Beautiful Spring morning

At five thirty this morning I woke to a birds call that I didn't recognize at first. I looked out the bedroom window and saw it was a Carolina wren..no wait...2 Carolina wrens.

I grabbed my camera and took the above photos through the window. Just as I finished taking the wrens pictures, a male ruby throated hummingbird landed in the rhododendron bush right near the wrens. How neat, took photos of him as he rested on the bare branch.

Here he turned his head just a bit and the red on his throat showed up.

The last photo of the continous shoot mode on the camera. I noticed when I downloaded the photo that it's tongue is sticking out just a bit.

I couldn't believe it, a black and white warbler flew onto the rhododendron as I finished taking the hummers photo. It was like Grand Central Station and the birds were all landing almost on top of each other. I had never seen a black and white warbler in the yard before. I couldn't get a good photo of the warbler in the rhododendron so, I threw some clothes and shoes on and went outside. The wrens were still there, but no black and white warbler. So I started making the pshing sound that often times brings birds in as they are curious about the sound. Sure enough, the warbler flew from the woods into the apple tree near the rhododendron. I was able to get 2 photos before it flew away. Great way to start the morning off.

female black and white warbler

I came back into the house made breakfast for my husband and packed his lunch. Then I showered and got ready to leave to do my parents grocery shopping. I didn't get far. As I was getting into the car...I heard an oriole calling. I grabbed my camera and took a couple pictures of the male that was in the neighbors big, old, maple tree. 

fluffing up it's feathers as he gave himself a shake.

This morning before I left I put out a suet basket filled with shed dog and cat fur with some other things for the birds to use in their nest.

The kitty fur is from my long haired cat that I brushed out last night, and the dog fur was from our Golden Retriever Bear. Long story...read about it here..from my old blog post in February 2010.

I love spring...all the flowers and shrubs are blooming, sunshine, warm days, birds singing, green grass so nice to see after the long, snowy, cold winter we had.

pair of nesting Bank Swallows

nesting colony of bank swallows near the top of a large sand pile at one of our cranberry bogs. In this sand bank I counted over 40 nest holes.There is another nesting colony of bank swallows at another one of our cranberry bogs, but that colony is smaller. The swallows have been returning to the two sand piles for a few years. They are amazing birds and so much fun to watch.

nest hole under the ridge of a high sand bank/pile. You can see how the sand under the hole is compressed from where the bird perches as it digs out the sand in the bank for it nest.

far left...start of a new nest hole, and the hole next to it..if you click on the photo to enlarge it...you can see sand being flung out of the hole from the bird inside making the hole bigger.

bird leaving the nest hole

checking it's mate inside the hole and digging

  

peeking out

  

The swallows are constantly flying in and out of the nest holes and making new holes.

bank swallows nesting in sand bank

For the Birds

Loon photos taken at Plymouth Beach, Plymouth, MA 5.10.14

Commorant on barnacle covered rock..Plymouth Beach 5.10.14

Black Turnstone..Plymouth Beach 5.10.14

front yard..I put out orange slices for the orioles, but the red bellied woodpecker loves this juicy treat

The male osprey was sitting on a perch not far from the nest, it took off, flew to it's favorite dead tree. 5.10.14

Took off and flew to the beach 

Grabbed a large piece of seaweed from the tide line

and carried it to the nest where the female is sitting on eggs in the nest

greater yellow legs standing near marsh. If you click to enlarge photo you can see that it was raining when I took the photo. Plymouth..5.10.14

male goldfinch Plymouth 5.10.14

yellow warblers are everywhere, but so difficult to get a photo of especially since the trees are now leafing out and most times having to face into the sun to get a photo. They aren't cooperative as they quickly flit in and out of the branches. I took this photo at my brothers cranberry bog in Plympton. 5.10.14

 tree swallow on nest box at the cranberry bog 5.10.14

male oriole 7 a.m. 5.11.14

female hummingbird 5.11.14   7 a.m.

male hummingbird right after rain stopped 6 a.m...5.11.14