Bluebird
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I found a fairly large flock of these bluebirds that had still not migrated south. They had stopped for a drink at a local lake. The lake was mostly frozen but they found little melted spots.
Happy National Bird Day!
My first sighting of a Mountain Bluebird this year.
Beaverhill County. Alberta.
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife
Listened to Anne Murray this morning while I processed photos.
"A Little Good News" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Anne Murray. It was released in September 1983 as the lead single from the album of the same name. The song was Anne Murray's seventh #1 hit on the Billboard country chart.
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The Western Bluebird at Bath-time !!
Male Western Bluebirds are shiny blue above with rust-orange extending from a vest on the breast onto the upper back. Females are gray-buff with a pale orange wash on the breast and blue tints to the wings and tail. The throat is blue in males and gray-buff in females, and the lower belly is whitish.
Bluebirds are highly social, and usually feed in flocks during the non-breeding season. They hunt for terrestrial insects by dropping to the ground from a low perch. Western Bluebirds also frequently feed on berries in trees. Western Bluebirds rely on trees both for nesting cavities and hunting perches, and also perch on fences and utility lines.
(Nikon, 500 mm + TC 1.4, 1/1600 @ f/7.1 ISO 6400, edited to taste)
A male Mountain Bluebird hunting insects!! Photot taken in Bickleton, Washington, known as the Bluebird capital of the world. The Bluebirds migrate to Bickleton each Spring after wintering in Mexico and California.
Wikipedia: The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards.
The bright-blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, makes this species a favorite of birders. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York.
Conservation status: Least Concern
Busy female Bluebird !
Thank you very much for your kind comments, favorites and looking and please stay safe !
Well, it's been three days now and I haven't seen a bluebird or heard them at all when in the yard. Elvis (Red-shouldered hawk) has been hanging out a lot lately. He leaves each time I go outside so I have no new shots of him. Perhaps he is the reason the blues are not visiting .
On another note, I spotted a yellow-rumped warbler AKA butter butt two days ago. It's a bit early for their return, yet there he was.
I hope you have a fantastic Friday, happy snapping.
Mr. B (Eastern Bluebird) and the goldfinches. There were several goldfinches traveling with the bluebirds a couple of days ago. I imagine I will be seeing a lot more goldfinches in the days to come. They don't usually stick around for the winter. Some simply drop by as they are passing through during the fall and spring migration seasons.
Have a wonderful Holiday season and happy snapping.
I don't get to see these beautiful birds too often. Such a treat. These are two males. The first two shots are the same bird and the bottom right is a different one. They were singing a beautiful song.
Male Mountain Bluebird ("Sialia currucoides") in the aspen parkland region east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
28 June, 2011.
Slide # GWB_20110628_6813.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
We are fortunate to have a Western Bluebird family in our yard. Mom and Dad are keeping busy feeding their young. My last post was a portrait of Mrs. B… This shot is a portrait of her Hubby, a Beautiful Bluebird, indeed.
Western Bluebirds are small thrushes that usually perch upright. They are stocky with thin, straight bills and fairly short tails.
Male Western Bluebirds are shiny blue above with rust-orange extending from a vest on the breast onto the upper back. Females are gray-buff with a pale orange wash on the breast and blue tints to the wings and tail. The throat is blue in males and gray-buff in females, and the lower belly is whitish.
These birds are highly social, and usually feed in flocks during the non-breeding season. They hunt for terrestrial insects by dropping to the ground from a low perch. Western Bluebirds also frequently feed on berries in trees. Western Bluebirds rely on trees both for nesting cavities and hunting perches, and also perch on fences and utility lines.
(576 mm, 1/1250 @ f/6.3, ISO 6400)
Edited to taste
This bird and his mate were angrily defending the nest they established in a wooden bird box. Tree swallows were feverishly challenging them for the real estate. More images to come.
One more pic of this guy-- hopefully not the last. I've been hearing him around the neighborhood and may have spotted a second one in the area, so-- fingers crossed-- maybe he'll find a nearby spot to raise a family. Our neighborhood has been losing many of its large oaks trees over the past decade or so, and perhaps the upside to that is having more suitable bluebird habitat.
Bluebirds have been nesting in the same area for a number of years, I am not sure if it is the same pair keep returning back or they spread the word around about our province as a habitat of choice among bluebirds. This pair hung around for sometime and was very cooperative.
My first and perhaps last time trying this technique (so time consuming!) I want to acknowledge texture artists that have inspired me to give this technique a try. Pat, Rrea, Jules, and Christina are friends and there are others but these four are brilliant at this type of post processing. Thank you for your lovely photo art!
Happy Texture Tuesday!
Be well dear friends and thank you for visiting!!
This image was taken a couple of days ago when we had a very nice all day rain. I say very nice because this is our dry season and rain is certainly a welcome sight during the dry season.
Lady and Mr. B took turns perching above the swing feeder then moving on to a different feeder to eat. What odd behavior you say? Not really, they were just letting me know that the feeder was empty and they would appreciate a refill.
But it’s cold and rainy out there I proclaimed. I don’t want to go out and fill feeders. Yet my beautiful visitors continued their request all the while allowing me to photograph them through the window.
Therefore, after a little coaxing, I did indeed go out and fill the feeder. I also topped off the rest of them so I wouldn’t have to go back out in the rain.
Have a terrific Tuesday, happy snapping.
Loved the action. Look at his feet. So cute. I was using a tripod, but the shadows are not what I'd want in a perfect world.
A Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) oversees his territory from the vantage point of a fencepost surrounding a pasture east of Tofield, Alberta, Canada.
9 June, 2011.
Slide # GWB_20110609_3518.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
This was taken a couple years ago, but they are back. I have seen Robins, Western Meadolarks and these wonderful Mountain Bluebirds. Spring is on its way!!!! :-)
I just love when the bluebirds visit. Although, the ones that are visiting now are going to have to get used to me. None of them are as friendly as the original couple that used hang out. That's on me though, I haven't been out playing as much over the last year and then some.
When approached by a predator, male Eastern Bluebirds make a song-like warning cry. If a male is not present, a female will begin to sing, hoping to attract a protective male back to the territory.
Mountain Bluebirds are the first migratory songbird summer breeders to arrive in central Alberta. They sometimes face very harsh conditions. This year is exceptionally tough. They are mostly insectivores and have arrived here to deep snow cover on the fields and our coldest early April temperatures of recent records.
This one was part of a group of four that were hovering and diving into sparse areas of exposed grass presumably to capture emerging insects. Our region will get down to -25 C with the wind chill tonight. I hope they survive.
Beaver County, Alberta
Male Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) roosting on a thin post along the fence line bordering a pasture on the south side of Islet Lake east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
15 May, 2017.
Slide # GWB_20170515_7663.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.