Hummingbird Banding with my Mom and Dad
January 19, 2020 - Fred Bassett did hummingbird banding at my parents' house. He banded a first-year male and a second-year male Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Backyard photography
A nature photographer’s images and stories of birds, butterflies, and other creatures from her backyard near Orlando, FL
Hanging out with my Wintering Backyard Birds
January 18, 2020 - Quiet afternoon of backyard photography with Painted Buntings, "Blondie" the Palm Warbler, and House Finches who eat goldfinch food
My Turn with the Western Tanager
December 27, 2019 - I photographed my lifer Western Tanager in my parents' backyard on Christmas Day. I guess I'm not on the Naughty List after all!
An Early Christmas Present – Rare Western Tanager
December 24, 2019 - A rare Western Tanager has been showing up perodically in my parents' backyard. What a great early Christmas present for a family of birders!
First of Fall Painted Bunting – 2019
October 7, 2019 - I looked out my window this morning and saw a male Painted Bunting at my feeder. It’s definitely feeling like fall!
Cardinal Nest
June 3, 2019 - Shoving furniture aside to photograph a cardinal nest is a perfectly normal activity for this nature photographer! ;-)
The Last of the Backyard Migrants
May 23, 2019 - One morning in late April, I spent a couple of hours in the backyard with my camera, hoping to see our first-of-spring baby Cardinal and maybe a few migrants. It was a cool morning and pleasant to hear the calls of “my” birds as they woke up. We’ve been seeing the occasional Eastern Bluebird, although […]
I Miss my Painted Buntings!
May 16, 2019 - Last springtime backyard photography with my Painted Buntings. Is it October yet? I can't wait for them to return
Springtime Backyard Bird Photography
April 11, 2019 - Springtime backyard bird photography including Painted Buntings, Gray Catbirds, American Goldfinches, Northern Cardinals, and cute bunnies :)
Colorful Afternoon in the Backyard
April 3, 2019 - Backyard bird photography - Painted Buntings, Brown Thrashers, and first-time visiting White-crowned Sparrows
Surprise Lifer Pine Siskin in my Own Backyard
January 24, 2019 - A morning of backyard bird photography yielded a surprise - my lifer Pine Siskin joined the American Goldfinches at my feeder
Photographing the January 2019 Lunar Eclipse!
January 21, 2019 - Photos from the January 2019 total lunar eclipse taken from our freezing-cold backyard in Central Florida
Meet Our Newest Neighbor, the Nanday Parakeet
May 5, 2018 - Our newest neighbor is a Nanday Parakeet who makes very loud visits to our bird feeders
Addicted to my Painted Buntings
February 7, 2018 - Painted Bunting photography in my backyard - fun with flight shots! Plus a visiting Gray Catbird
An Afternoon in the Bird Blind
February 3, 2018 - An afternoon in the backyard bird blind yielded Painted Buntings, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and my dad's favorite - a Northern Cardinal
A Morning in Backyard Birding Paradise
January 24, 2018 - Peaceful morning of backyard birding photography with my winter guests - the Painted Buntings!
Hoodies Back in the Neighborhood!
January 3, 2018 - The Hooded Mergansers are back in town and I photographed them on a cloudy December afternoon
Welcome Fall Birds!
October 22, 2017 - Our fall birds are returning to the backyard. Gray Catbirds, Palm Warblers, and Painted Buntings are here to stay. The American Redstarts are just passing through!
Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Lee
October 11, 2017 - Meet the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds who have made our backyard their home since the passage of Hurricane Irma.
Breaking News!
October 8, 2017 - Our winter backyard celebrities are coming back! First of fall Painted Bunting seen today :)
Summer Backyard Birding
August 17, 2017 - Summer backyard birding is fun with a visiting Ruby-throated Hummingbird and growing baby Northern Cardinals and House Finches
Happy Fourth of July!
July 4, 2017 - It’s our country’s birthday! To celebrate, Goldy (our resident feline ornithologist) is issuing a challenge to our blog readers. She wants you to get out and find as many red, white, and blue bird-birds as you can! Some suggestions: Red: Northern Cardinal, Summer Tanager White: White Ibis, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, juvenile Little Blue Heron, […]
Somewhere Under the Rainbow, My Birds Fly
June 30, 2017 - Backyard birding update along with a beautiful rainbow photo
Great-crested Flycatcher
May 30, 2017 - Just a quick post this morning…I’m still going through photos from a very productive long weekend! On Friday I went over to my parents’ house. We heard the call of a Great-crested Flycatcher from a neighbor’s tree, so I grabbed my camera and went to investigate. He was sitting out in the open, perched nicely […]
Northern Cardinals
May 24, 2017 - My Northern Cardinals wish a very special person a very happy birthday today!
Can You Tell?
May 11, 2017 - Rich cracked me up so hard and I just have to share the joke. Recently I finished editing this image and I took the laptop to him, asking “Can you tell?” His response was priceless. “I don’t know if there was a branch, and I don’t know if there was a bird!” Such are the […]
April Showers Bring…May Migrants!
May 7, 2017 - A cold front blew in migrant birds to Fort De Soto yesterday - lots of Bay-breasted Warblers, Indigo Buntings, tanagers, grosbeaks, and more!
Birds on Bird Finials
May 5, 2017 - I started to notice something funny in my backyard...all the birds like to pose on finials!
Backyard Bird Feeder Fun
April 30, 2017 - Fun photos of visitors at our backyard bird feeders - Painted Buntings galore :)
The Clownarounds (a.k.a. Mourning Doves)
April 24, 2017 - Mourning doves are the backyard birding clownarounds - they always make me laugh with their antics!
Early April in the Backyard
April 20, 2017 - Backyard birding is best in early April - Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, warblers, Painted Buntings, a juvenile dove (already!), and a hilarious Brown Thrasher photobomb!
The Bunny Hop!
April 16, 2017 - Happy Easter! Our backyard rabbits celebrated by doing the bunny hop (literally!)
Migrant Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
April 15, 2017 - Migrant Blue-gray Gnatcatchers passed through the backyard and posed for my camera. Their song was so different than our Floridian gnatcatchers!
House Finches Back in the Yard
April 13, 2017 - The House Finches are back in the backyard with their bright red colors and cheerful songs
First Cedar Waxwings of the Spring
April 11, 2017 - My first of spring Cedar Waxwings have shown up in the backyard, along with more beautiful Painted Buntings and American Goldfinches
Golden Morning with the Goldfinches
April 9, 2017 - Golden moments in golden light with my goldfinches!
Eastern Bluebird at Goldy’s House!
April 8, 2017 - Breaking news from Goldy's window! An Eastern Bluebird visited this morning!
Happiness is…
April 3, 2017 - Happiness is… …watching the American Goldfinches turn yellow and play in your flowers :) … seeing the female Indigo Bunting from last weekend – she stuck around! … finally snapping a picture of the elusive Prairie Warbler who has been mocking you for the past three mornings, and as a bonus, getting to hear him sing! […]
Welcome, Migrant Hummingbirds!
April 1, 2017 - Photos of a migrant hummingbird nectaring on coral honeysuckle. A beautiful Ruby-throated Hummingbird with a gorgeous red throat!
Backyard Birding Bonanza
March 28, 2017 - Backyard birding paradise - Painted Buntings and goldfinches! I filled my memory card and exhausted my camera battery. Bonus Indigot Bunting!
Springtime Morning of Backyard Birding
March 21, 2017 - Recently I spent a weekend morning in my backyard – rather unusual for me, since mornings are usually when I venture beyond the backyard. It was fun to see my yard in morning light. This is the time of year that I love backyard birding the best. Flowers are blooming, the air is fresh and […]
He Who Laughs Last Gets the Most Mealworms!
March 19, 2017 - The joke was on me when I tried to con a bird into perching on pretty flower stalks
Finally! A Few Lesser Scaups in the Neighborhood
March 12, 2017 - Lesser Scaups didn't winter in Winter Garden this year, but a few showed up on their spring migration north
Hummingbirds at My Mom’s Feeders
March 8, 2017 - Photographs of the hummingbirds at my mom's backyard feeder
There’s No Place Like Home
March 4, 2017 - I had an especially good morning birding in my backyard last weekend. Painted Buntings, yellow goldfinches, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in breeding colors!
Goldy’s Backyard Bird Count
February 24, 2017 - Goldy and I participated in last weekend's Great Backyard Bird Count. Our yard yielded Painted Buntings, American Robins, and Goldy's finches
The Backyard Spoilsport
February 5, 2017 - Meet my backyard spoilsport, also known as a Cooper's Hawk!