JBigg: Life in Kentucky

At the Feeders and in the Trees #43

Filling my feeders has been a priority for me during all of the snow and ice we recently received.

Most days, I have been filling the feeders twice. You can see how the birds have flocked to the feeders.

The cardinals are gorgeous against the snowy background.

I feel very blessed to have so many cardinals at my feeders. Below you can see the male and the female Northern Cardinals. What a striking pair!

The female put on a show and let me capture several nice pics.

Sparrows have been visiting too. I threw some seeds out on the deck trying to make sure all the birds were getting food.

European Starlings aren't necessarily a bird people like to see on their feeders, but have do have an interesting look with those speckles on the feathers and what a beak!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by - Judy.

Linking to:

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Saturday Link Party @ I'd Rather Be Birdin'

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Imaging (on Tuesday)

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World @Photographing New Zealand

Thankful Thursday @ It's a Small Town Life

Little Things Thursday @ Random-osity

At the Feeders and in the Trees #42

I hope everyone is remembering to feed the birds. Their food source is low and it sure is cold outside.

A Carolina Wren gave me an interesting pic the other day. You never know when that unusual shot is going to come. It's not a perfect pic, but I was happy to get it. Take a look:

I've been checking the feeders several times a day to make sure there is continuous food for the birds.

Keeping them all happy and fed. Oh, to just get a seed.

Chickadee and Cardinal

Purple Finch

Northern Cardinal

Chickadee

the Dark-eyed Junco (notice those pink legs and pink beak)

The female Cardinal, isn't she stunning!

Reaching in for seeds (now that's really sticking your neck out).

Success with a seed in their mouths.

A Balancing Act

Beauty, their brilliant color!

Thanks for stopping by - Judy.

Linking to:

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods on Monday pm

MET Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Imaging (on Tuesday)

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World @Photographing New Zealand

Thankful Thursday @ It's a Small Town Life

Little Things Thursday @ Random-osity

Thursday Favorite Things @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Grace at Home @ Imparting Grace on Thursday

Friday Favorites Link Party @ Penny's Passion on Thursday

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Saturday Link Party @ I'd Rather Be Birdin'

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

A Visit from the Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I had a big birding thrill Saturday. As I was looking out the sliding glass door leading to our deck, I saw a tiny bird on a branch very close to a feeder. Then he moved to a feeder and I reached for the camera and started snapping.

It was such a tiny bird, only about four inches. I checked out the beak and thought it was perhaps a warbler but I wasn't sure.

Hmmm, he had a beak like a warbler but was he a warbler?

My husband's brother and sister-in-law were at our house when we saw this darling little bird. He thought the bird was a vireo so I started researching vireo birds.

You can't help but notice the white eye-ring on the bird, the yellow on the tail and the white wingbar. Then I found a website that compared the Hutton's Vireo and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. There it was, the site showed an image of the vireo and the kinglet side by side. Here is that image with the vireo on the left and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the right.

source of image

As I read on, it said the Ruby-crowned Kinglet had a black bar behind the white wingbar. Now I knew!

Here's my image, and you can easily see the black bar behind the white wingbar!!

This olive-green Ruby-crown Kinglet is a tiny songbird and the second smallest bird in Kentucky. The male does have a ruby crown that he shows mostly during spring and autumn migration. Wish I could have captures his ruby-crown but I can show you an image that does.