The Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I was lucky enough to take this pic this morning. He was perched just right so I could see his beautiful ruby colored throat. 

Eventful day in the yard (my bird sanctuary)!

 This afternoon, I received a text from my husband saying that I'd missed an exciting day in the bird sanctuary! We had some new visitors! 

There was a bluebird fledgling in our bird bath!  A "fledgling" is a young bird that has just got it's winged feathers and is able to fly. A few days ago we were talking about how we hadn't seen the bluebirds in a while...and now there are baby birds! We're supposed to have cooler temperatures this weekend so, I'm really hoping to see the fledglings myself.

Another exciting event of the afternoon, is this guy! It's an Oriole! I'm not sure what kind yet but it appears to be an immature male. I'm going to have to do some more research to better identify it. We haven't seen an Oriole here before so, I'm hoping it'll be back this weekend! I do have to thank my husband for grabbing the camera and getting some pics today. He made my day!

I'm looking forward to the Fall season! Cooler temps will hopefully bring out the birds again and make for good bird watching! Oh and don't forget....bring on the Pumpkin Spice Lattes! 

Hummingbird watch

Last Sunday, the temps were only in the 80's so I was able to get out and do some bird watching! My newest loves are my hummingbirds! They were very active today so I sat outside and snapped a few pics. I've only spotted three frequent hummers. But, we have one hummingbird that perches in our tree and is either playing with the other two hummers or is running them off! I haven't figured it out yet. He/she seems very territorial. It's been here for the past week just sitting up in this one tree and guarding the yard. He's a cutie too! I think I need to name him since he's becoming a regular. Here are a few pics of him/her.

Since falling in love with these lil birds, I've also started reading a new book called "Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood" by Terry Masear. She nurses injured hummingbirds back to health. It's a charming read and I was hooked from the first chapter.

If you love hummingbirds then you need to read this book! It's very good!

Hummingbird clip

I finally got a decent clip of a hummingbird at my feeder! I'm still not sure what kind of hummingbird yet, but I was super excited to catch him so close. Luckily he stayed longer than I expected and I was able to get pretty good footage.  I shot it in 'slo-mo' on my phone and it's really cool to watch - however, it won't play in slo-mo here. Sorry.

Oh Snap! - Pics from Texas!

Marcy (my friend) in Texas sent some awesome pics of a flock of birds feasting on the beach! She said that someone dumped a bunch of fish and the birds are having a part-ayyyy! It looks like a beautiful evening in Galveston and it is one of the top locations for birding! Thanks for the pics, Marcy!

It's Summer time!

Smile Lil Hummingbird !

I finally did it! I got a pic of a hummingbird at our feeder today! Jeff and I were sitting on the porch with our cameras ready.  But, no hummingbird. Jeff mentioned that he was going inside to do some things and I said "As soon as you go in, it's going to show up!" And I was right! Jeff went in and I had my camera ready! I took a few but only one picture came out clear. Problem is that Jeff has the better camera.  So, he'll need to get a good close up shot of it so we can identify what kind of hummingbird it is.  I can't tell from my pic or my bare eyes. Anyway, I got the first shot.....Super excited!

After dinner, Jeff got his hummingbird pics and they are much better than mine. See below.

Relaxing on a Friday Nite!

Lastnight, we sat on the porch after dinner and enjoyed watching the bird show! After a long week, this is what we like to do.  We have a glass of wine, talk, and watch the birdies! (We laugh because depending on how many glasses of wine we have...we may really start seeing new birds!) Anyway, we did catch a few glimpses of a hummingbird...finally! I wondered when they would officially start showing up and even though it seems a bit late...they are starting to show up more frequently.  They are a challenge for Jeff to snap a picture of though.  Everytime he reaches for the camera....it would fly off. 

Below are a couple of pics of a female cardinal. I love the branch that curves down and makes a sort of perch.  They seem to like to sit on that branch and pose for the camera.

We also saw a Downy Woodpecker lastnight.  So now, we've spotted two different woodpeckers at our suet feeder. Legend has it that the red patch on the head of the male Downy Woodpecker inspired legends with many Native America Tribes across the United States, from being a fire detective to bearer of a warrior's badge or courage. This small bird has been a symbol of bravery and hard work. He's definitely fun 

to watch!

Today is a really pretty day so, I'll be watching and trying to snap some awesome pics! Don't forget to visit my Etsy shop and pick up a feeder so you can start your bird watching experience! It's so much fun for all ages! Have a super Saturday!

Attention: We have new birds!

I apologize...it's been over a week since my last blog post and that's not good! So much has been happening that by the time I sit down to write....I fall asleep!  But, I'm going to stay awake tonight because I need to share some fun stuff! 

I'm going to start with the reason that I started my blog.....BIRDS!  We've had several new birds at our feeders! One being a Red-bellied Woodpecker! This guy showed up on Saturday and we went nuts! He is beautiful! At first, I thought he was a Downy Woodpecker but he had too much red on his head, which might make you think he's a Redheaded Woodpecker.  However, I googled him and it turns out he's a red-bellied woodpecker! Eventhough, the red is on his head! 

On Monday, we had two blue jays! This is the first time that we've seen a blue jay! I have heard that blue jays can be bullies so, I plan on keeping an eye on these guys! I don't want them running off my Cardinals! We have had several black birds and my husband has requested a pellet gun for them! They aren't very nice birds and they eat all of the seed! But we still love having them! They just need to learn to share! 

Blue Jay

We also had an Indigo Bunting! I had to look him up because I've never seen this bird before! He seems almost like an exotic bird! We were excited to get such an awesome picture of him! Just beautiful! We're so glad he stopped by! 

Indigo Bunting

I mustn't forget to thank my husband for most of the awesome pics! He never hesitates to grab the camera and snap away and somehow his pics always come out better than mine! 

The next bit of news that I have is....I got my first Etsy sale!  Woohoo!! I'm so overjoyed! It's a wonderful feeling to know that someone somewhere found your product amongst all the hundreds of listings and they liked it enough to buy it! I immediately thanked the buyer and told her that I'd mail it out right away! That night, I wrapped it very nicely and wrote a 'thank you' note to include in the package. I couldn't stop talking about my first Etsy sale to my family! I've had lots of compliments on my feeders and I've sold several but, to sell one online to a total stranger means that people really do like my feeders!  I really wasn't sure what to expect when I opened my first Etsy shop but, the more I read and learn about Etsy, I think it's a wonderful thing! The funny thing about getting your first Etsy sale is that it makes you hungry for the next sale! I really want to thank my first buyer for giving me a new inspiration and a shot of confidence in what I'm doing!

The last bit of news is...we are getting ready to be at Overton Park for "The Day of Merrymaking" festival! Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and it'll be a fun day in the park! We are excited! If you're in the Memphis area - come see us at the festival!

A few of our Bird Feeders!

Here are just a few of my feeders! There are more available in our Etsy shop. Just click on the link on the right sidebar.  All feeders come with a small bag of song bird seed mix.

Sunday afternoon of bird watching!

It's beautiful weather today and we were hoping that we'd be at the Arlington Square for the "rain date" for the "Arlington in April" festival but that didn't happen.  So, we're posting a few pics of some birds that visited our feeders today. (Pictures taken by my husband, Jeff. He wanted to be sure I gave him credit!) 

Arlington in April

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the "Arlington in April" festival today! We were sad that it was shut down due to weather. We will be posting feeders for sale online soon! So please keep checking our blog and we'll also let you know where we will be next. It was nice visiting with everyone today! 

Booth Banner!

Our banner came in today and I'm super excited!

Another work day

Yesterday was another work day. We had stuff scattered everywhere.  I've been decoupaging and stenciling to give some variety to the feeders.  I was pretty happy the way the Mountain Dew feeder came out.  I think it's pretty cool!

 

 

 

 

 

My husband is making a St. Louis Cardinals feeder.  He said we need some "manly" feeders amongst all these "girly" feeders! Hey, I'm all for it! I think his feeder will look nice when it's finished!

Wine Bottle Feeder finished - Finally!

We finally completed our first wine bottle feeder! We have learned quite a few do's & don'ts during this project! So this one isn't perfect but I wanted to post it for a preview! I'll post some more pics after we present it to the birds! After all, they are really the ones that have to approve! But, I think it came out pretty good! What do you think?

Awesome Live Eagle Cam!

You have to check this out! East Tennessee State University has an Eagle Cam that is incredibly fun to watch! I should've posted this earlier in the month because they just had an Eaglet hatch this past Sunday! However, now you can watch them feeding the lil eaglet! Very adorbs! I'm not sure if there are other eggs waiting to hatch or not. Click on the link below and watch the Johnson City cam. I think it's the best. Super fun & super addicting! Absolutely beautiful birds! 

http://www.etsu.edu/cas/biology/eagle-cam/cameras.php



Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

  We got mail! A reader sent in these awesome pics of a red-bellied woodpecker!!! Madison spotted the red-bellied woodpecker while hiking a trail in Missouri! I haven't spotted any woodpeckers yet so, this is so awesome! 

I do have a little confession, Madison isn't just any reader....she's my 16 yr old niece! I was excited when she told me to check my email because she was sending me a surprise!  These pics made my night! She has a really nice camera that she got for Christmas and she takes wonderful pictures! She has a very good eye and captures beautiful moments in her pictures! I'll have to send her a feeder so she can start snapping pics right in her backyard!

 

 

Picture by Madi

Picture by Madi

Here's an interesting fact about the red-bellied woodpecker: they are attracted to noises that resonate. The male will tap loudly on metal gutters, aluminum roofs and even vehicles to attract a mate. Wow, that sounds annoying! I bet the females are like...."Okay, we hear you! You wanna date, we get it! Now show me why I should pick you!"

Thank you, Madi! I love that my family supports my bird addiction! Actually, bird watching is a very popular hobby among people of all ages!