Busy Backyard Birding

Williamwisephoto Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation.

​Song of Solomon 2:14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

Red male Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, eating seeds, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Saturday, 2:28 to 3:36 PM - Coming home from afternoon outreach, our backyard was alive with a cacophonous group of raucous blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, and American Robins. Truly, springtime is arriving! ​Seeing all the increased bird activity, I decided to take some time for myself to enjoy the birds at my backyard feeders. 

To increase my chances of capturing some shots, I took down the regular bird feeder and scattered some seed on a nearby rock. I then laid down on my belly under my daughters' trampoline. It didn't take long for the birds to find the seeds on the rock.

Although my family and neighbors may think I'm weird, I laid perfectly still for over an hour firing away. It was a great day for birding, and I didn't even have to travel to any exotic location. In just  over one hour, I saw twenty-two species in, or over, my own backyard!

Athens, Georgia

Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia, eating sunflower seeds, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

The Eastern Towhees have been very vocal and active the past few weeks. Eastern Rufous Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Downy Woodpecker eating at suet feeder, Picoides pubescens, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis, eating seeds on rock, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor, eating sunflower seeds on rock, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata, eating seeds on rock, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Male red and female House Finches eating seeds on rock, Haemorhous mexicanus, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia

Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia State Bird

My two-hour backyard birding list: 

1. Hermit Thrush
2. Brown Thrasher
3. Dark-eyed Junco
4. Pileated Woodpecker
5. Downy Woodpecker
6. Red-bellied Woodpecker
7. Carolina Wren
8. Northern Cardinal
9. House Finch
10. Tufted Titmouse
11. Carolina Chickadee
12. Blue Jay
13. Cedar Waxwing
14. American Robin
15. Red-winged Blackbird
16. Grackle
17. American Crow
18. Black Vulture
19. Eastern Towhee
20. Chipping Sparrow
21. Song Sparrow
22. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Two Pileated Woodpeckers briefly stopped by.

Hermit Thrush will be here just a short time.

The group of Cedar Waxwings that initially drew my attention.

Yellow-rumped Warblers show up each fall and stick around a few months.

The Dark-eyed Juncos have been here since winter's arrival.

Tufted Titmouse, a year-round regular visitor.

And what birdfeeder isn't complete without a visit from a squirrel!?! Eastern Gray Tree Squirrel eating seed with paws, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia. Sciurus carolinensis is native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada