Preening Pelican

I've never thought pelicans were beautiful until I saw this photo.

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Indian Peafowl

Indian Peafowl by Milan Zygmunt via So gorgeous!

Tawny Frogmouth: Watch baby bird grow

Watch this little bird grow at the St. Louis Zoo.

Click here to see more still photos from the moment she hatched through one month of growth. The video is on the website too in case you can't see the one above. She looks like an owl but isn't. Read more about this species from the Australian mainland, Tasmania and southern New Guinea here.

A Found Bird's Nest with Eggs

This nest with two unhatched eggs was inside one of my Williamsburg Pottery Bird Bottles that I recently took down and cleaned out prior to having my cottage painted. It's like a little work of art, isn't it? I don't know why this nest was abandoned before the eggs hatched. The tiny birds used it constantly over the summer.

This photo is from Colonial Williamsburg where these bird bottles are still being sold. Order here. The house wrens love them. I put two on the front of my house on either end under the eaves. I still have one to hang on the back of the house near my bedroom window so I can wake up to their delightful singing from early spring and all summer long. Listen to them sing here. They raise multiple families and the parents are tireless workers. They love to perch on the wisteria and sing their little hearts out as they dart in and out of the bottle looking for insects to feed their young.

Out on A Limb

"Where is Mama? We are waiting."

I love this delightful photo of all the little birds lined up waiting for Mama to come home with dinner. I think they look worried, don't you? via

Gorgeous Owl

Forgive me for being so tardy with my morning post. I'm still running around in circles here at the cottage but it's good to be busy. I hope you are having a great last weekend in June. Can you believe the year is half over? Where did it go? This owl certainly has good taste in perching places, doesn't he? I love the wrought iron fence or gate. via

Newly Hatched Hummingbirds

I have hummingbirds here at the cottage but I've never been lucky enough to see a nest. How wonderful!!! via Good night, see you in the morning.

Bluebird Spotting Today at My Cottage

Any day that starts with a bluebird spotting is a good one in my book. This one was pretty far away and I'm thankful my Nikon with the big telephoto lens was near the window. 

Ducky Fireplace

click image to enlarge

I like the bird tiles surrounding this fireplace. My iPhone photo was taken on the fly at an open house yesterday. The original owners must have been birders. 

Baby Goose

This little gosling looks so cozy tucked under mother's wing. I'm getting ready to tuck myself between the sheets to enjoy some TV time on the flat screen in my bedroom. Goodnight all. See you in the morning. via

The Eyes Have It.

Whooooo is looking at you?

Have you ever seen such an amazing grouping of owl eyes? I haven't. What a nice family portrait! The parents have very long moustaches and beards that completely hide their beaks. Wonder why? via

Beautiful Pair of Owls

I never get tired of seeing beautiful owls and these two are simply stunning. via

Bluebird's Bird's-Eye View

I love this picture in a picture with the landscape reflected in the glass of an abandoned dwelling. via

The Blew Linnet - Mark Catesby

An antiquarian print from my flat files. I'm not sure if this is still in there or if I sold it and I'm too lazy to look. I just love the spelling of the word blue (blew), don't you? A hand-colored folio engraving from 'The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands' Published in London 1731-43
I digitally cropped the photo at the plate line so the huge margins wouldn't interfere with your being able to see the image of the bird and plant clearly. This is a very high quality hand-colored reproduction. my photo

Checking on the Cygnets

What a wonderful way to be transported by Mother Swan. They don't look like ugly ducklings to me. via

It's Not Easy Being Green - Chirp

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Cutest Coot Chick Ever

I don't think I've ever seen a coot chick before and I know I've never seen anything cuter. Photo by ©Dan Belton

Remember the Birds

In all this heat, it's a full-time job keeping all of the birdbaths filled with fresh water for my fine feathered friends. My iPhone Photo

Hummingbird Visits My Cottage

I got this cute little hummingbird feeder at a thrift shop several weeks ago and finally got around to cooking up a batch of nectar for it. I like this one because it's small and has only one feeding hole. I positioned it so I could see the frequent visitors quite easily. I got this photo with my iPhone last night while I was sitting on the balcony with Webster after a long day of weed trimming. It's not very sharp because a lot of quality was lost because I was zoomed all the way in. I'll take my SLR outside with me and see if I can get something sharper later in the week. I love these wee birds that have migrated to New Jersey for the summer. My red geranium has big buds that will be open soon and they will love it. They have been buzzing around my lamb's ears too because their tiny flowers have deep throats. Enjoy your Sunday.

Nectar recipe: one cup of sugar with four cups of water. Stir to dissolve sugar, bring to a boil on the stove, cook for 2 minutes to slow down the fermentation and cool. Store excess in refrigerator. 

The average ruby-throated hummingbird weighs 3 grams. In comparison, a nickel weighs 4.5 grams. More fun facts here.

I found two photos online. The first is for my female ruby-throated hummingbird shown more clearly than in my blurry photo. The second is an antique print of the male found @ Natural History's blog.

Vulture at My Cottage

There must be a dead animal around here somewhere. This vulture was flying overhead when Webster and I came back from his after-dinner walk yesterday. It landed on the telephone pole in front of the cottage and spread its wings and left them in that position for quite a long time. I don't care for these big ugly birds but they do have a purpose. Another one landed in the black walnut tree. I wonder if that deer I saw on the side of the road a few houses away is still there? That must be what they are after.