Category: Birdwatching

A pair of juvenile European Starlings were having the best time in our bird bath a few days ago. So much fun, in fact, the they splashed out nearly all of the water.

We’ve been visited by several birds who enjoy coming to have a sip of cool, clean water as well as some who prefer to splash about (usually it’s the robins who have a party in the bath). The bowl was a simple $30 purchase from a local landscaping shop, but has provided so much entertainment to watch our feathered friends while they enjoy their own little watery oasis.

There’s almost nothing so adorable and natural as an infant having just filled up on warm milk and then passing out into a milk coma in a state of utter bliss. Walking by my kitchen window yesterday, I am pretty sure I just observed the Robin equivalent: The worm coma:

This Robin parent was working so hard (as mom and dad birds of all types are in the spring). The fledgeling was perched, unmoving, on our back deck rail for hours while the adult flew back and froth continually. I was worried for 2 hours when I didn’t see the adult return, but then they did and junior was treated to a big piece of yummy worm.

After which he or she promptly passed out into, you guessed it, a worm coma. The little fluff could hardly hold it’s head up as it snoozed the warm day away.

Finally the poor thing was in such a state of snooze, it just let it’s little head fall down and there it lay, the most contented Robin in the history of birds.

Once the worm coma passed, it was up and at ’em again, chirping away as a little homing beacon for the adult to come back again, and again, and again…

A Wyoming snow came in today despite it technically being Spring now. It’s snowed several times over the last few days (but here in Cheyenne, only light accumulations).

Despite the snow, the birds were just singing their hearts out while it fell. Robins, Blue Jays, Juncos, House Sparrows, House Finches, Doves, Grackles, Starlings and Flickers were observed today. After filling all of our feeders, I stood outside under the aspens and quietly listened while the flakes fell.

And it felt more like Spring than Winter.

On a wintery day in Virginia in November, 2013, no other birds in the woods had the fluff on display like this song sparrow. It’s not the most focused photo I’ve taken, as I was about 50ft away and behind a window when I snapped it, but it’s one of my personal favorites. I do miss song sparrows as even though they should be prevalent in the locations I’ve lived in the last three years, I haven’t seen many. I’m sincerely hoping to see a few in our new home in Wyoming soon. Their song is unique, sweet and comforting to hear, wherever I am.

We only received a few inches here in southeastern Wyoming today, but this dove was every bird on the feeders: Head down and braced against the wind.

Right now the Northern Flickers are the biggest birds visiting our feeders. I’m venturing this one is female but can’t be 100% without a better look.

Since we’ve been here in October, our range of birds is slowly broadening. This one was paying particular attention to the bay window I was shooting from, since our 6 month old house cat was seated beside me, chattering at everything that moved.

Despite being the most common birds we see here by our house on the hill, this male House Finch was taking nothing for granted and was alert as he perched in the branches nearby. Despite being roughly 20ft away and indoors, shooting this photo still revealed, close up, I was being monitored intently through the windows.

The last few weeks have had me stepping away from all things online here, but it was definitely for good cause. A few things popped up that filled up my calendar a bit – getting married, moving from Colorado to Wyoming – you know, small things.

I’ve settled in now in Cheyenne, WY with my handsome other half and wouldn’t you know, we’ve had some snow lately. Of course one of the things we immediately did was to hang out a bird feeder or two, as it’s not home without a feeder. This week we found that we had been claimed by the local Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco population, among others. This variety has a different coloration than the Juncos I found in Virginia.

We are still within a hop, skip and a jump from Fort Collins and I’m fast appreciating the city of Cheyenne. One of the exciting aspects of living in Wyoming, for sure, is the ability to have some real estate that is all but astronomical in Fort Collins. Fewer people, less traffic, more space and still access to all that is the great outdoors here in southern Wyoming.

I look forward to getting out a bit more often with my camera here and seeing what all goes on in the now much larger back yard we have and the many hiking trails that surround the area.