Water, water everywhere

Birds need fresh, clean and unfrozen drinking water throughout the year, but especially in the winter when water is hard to find. I have read that birds will resort to eating snow if there isn't a good supply of water available. With that in mind, I went to the Wild Bird store yesterday and purchased a small water heating rock for the middle of my bird bath. I checked on it this morning and although the temperature overnight was below freezing, the water was not frozen even a bit.

Few things can attract birds to my yard as much as a fresh water supply in the winter months. I set up my camera on the tripod inside the house overlooking the bath to see what will come to the bird bath during the next few days. I will post any interesting visitors.

Heater rock in the bottom of my bird bath

World Bird Wednesday VI

Here is a small collection of the many birds that I find and photograph around my house in Northern VA. I am going to recap my year in the next blog. While these are very common birds in Northern VA, I find them to be very interesting. In the picture is the Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. All of these have been staples in my travels throughout the spring, summer, fall.

Birds of Northern VA

A Very Warm Thank You

I want to thank everyone that has visited my site. Today I reached a milestone as the 1000th visitor viewed my blog site. It has been a lot of fun and very educational as I try and put up good pictures and blogs each week.

Thanks and have a great holiday season!

Birding in Northern Virginia (AKA Steve)

World Bird Wednesday #5

Adding on to my last blog, to foil the squirrels I put some bird seed on top of the ice in the bird bath. This allowed the Carolina Wrens to come in and feed without the squirrels scaring them away.

I am really beginning to enjoy the Wrens. I remember seeing one last year, and up to four now one time this winter. The Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus is common in Northern VA in the winter. You can recognize it by its prominent white eyebrow.

Carolina Wren eating out of the bird bath

Carolina Wren in the snow eating suet

Dark-eyed Junco

I missed a few weeks of birding when I went out on a business trip. After I got back, I had to deal with Christmas prep (all done). While I was gone, the squirrels again were mad that there was no food and they decided to pay me back like usual.

This time it was a chewed up storage container and 2 of my 3 feeders on the ground. Last time it was 3 of 3 so maybe they spared me.

I cleaned up the feeders and restocked them. The squirrels came out of the woodwork. It looks like I have at least 6 squirrels eating out of my feeders. As long as they are good and don't stop the birds from coming in, they can stay. Stop chewing my furniture though!

Since there was an inch of snow on the ground and it was cold enough for the bird bath to stay frozen, I put some food in there so that the birds and the squirrels could eat at the same time. I will be putting some of the Carolina Wren pictures in Wednesdays blog.

Here is a Dark-eyed Junco that braved the squirrels.

Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco

World Bird Wednesday #4

I was on a trip and missed World Bird Wednesday #3. I even had a picture saved on my work laptop to participate but it was a no go. I must really be obsessed with birding.


Here is my entry for this week's WBW #4. It is the Great Blue Heron. No matter what time of the day, how cold or how warm it is, I can normally find a Great Blue Heron at the lake and get a new great picture of it.

Last year I noticed only 1. This year I believe that our lake is up to either 3 or 4 herons. We had a lot of snow last year, but it seems like the bird population survived and may have even thrived over that time.

Great Blue Heron

World Bird Wednesday Number Two

Here is my submission for World Bird Wednesday, Number Two

When I was walking around on Saturday cursing myself for not having any more memory space, I stopped on the trail to delete some pictures. This Tufted Titmouse was about 2 feet away from me digging through the leaves looking for food. Every time I moved, it would follow me and stop about 2 feet away. It was saying "take a picture of me".  So, here is the Tufted Titmouse, my World Bird Wednesday submission.

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is very common in Northern Virginia year-round, it is a solitary bird that feeds on insects. 

Tufted Titmouse

Total Rookie Mistake

Thank goodness I am still in my rookie season of birding. Today I made a total rookie mistake. Normally I work my way down my mental checklist when stalking birds. Be conscious of where the sun is, don't break too many branches, don't get distracted by just 1 bird. Make sure I have battery left in my camera, make sure that I didn't knock the camera off the good settings, and other camera tips. Today was a new one to add to my mental list.

I walked down to the lake and it was super windy, so I decided to walk counter-clockwise around so that I wouldn't have to walk into the wind across the dam. I would have it at my back when I crossed the dam at the end of my walk. I got to the bay where the Hooded Mergansers were yesterday and the 6 were out there swimming. On the way back to the trail, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was an adult Cooper's Hawk. It was easy to see since most of the leaves had already fallen from the trees. Problem was that it was facing away from me and there were branches in the way.

Adult Cooper's Hawk

I had to get around the hawk without scaring it away. Got halfway around.

Half Way There

I didn't want to startle the hawk since it was being so patient with me. I got nearly all the way to the front, but the sun was very bright behind the hawk. I tried about 4 or 5 different spots but I always had a stick here or there in the picture. Finally found a pretty good spot and then my camera started acting up. Auto-focus going in and out, not taking a picture etc. I had to get back on the trail to leave the hawk before I figured out what was wrong. Out of memory space on the card. Man, what a rookie mistake!!! I deleted a few of the 50 pictures that I took of the hawk, but I passed on going back down and scaring the hawk off.  Add that one to the list.

Hooded Merganser

I thought I was going to get skunked out on my post-Thanksgiving day walk. I was about 3/4ths of the way through when I spotted some black and white ducks in the bay near the end. I had to walk all the way around to the other side, but it was worth it. There was a flock of 6 Hooded Mergansers, 3 males and 3 females. I just kept walking closer and closer taking pictures until the ducks swam the other direction. Pretty looking this time of year.

Male Hooded Merganser 

 

 

 

Small Flock of Hooded Mergansers

World Bird Wednesday - Birding in Northern Virginia

I received this message from Springman when I logged on today.

You would be welcome to contribute and help to begin a new endeavour called "World Bird Wednesday" a chance for bird photographers to share and spread word of their blogs to others!

Visit http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/ and check it out!

Springman!

This is absolutely great. I started birding for several reasons and this is definitely one of them

I started my blog Birding in Northern Virginia to get the word out that there are 53 permanent resident birds near my house. On top of that, there are hundreds of species that pass through, winter or summer here. To be able to participate in a great idea such as World Bird Wednesday is truly special.

Benefits that I have received in the year since I started.

1. Birding is fun.
2. Birders are generally nice people that are extremely kind and courteous.  (unless they are listers)
3. Lots of stress relief.
4. I get out of the house more, exercise and have lost a few lbs.
5. Found a hobby. Something to do when the Bird Flu hits.



Thanks Springman!!!

Nothing like a picture of an American Goldfinch pigging out to get me in the mood for Thanksgiving. 

American Goldfinch pigging out