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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

The only upside to being completely awake at 3am is that you can record an owl hooting right outside your bedroom window. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #video #owl

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

The high today was 71F (22C). The forsythia is blooming and the daffodils have begun to emerge. Tomorrow morning, the high will be below freezing with a wind chill of 14F (-10C) and it will snow. #flowers #photography #nature #naturephotography

Yellow forsythia flowers with sunset through the trees in the background.

My mini daffodils are always the first daffodils to emerge. Here they are popping up out of the leaf litter which we leave in place so that insects and small mammals can shelter there.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

The weather continues to see-saw between cold and hot. The birds come to the feeders when it is cold or snowy and find their food elsewhere when it is warm. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

The photo shows a large black and white woodpecker with a red crest, taking off from the feeder in the snow, wings spread. A small bluebird is on the railing.

The photo shows bluebirds flying in to the feeder on a cold day.

7 bluebirds are perched on the rim of the birdbath on a cold day.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

WIth an outside temperature just below freezing, I knocked the ice off the birdbath, cleaned it and filled it with fresh, warm water. And then this happened. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebirds #video

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

It's cold (10F/-12C) and snowing heavily. The bluebirds have declared a temporary peace. I saw 6 birds pile into nesting boxes we have in the yard. Nothing more I can do. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebirds

Normally, there is only bird at a time in the feeder (they don't like to be crowded), but I count maybe 6 birds in this tiny feeder. On frigid mornings, they flock to the feeder like this.

These two female bluebirds, perched on the edge of the birdbath (which provides clean liquid water when it is below freezing, have puffed out their feathers for warmth. They look like little blue and tan tennis balls with tails and beaks. Normally, they are very svelte.

You know the party is over when the starling shows up. Starlings are bigger than bluebirds and when the starlings fly towards the feeder, the bluebirds take off. I have to stand or sit near the feeder to prevent the starlings from eating all the bluebirds' food. (The starlings fear me, while the bluebirds tolerate me.)

Two bluebird bails out of the feeder as a starling approaches. The bird on the right has jumped out of the feeder back first, so its feet are pointed up, but it has turned its head in a different direction.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

It is getting colder and the birds are showing up in the morning for breakfast. "All present and correct!" #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

A pile of dried mealworms has been dumped in the middle of a hanging feeder with a flat rectangular top. Two bluebirds are already perched on the feeder, one is perched above it and 5 are flying towards it. This year's flock is 10 individuals so 2 are not here yet.

Here 7 birds are perched on the top of the feeder, eating mealworms. One is perched on the side of the feeder (there is a bowl of mealworms inside), one is perched nearby on a support and one is flying in. So all 10 members of the flock are present.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

In the winter, when it's cold (like now), bluebirds flock to the mealworm feeder. Last year, I had more than a dozen birds, but so far this winter, there are only a couple of them. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

This photo shows a male bluebird, wings outspread.

As a male bluebird approaches in the distance, the current occupant of the feeder prepares to leave, wings outspread.

A male bluebird sits on the feeder and, beak open, yells at a departing female bluebird. A third bluebird sits nearby, watching it all. (The feeder was in a patch of light and the bluebird on the wing is passing out of the sunlight into the shade.)

A female bluebird is preparing to launch from the feeder. Her wings are still furled, but she is striding towards the edge of the feeder. For a moment, she is in the air over the feeder, legs working.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

I know I'm late, but here are the two photos I got of the aurora borealis (Northern lights) with my iPhone last week. By the time I got my real camera (in a few minutes), the lights had disappeared. #nature #naturephotography #Northernlights #auroraborealis #nightsky

The Northern lights thru and above the trees around my deck. I could not see anything with my eyes, but the iPhone saw a red/purple sky fading into blue/green. There is a "column" of light extending from the ground into the sky. I was gone a few moments later.

Another view of the red/purple sky thru the trees. You can see the stars shining at the top of the picture.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

I was sitting on the deck and watching a nuthatch, when a Cooper's hawk dove onto the feeder. When it realized I was there, it gave a hop and took off. It didn't get the nuthatch. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

A Cooper's hawk is a medium sized hawk. Here, an adult has just landed on the shepherd's hook holding the feeder, when it notices me behind it. It cranes its head around to look at me, giving me a good look at its ruby red eyes. You can almost see the thought bubble above its head: "What are YOU doing there, human?" That gave the nuthatch time to get away.

A nuthatch is a small bird that often forages upside down on trees. Here, it is frozen in place, hoping the Cooper's hawk has not seen it. It got lucky this time.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

We went to see the bird ambassadors at the local park. This peregrine falcon could not fly due to a wing injury. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #falcon

This picture shows a peregrine falcon, the fastest bird on the planet, perched on a black glove, eating a chick. It has a gray head, neck, back and wings. Peregrines usually have a white chest, but this one is more tan with gray dots. It has yellow around the eyes and its claws are also yellow.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Our first near-freeze will happen tonight, so I took a side trip to see these butterfly (and bee) beauties for maybe the last time. #insects #butterflies #bees #fall #nature #naturephotography

A Monarch butterfly (who is large, orange with black veins and black edges on its wings and a black body AND white dots in the black areas) sits on a hot pink zinnia looking for nectar.

A painted lady butterfly (who has orange and brown and tan spotted wings and a tan body and legs) takes off from a pale pink zinnia flower. The butterfly is facing the camera as it takes off, so you can seen the underside, which you don't typically see. It has a rather startling face in this picture, which I can't really describe, except to say it looks like it belongs on an H.R. Giger monster.

A silver spotted skipper butterfly (who is medium-sized and dark brown with splashes of orange and white on its wings and a dark brown body) looks for nectar on a pale pink zinnia (that looks like it is not going to last much longer). If you look closely at the center of the flower, you can see a tiny yellow beetle with black spots (a spotted cucumber beetle) sharing the flower.

A large hairy yellow and black bumblebee hovers above a bright red zinnia. If you look at its hind leg, it has a big orange pollen basket attached, which it will bring back to the hive to serve as food.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

It's been warm during the day and we've had some rain, so the wildflowers are blooming like crazy. And with that come the butterflies. #insects #butterflies #wildflowers #bloomscrolling #nature #naturephotography

This photo shows 3 clouded sulfur butterflies--they are medium sized butterflies, mostly light yellow in color with dark brown/black markings along the edges of their wings. In the back are two of them perched amongst tiny white aster flowers (heath aster). They are face-to-face and it looks like they might be kissing--in fact, they are mating. In the foreground, a similar butterfly appears to be attempting to interrupt the duo. It has spread its wings and subsequent to this picture, actually landed on the couple. It has yellow wings with solid dark brown borders. It is a male clouded sulfur butterfly. Nothing it did fazed the mating couple and it flew off eventually.

These lovely purple flowers with yellow centers are New England asters. On the right a medium sized brown butterfly with splashes of white and orange on its wings is nectaring (a silver spotted skipper) and in the background, a big black and yellow bumblebee is nectaring on a different flower.

A large butterfly, an orange and black Monarch, has spread its wings. It has landed on a big spray of tiny yellow goldenrod flowers.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

I went for a walk yesterday, even though it was drizzling. Partway through my walk, the sun came out while the mist was still falling and I captured this. I was out in that for 20 minutes without a jacket and my clothing was barely damp. #rain #sun #video

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

I went looking for butterflies today and I found them, but only time for 1 picture tonight (sleepy). #insects #butterflies #wildflowers #bloomscrolling #naturephotography

The picture shows a large light yellow butterfly in flight. It has vertical black markings on its wings and its hindwings have big blue and smaller orange spots. It has just taken off from a spiky pink thistle flower where it was nectaring. It is a female eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

It's the last day of the #indianastatefair. Lovely chickens this year, after they have been absent for so long due to bird flu. #chickens #birdphotography #photography #statefair #chickens

I think this is a Plymouth Rock rooster. He has black and white bars on all his feathers, so he looks barred all over. He has a lovely red comb and wattles and a gold-colored beak.

This rakish looking rooster is a Rhode Island Red. He has dark brown feathers all over with a spiky comb and big wattles. He has a wicked curved beak.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Kids: "Mom, feed us!" Mom: "If you expect me to chew your food and put it in your mouth, you can forget that!" #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

Blue jays are a medium sized birds related to crows. Like crows, they are very noisy. Unlike crows, they are different shads of blue all over. An adult blue jay sits on the suet feeder. Two fledgling blue jays are nearby, flapping their wings and crying for food. The adult continued to feed itself and did not respond to the juveniles.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

I stopped by the Mayor's Garden today to look for butterflies and other interesting insects. Check. #insects #insectphotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #butterflies

The eastern tiger swallowtail is a large butterfly with light yellow wings with dark markings. This one does not have any blue on its hindwing, so it is a male. It was nectaring on a thistle flower, which you can't see in this picture.

The cabbage white butterfly is a medium sized butterfly with white wings with sparse black marking. It has blue eyes. It is nectaring on a zinnia.

This medium sized black and orange beetle resting on a milkweed leaf is a milkweed bug.

I think this medium sized black and yellow striped wasp is a sand tailed digger wasp. It's black with several yellow stripes and has brown wings. It is nectaring on rattlesnake master flowers. By the way, rattlesnake master, when it flowers, seems to have the most pollinators per square inch of any flower.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

I haven't been able to capture this guy all summer. Now, on a cloudy, rainy day, he finally shows up for his (relative) closeup. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #hummingbird

A male ruby throated hummingbird (a tiny bird) hovers next to a nectar feeder. The sunlight is hitting his throat just right, showing his red gorget.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

With the hot weather came an explosion of insects. They are strange and beautiful and they hold still for pictures. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

This picture shows a bright green dragonfly. It has clear wings, has black bands along its abdomen and bright green eyes. It is perching on a grass stem. It is a female eastern pondhawk.

This picture shows a dusty blue dragonfly. It has clear wings and bright green eyes. It is perched on a bare stem. It is a male eastern pondhawk dragonfly.

This picture shows a large black butterfly perched on red clover flowers. Its body is black with white spots arranged vertically and its wings are dark brown to black with big orange splotches. I am not very good at the black butterflies, but I believe it is a black swallowtail.

This picture shows a close up of a bumblebee on the pink flowers of a common milkweed plant.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Shortly after this sequence was taken, I saw a fledgling eating mealworms independently altho when dad got close, the baby started begging. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #fledgling #feeding

An adult male bluebird (right) has a mealworm in its beak. A fledgling (just left the nest) bluebird is begging for food-- fluttering its wings and opening its beak wide.

The adult bluebird is placing the mealworm in the baby's beak.

The adult bluebird's whole face is encompassed by the baby's beak. You can't see it in this picture, but the adults third eyelid has covered its eyes, to protect them from damage.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Normally, bluebird fledglings from the 1st brood come to feeders in May, but there were none this year. The 2nd brood is due in July and we were happy to see at least 2. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #fledglings

This photo shows two fledgling bluebirds perched next to each other on a branch. They look very different than the adults, with dark brown and cream feathers speckled over their bodies. One of them has visible bright blue feathers on the sides of its wings (the primary feathers) and I assume this one is a boy. The other is perched such that I can't see its wings.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

The male summer tanager always comes to the suet feeder as the twilight is fading, which is why he is always blurry. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #tanager

A summer tanager is a medium sized bird with a stout yellow bill. This is a male, so he is a reddish-orange all over. This one is flying up to the suet feeder from below. Because it was already dark, the shutter speed is slow and his body and tail is a blur. However, he hovered for a moment below the feeder, so his head is in sharp focus.

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Carpingdiem @birdmom707.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Over 65,000 people in my city lost power yesterday after a storm with winds >80 mph came thru. Not much damage in my neighborhood, though there was an odd dearth of insects. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography

This is a great blue heron. It has a long white neck, gray blue body and wing feathers and long legs for wading. You can't see the legs because it is standing in pond water up to its mid leg. It is possible that if it stands up straight and stretches out its neck, it could be as tall as I am.

This little guy is an eastern wood pee-wee. It's a medium sized flycatcher and it's got a little crest on its head, so the head looks almost triangular. It not much to look at, as it has gray-olive drab feathers on its back, wings and tail and dirty white feathers on it's chest and belly. But it has the cutest little song. Bet you can't guess what it sounds like...https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Wood-Pewee/sounds

I was just about to step across a small puddle in the mud of the trail when this little frog hopped out from under where my foot was headed. It's very small, maybe an inch or less in length. When I looked around, I realized there were dozens of them around the little puddle. It's light brown with darker brown spots outlined in black and black marks on its legs.

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