Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Bird
Bluebirds – Father & Sons
Let me introduce you to our neighbors – the Eastern Bluebird family. This is a father and two of his offspring. There are four of these youngsters hanging around, having hatched this spring.
It’s hard to get the whole group together for a family portrait – though I’m working on it. The mom is busy sitting on another clutch of eggs. She does emerge to eat, now and then. I just have to convince them all to eat at the same time.
I’ve been supplementing their normal diet with meal worms…placing them on this tree stump in our yard. I’ll be posting more of the family in the near future. Stay tuned.
To view a larger, more detailed version of this photo, click on it.
Singing for Supper
These young tree swallows are hungry and waiting for mom to serve up lunch. They are only about a week old, but growing fast. There are six in this nest box; one of several around our property.
Normally, when you open the nest box to look in our their progress, these young birds are very calm and sleep-like. I trick them to stretch and open their mouths my faking them out with a little whistle. When the mom returns with food, her motherly chirp will perk them up and they open up for the meal she’s brought. So, all it takes it is a little chirp of a whistle and they all bob up, mouths open, waiting. Don’t worry, they don’t stay hungry and wanting for long. Within in moments after close up the house, the parents are flying back in and out with food for them.
To get a better view, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser window.
Overflow Seating
Every spring we look forward to the return of bluebirds and tree swallows. We have next boxes around the edges of our yard to encourage homesteading. It’s always a treat to see them building their nests and then watch as the eggs hatch and the babies develop.
This is a view inside a nest box claimed by Eastern Bluebirds. These baby bluebirds are becoming quite cramped in the small confines of the nest box. Though you can’t see all of them, there are five youngsters piled on top of each other. In a short time (I’m guessing a week or less), they will leave the nest.
When looking in on this crowd, we had to be sure none of them spilled out…which they almost did.
To get a better, larger view of these babes, click on the photo.
Splishin’ & Splashin’
This little duck was having a grand ole time, splashing up a storm, celebrating a sunny, early spring day after a long, hard winter.
I happened to catch this character and its joyful display at the N.E.W. Zoo – about 10 minutes from Green Bay, WI.
To get a better view of the splashing fun, click on the image and a larger version will open in a new browser window.
Gentleman Bluebird
Among our favorite birds, this handsome Eastern Bluebird was found and photographed in the trees lining the shore of Table Rock Lake, at Branson, Missouri.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on it.
Stately Stance
This house finch takes a stately stance on a favorite perch.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo
Four and Twenty
Those who follow my work know, I photograph a wide range of subjects. I capture, photographically, the things that capture me. This is one of those images. I was just working in the yard and noticed the way the birds on the power line were sitting, almost perfectly spaced, even on the line the angling down to the insulator.
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
Tiny Details
This male, ruby-throated hummingbird was just as intent on keeping an eye on me as I was in keeping an eye on him.
This was my first attempt at snapping a hummingbird photo this year. I didn’t think it went well, but…on second thought. I’ve had to change the way I snag these photos so I’ve not had time to perfect my method. I’ll be working on that.
To view a larger version of this photo – which I’d highly recommend on this one – click the image.
Stalkers
This was a study in childlike curiosity. I was on an engagement photo shoot at Pamperin Park in Green Bay when we noticed a small commotion nearby.
A large egret had swooped in and perched on the railing of the small suspension bridge spanning Duck Creek. Nearby children saw the great white bird and got low to the ground, crawling toward the bird for a closer look. It was fun watching them plot among themselves and slowly inching their way toward their prey. They didn’t get much closer than this before the bird flew off.
To get a better look, click on the image and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
House Sitting House Wren
I happened to catch this house wren sitting in the doorway of its home, but it wasn’t there long. I was constantly swooping in and out to bring insects to the babies inside.
In an earlier post, I showed this same wren with a beak full of spider to feed the babes. See it HERE.
This bird was photographed on a recent trip to northwest Missouri. We’ve not been able to attract an wrens to nest in a similar house we have in our yard in northeast Wisconsin.
To view a larger image of this bird, click on the photo.