadowbrook Park

Ellicott City, MD

Dickcissel (Spiza americana)

Sykesville, MD

Underwood Rd

Howard County

Centennial Lake, Columbia Howard County, MD

Dickcissel (Spiza americana)

Sykesville, MD

Underwood Rd

Howard County

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritus

Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia

Howard County, MD

Savage Quad 39076_B7

These four taps are a favorite of this wintering visitor.

Columbia,Maryland

Red shouldered Hawk

Lisbon, Howard County, MD

Woodbine Quad

39077_C1

Evening Grosbeak

Catchfly ct, Columbia

Howard County, MD

Savage Quad 39076_B7

DSC_0910

Nikon D500, AF-S 500mm f4G ED VR, TC-14E II

Louisiana Waterthrush

Patapsco Valley State Park

Woodstock, MD

Henryton Rd

Last Year

Alpha Ridge Park

Howard County Maryland

Blandair Northside

Columbia MD 10/16/16

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)

Alpha Ridge Park

Howard County MD

Peeeeent!

American Woodcock

Howard County, Maryland

Patuxent River State Park, Hipsley Mill Rd

100% Entertainment! Absolutely Love The Timberdoodles!

(Scolopax minor)

Prairie Warbler

Blandair Park, Columbia

Howard County Maryland

Savage Quad 39076_B7

Jackson Pond

Columbia, MD

Howard County

Patapsco Valley State Park

Marriottsville MD

Howard County, MD

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Fox Chase, West Friendship

Howard Co, MD

Patapsco Valley State Park

Henryton Rd

Howard Co, MD 3/29/17

DSC_2057

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

Waverly Pond

Woodstock, MD

Screech Owl sitting in the sun and warming up after the snowstorm.

Northern Saw Whet Owl with its evening meal.

Howard County, MD

ARRPRSP

Howard County Fairgrounds

Howard County, Maryland

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Jackson Pond, Columbia

Howard Co, MD

Savage 39076_B7

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Columbia, Maryland

Quad 39076_B7

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Blandair Park North, Columbia

HoCo, MD

Quad 39076_B7

Lake Elkhorn, Columbia

Howard County, Maryland

Savage Quad 39076_B7

IMG_3524

Video taken by my daughter, Rizza. © All rights reserved

a time lapse video

My daughter, Rizza raises Monarch butterflies from the eggs that she finds in the milkweed leaves in her garden & places in a small cube netting in the house. The egg hatches & grows into a caterpillar. Once the caterpillar increase its size it eventually turns into a chrysalis for about two weeks.

Notice the golden crown on the chrysalis, they are carotenoids. The caterpillar gets its carotenoids from the plants it's eating – which in the case of monarchs is in the milkweed family. These are also the ports of entry for oxygen.

Then this chrysalis transforms into a butterfly. When transformed, the butterfly stays put there for about 4 hours while the wings are wet. When the wings are dry, she then gets the butterfly & releases it in the garden.

This is the fourth generation (this year) Monarch butterflies that will be the final generation (early fall) that will migrate 1,000+ miles to Mexico.

Hope you all enjoy watching this time lapse video taken by Rizza.

P.S. Notice a few more caterpillars in the video that will soon transform into a chrysalis before becoming butterflies.

P.P.S. The Monarch Butterfly is an endangered species. Their population is plummeting toward extinction due to landscape-scale threats from pesticides, development and global climate change.

The bold one. A young Pileated Woodpecker spends most of its time filling up the opening to its nesting cavity. Until an adult shows up to feed the others inside. The bold one gets quickly stuffed back into nest by the adult.

Common Raven

Woodstock, MD

will update info soon

Ruby throated Hummingbirds trying to claim the food source as their own and having a little bully battle.

Catchfly ct, Columbia

Howard County, MD

Savage Quad 39076_B7

DSC_3046

Actually, they're my next door neighbors.

Prairie Warbler

Setophaga discolor

Hipsley Mill Rd, Lisbon

Howard County, MD

I'm not sure and maybe someone could provide some assistance. I'm thinking this could be a yearling Male due to the dark streaking on the flanks?

Sykesville, MD

Howard County

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Patapsco Valley State Park

Henryton Road, Woodstock,MD

Cooper's Hawk mantling it's prey.

Wilde Lake

Columbia, MD

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

Columbia, MD

Howard County, My neighborhood

Kentucky Warbler

Geothlypis Formosa

Patapsco Valley State Park, Henryton Rd., Sykesville, Howard County, MD

Sykesville Quad

39076_C8

Dryocopus pileatus

Pileated Woodpecker

Highland, MD

Howard County

Cucullia convexipennis

Brown-hooded Owlet Moth

Fox Chase, West Friendship

Howard County, Maryland

Sykesville Quad

39076_C8

Field Sparrow

Spizella pusilla

Blandair Park, Columbia

HoCo, MD

Quad 39076_B7

Yellow-throated Warbler

Setophaga dominica

Patapsco Valley State Park, Marriottsville, Howard County, MD

Sykesville Quad

39076_C8

Patapsco Valley State Park

Marriottsville Rd, Howard Co.

Maryland

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Howard County, Maryland

Howard County Conservancy

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

PVSP Henryton

Howard County MD

On day four the Mississippi Kite was no where to be found in my neighborhood. While out and looking for it I happen to spot an Olive sided Flycatcher two streets over on one single snag protruding from a tree that had seen better days. Attempting to get a better view of the uncommon flycatcher. I ended up in the neighborhood next to mine and a failed attempt to view the flycatcher that left the snag. As I'm leaving the cul de sac. A brown blur shoots right in front of my truck and takes perch low and in the shade. Another neighborhood with a Barred Owl. 95% sure every neighborhood in Columbia, MD has a Barred Owl....