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It is so nice that the Cardis have several broods because they now pretty much have the yard to themselves and I get to see and hear more baby birds 🙂 It also helps their population to not get diminished when the first brood gets a bit hijacked by Cowbirds. Here you can also see well #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 29/09/2026

Overall, it is still extremely calm here but today, I saw signs of migration when some Robins and a group of Blue Jays visited the pond. Blue Jays do migrate too, they just don't travel the large distances other birds do. I am more than ready for more bird activity. #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 26/09/2026

I got to try out a new feeder cam! This is the Humbirdy/ Soliom SH66. It is from the same company as the hummer cam that I used this summer. This one also has the 4K and razor sharp footage and does not require a subscription. It will also

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 24/09/2026

Oh, maybe besides migration there is another reason why it is so quiet lately. I have seen a big swoosh across the yard a couple of times recently. I lean towards Cooper's here, because of the size and the long tail. The tail ends do look flat, which is a Sharp-shinned sign, though. #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 23/09/2026

The bird are still making themselves rare but there are a bunch of opossums visiting at night! My favorite is the little one 😍 He's exploring everything and has the cutest ears! The FlexCam has been super nice in this spot, I love it for the critters because the microphone is so extreme. #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 20/09/2026

Today felt like the first real autumn day, chilly and rainy. And yet, these tiny wonders are still around, getting ready for their big trip south. I keep this feeder up and filled for any stragglers that may visit. They will need any extra energy they can get as we go into this cooler weather.

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 19/09/2026

Funny things from the seed feeder today. There are still hummingbirds around but I think it's travelers. This sweet girl checked out the wrong feeder and eventually found the nectar too. (Keep feeders clean and fresh, they will not stop their migration because of feeders, they actually help them!)

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 18/09/2026

The current regulars are few but look rather interesting because they are all molting. The second bird is a young MoDo, and I really like the pattern on them. The Blue Jay looks like it may be missing a leg. They are all probably glad that traffic is low, so there's more good stuff for them 😆 #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 16/09/2026

I still have a camera in the garden, documenting the growth of this guy. I believe it is a Black Futsu squash. I did not label things properly and tried to do some photo research but I am not entirely sure - do they wrinkle up and get that cool warty foggy exterior with age? #timelapse #gardening

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 15/09/2026

I keep putting out the beautiful spread from Nature's window bird seed in hopes that it will lure in some visitors. The chickadees have discovered it and are here now a lot, the House finches love it, and some few Blue Jays are also sampling. It looks so good it is hard to not try a piece 😁 #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 14/09/2026

The bird drought continues, normal for this time of year. But Robins visited the other day and what I think to be a Swainson's Thrush. The Groundhog family seems to have dispersed too, except for one master gardener who is still shaping the yard. #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 12/09/2026

They are becoming less frequent but there are still hummingbirds around here, and today, a teen male with two red specks visited 😍Do you still see hummers? #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 10/09/2026

Per the weather radar watchers, fall migration is under way, and I hope that some of that will also be visible in my currently almost birdless yard. Handsome almost-not-a-teen-anymore Cardi boy is still here, enjoying himself, prancing around in front of all the cameras to show off his red ❤️ #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 08/09/2026

These are relatively birdless times right now but there is a House Finch family that visits every day, and the enthusiasm of the babies is soothing my weary soul. It's these seemingly small things, watching birds, gardens or insects that are good right now when everything else feels

all photos show the House finch fam at the feeder

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 08/09/2026

With this male, I released the last Monarch today. I hope they have safe travels on their way south. And I am already planning my Milkweed patch for next year and have been collecting seed pods of my wildflowers. I did that last year too, and somehow it is super satisfying to hull seeds 😄

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 07/09/2026

The weather today was stellar, and it was another Monarch release day. This sweet lady is out and about now, and only one chrysalis remains that I think will eclose tomorrow. It has been such a wonderful summer project to see these butterflies come into the world. And a perfect distraction from

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 05/09/2026

There are some very happy Finches around here right now - they pretty much have the feeders for themselves. They are especially lucky because Nature's Window has been so kind to send me some of their excellent seed mixes to try! These babies are sampling the Nut & Fruity

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 04/09/2026

The day started with sunshine and then proceeded to get wilder with the weather as it went on. We went through some really heavy thunderstorms and then ended the early evening with a tornado warning. The hummers visited throughout. #birds #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 02/09/2026

Nothing much going on right now so here is another timelapse that I have been doing. This is a work in progress but I thought it was neat to see how quickly this squash is growing and also how diligent the roly polies are with the old bloom. I think this is a Sweet Dumpling Squash but I am not sure.

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 31/08/2026

Mint gets a lot of hate because it spreads quickly but I like mint and it stays by the veggies garden. When it blooms, there is always a lot of traffic, with bees, butterflies & hummers. It lures in pollinators and can stimulate their appetite, so it's not all horrible, especially near other plants.

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 30/08/2026

It was almost eerie without any bird sounds in the yard today. The bulk of them is really moving on with migration, so I am extra happy to still have the hummers around. Their plumage is so pretty, even when they are molting. All the different layers and textures,

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 29/08/2026

It is kind of nice to have a bit of a breather after the hectic of high summer, not just with #birds but also with work, so it was relaxing to play in the garden and think of fall projects. I feel a little bad for the Orioles that are still passing through but the Goldfinches

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 27/08/2026

A silly goose that fits the current timeline. #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 26/08/2026

A little night garden ballet. Migration is beginning, and many of the summer guests have already left and things are a bit quiet. A good time to use cameras for plant timelapses! Here are Black-eyed peas and a squash. It's fascinating to me how much they move at night. #nature #timelapse

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 24/08/2026

These two ladies eclosed yesterday in the afternoon, and then we had rain and thunderstorms, so I decided to let them spend one more night in the enclosure and released them just a bit ago. It is a bit windy but the sun is out, and I had them both on my hand and put them in the apple tree #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 24/08/2026

The Cardi babies seem to love feeding on the ground, so today I tried to get some photos. There were other visitors too but I got the pretty boy at least! Will try again tomorrow. Come good into the week! #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 23/08/2026

It is so nice to see opossums in the yard again. I always wanted to see a mama carrying the babies around but never have. Now last night, the female that has been coming visited, and I had seen her big pouch before. And last night, I spotted signs of bebes 😍

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 22/08/2026

More hummingbirds, because why not? 🙂I find it so intriguing that these guys are so incredibly small but still a full proper bird. And when you slow them down a bit like here, you get to see that. The hovering is super cool but I also love seeing them sit. #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 21/08/2026

I've been having fun with the Flex cam recently, stalking the Cardi babies 😂 I have moved it around too but like this ground position the best so far. It's been very nice to be able to check in an app what happened over night. This is something

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 18/08/2026

Hummingbirds can be so particular about their feeders. For weeks, I've been trying to get some photos in this spot, and they would not show up, but just as I put this feeder there, they are back 😆 As you can see, the whole family is out, female, male and a youngster with throat feathers emerging. 🐦

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 17/08/2026

These guys are my favorite right now - the young Cardinals. I just love that patchwork look when their adult feathers come in. I think these are a boy and a girl but there may also be a third one. It makes me happy to know they had a a good season, can't have enough Cardis ❤️ Come good into the week!

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 15/08/2026

Molting season is here, and today, there were some extra dramatic Blue Jays. This is a great time to learn a bit about bird anatomy - guess where the ear is! They won't be looking this adorable for long, you can already see new feathers coming in. #birds #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 13/08/2026

The big crooked tree gets used as a vantage point, a wellness spot, and a hangout by all the wildlife around here. Checking this footage is always fun because you never know what you get. I was surprised to see the opossum!

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 12/08/2026

Those hot end of summer days can be rough when you are a tiny baby bird in a nestbox. I always worry about excessive heat and smoky air but the Wrens have it pretty well figured out this year. The four (one egg did not hatch) look great! The parents are my pest control in the garden. #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 11/08/2026

I've tried the FlexCam some more, it is kind of a mix between the feeder cam cameras, the trailcams and the Birdsy camera. It does not need a cable, is light & small, easy to install in all kinds of spots, the app is very intuitive, and you can use it in all kinds of scenarios. The colored night

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 10/08/2026

I moved the hummer feeder to a spot near the Scarlet Runner Beans, and this little lady seems to have claimed it for now. She is very entertaining and vocal! She visits at all times of the day, and sometimes you can tell that she's been at flowers before because she is covered in pollen ❤️ #nature

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 09/08/2026

The baby birds have grown and are now awkward lookingteens, exploring the world in larger groups pre-migration or by themselves. And somehow many of them are aware of the cams and curious about them too. I also loved seeing that the Finches seem to enjoy catnip seed, and that Cardi boy is so pretty!

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 07/08/2026

Madame Monarch the I. eclosed early this morning, and it was the most beautiful thing to see. After she had dried for a couple of hours, she seemed ready to leave, so I opened the enclosure, and she took off. It may have been a tad early, she landed on the lawn.

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 05/08/2026

Every morning I take a little stroll through the garden to see what popped up or grew over night, and today, this squash flower lured me in because the sun was shining right at it in an otherwise shadowy spot. And it was so busy there! I think

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 03/08/2026

It was a busy weekend. Five cute new wren babies hatched yesterday, the Monarch eggs, cats and chrysalises are doing good, I have put a camera by the Chocolate Tube Slime to try and get a timelapse, planted things, ordered more flower seed and also seed garlic for fall.

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 02/08/2026

The birds of late summer look funny, they are either adorable goofy youngsters or awkward goofy looking molting adults. Molting means losing old feathers and growing nice new ones, and some species do it more dramatic than others. They are not sick, just using the nice warm temperatures

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 01/08/2026

I got to try out another camera, made by CoolFly, and I put it to the test. It does a good job with the videos, even caught a hummingbird and is overall stable and easy to install. The app is very nice and intuitive, and no subscription is needed. It came with different

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 31/07/2026

There has been less hummer action recently but the feeders are ready, and in the meantime, sugar addicts anonymous has regular meetings there - Grosbeaks and Orioles will check them out even if no beak fits. This camera uses AI to identify birds and record them. The footage is not AI. #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 30/07/2026

It looks like the House finches had another set of babies 😍 I love these little boogers so much, and it was such a pleasant surprise today. they all ran away when that scary molting Redwinged blackbird lady came 😆⁠ #birds Some of my VERY old photos have been shared on Insta today,

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 29/07/2026

Ah, this was so cool to watch - the chrysalis-making. I sped the video up a bit but the whole process was quick, about five minutes. It reminds me of the baby in Eraserhead but also looks like an adorable dancing snot 😆 It is so crazy how much it moved! 🦋

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 27/07/2026

The first Monarch caterpillar made a chrysalis on a leaf, which is not ideal. I carefully detached it by the silk and tied floss around the black stem, the cremaster, and hung it in a better spot. Before, I admired its stunning beauty. There is gold on there 😍 Nature is amazing.

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 27/07/2026

These guys are dominating in the sound department right now, the Northern House Wrens. I see them foraging for insects everywhere, from the bushes to the roof and the garden. I believe the first one is a youngster. They have also made a nest

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 24/07/2026

A little timelapse of one of the Monarch cats having the munchies last night 🐛 This is the biggest one, and I think it is not far away from cocooning. #nature #butterfly

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 24/07/2026

Cardinals were my spark bird. In Germany, I lived in the city, and something that vibrant is just not existent in the wild. I love them in every season, and I am always happy to see them breeding successfully. Smol boy eventually cooperated too 😄 #birds

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Ostdrossel @ostdrossel.com · 23/07/2026

More babies! Here are a Rosebreasted Grosbeak, a MoDo, a RWBB, a Blue Jay and a Grackle. All youngsters, with their unique coloring and patterns, the soft skin around the beak and the cuteness. I think it the color combos are really nice, especially with the insides of the beak.

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