swag
September 19, 2017
Plenty of Food Makes Friends

It has been interesting to me to observe the birds coming to our feeders and how they interact while feeding, whether up on the feeders or on the ground underneath the feeders. In general they are very congenial with each other. Maybe this should remind us that if we make sure that basic  needs (food, housing, medical care, etc.) are taken care of equally, then culturally diverse peoples can live happily with each other.

In any case here are some photos I have collected over the past two months and am now posting here. Enjoy.

male house sparrow on the feeder

A Male House Sparrow in a Sideways Perch (29-Jul-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

a feeder full of house sparrows

A Feeder Full of House Sparrows All Interested in Each Other (29-Jul-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

While the Common Grackle is often spoofed as an ugly bird and too prolific, under the right lighting, I find their iridescent coloring with a white/yellow eye beautiful.  

common grackle on the grass

Iridescent Blue on the Back and Head of a Common Grackle (29-Jul-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

At other times their coloring is not as appealing to ne.

common grackle facing forward

Rather Drab Coloring on a Front-facing Common Grackle  in Different Light (2-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

Many times when birds gather at our feeders, there are different species feeding togetheer. Here are some vignettes.

a bluejay and a mourning dove

A Blue Jay and a Mourning Dove Graze Together (2-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

a female cardinal and a mourning dove

A Female Cardinal and Mourning Dove in Morning Sun (1-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

two blue jays under the feeder

Two Blue Jays Caught in Morning Shadows (1-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

I also wanted a photo of the female Cardinal by herself. She wears her subdued beauty well.

a female cardinal on the grass

Close-up of a Female Cardinal (1-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

I'll finish with a set of photos of Mourning Doves in various poses.

a mourning dove in the afternoon sun

Mourning Dove Back-lit by the Evening Sun (30-Jul-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

a mourning dove looking away

Mourning Dove Shows Off How Far a Neck Can Turn (2-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

a mourning dove looking to the right

Mourning Dove Notices the Photographer (2-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

two mourning doves on the hunt for food

Two Mourning Doves Hunt Close by Each Other (2-Aug-17; © Richard L. Bowman)

Even though these are common birds at our feeders, they still elicit wonder as I observe their behavior. Hope you have enjoyed them, too.

© 2014-17, Richard L. Bowman

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