A New Bird in our Yard

As far as bird sightings are concerned, summer has been quiet in our yard. There were the usual robins, and goldfinches drinking from our bird bath and eating seeds in our garden (and dozens of house sparrows in our front yard). So, when the blue jays out back made a racket on Monday morning, my husband went to investigate. He never did find out what upset them, but instead he spotted a warbler. Now, we have lived here for 13 years and have never seen a warbler in our neighborhood. As is usual in those cases, identifying which kind of warbler was impossible. A few minutes later I headed out with a camera to perhaps photograph an intruder, and saw a female rose-breasted grosbeak instead. I haven't seen any grosbeaks since spring and it is a sign that the birds are beginning to show up. We are therefore getting ready to hang up our feeders because they really are bird magnets. We purchased black-oil sunflower seeds, thistle, and safflower for cardinals.
We haven't spotted any hummingbirds for a while and assume that they are on their way south. May they return safely next spring!

Backyard Visitor

As we strolled through our backyard last week we noticed this small groundhog in a tunnel made out of cut grass. We wondered:
Maybe it is sick?
Maybe it is young?
Maybe I should get my camera?

That last thought spurred me into action and I set up my tripod and 400mm lens. All this commotion did not disturb the little guy, but when I clicked the shutter once it made a hasty retreat. Such is the life of a wildlife photographer. You may only get one shot...

Award Winning Bird Photography

Today's issue of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has an article about me and my incredible feat of winning three major awards for the same photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse.