Chores, Backyard Birding and Digiscoping

Purple Finch

Cleaning leaves out of the gutters is my least favorite hated house chore. It didn't help that it rained this morning before I could get to the daunting task. While scooping out the sloppy mess of leaves and murky organic gunk, I kept checking to see which birds were coming to the feeders (yeah, I'm lucky I didn't fall off the ladder).

And then came even more raking!

After the grueling tasks were finished, I decided to relax by doing a little practice digiscoping. Who needs practice, you say? Well, I do. I've noticed that if I allow too much time to pass between digiscoping sessions, I seem to get a little rusty aiming and focusing. Given the number of species visiting today I knew I'd have some quality subjects to work with.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Just how fast is a nuthatch? While watching this little bird hammer a sunflower into the bark, I observed it do something I thought was simply astonishing. The seed wasn't quite secure and fell. Believe it or not, the nuthatch beat and billed it before it hit the ground, went right back up the tree and found a better location for it. Now that's what I call impressive speed, dexterity and determination!

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Just hanging out...

Dark-eyed Junco

Do you think I could impress upon Becky just how fantastic juncos look surrounded by so many colorful leaves? I mean, really now...just look at that! Why rake perfectly good photographic compositional elements?

Yard list for November 6th, 2005:

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Cedar Waxwing
Mourning Dove
American Robin
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Purple Finch
House Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay

All images © 2005 Michael McDowell