Bright orange, black and white Baltimore Oriole snacking on an orange impaled on a gnarly tree branch
A Baltimore oriole for the #BirdofTheDay theme of #Snacks. MassAudubon says their colors "reminded early observers of the black and gold heraldry of Lord Baltimore," AKA George Calvert, founder of the Maryland colony, "hence the species' common name." Who knew! :-) #backyardbirds #AmherstMA
Muskrat eating sticks in muddy water
Muskrat swimming through muddy water toward the camera
What delicate paws this #muskrat at the beaver pond has. #NorwottuckRailTrail #AmherstMA
What a wonderful time of year to be on the #NorwottuckRailTrail. The #muskrat is busy eating, the #geese honking and the #woodfrogs and #peepers are calling. (Muskrat pics in next post.) #AmherstMA
Great Blue Heron in water with ruffled feathers and a fish in its beak
This Great Blue Heron ruffled a few feathers catching a fish in the beaver pond. For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #ruffledfeathers. (The expression ruffle feathers means to upset, annoy or irritate someone. In this case that would be the fish.) #NorwottuckRailTrail #AmherstMA
Two geese and seven chicks about to cross the bike path
Be sure to look both ways! #Geese and their seven offspring prepare to cross the bike path. For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #AdultsWithChicks For the past few years at least, newborn geese have hatched on May 1st. #AmherstMA #NorwottuckRailTrail
A blue jay in deep snow on a sunny winter day
A #bluejay in this winter's deep snow for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #blue. "Besides their raucous jay! jay! calls, Blue Jays make a variety of musical sounds," according to Audubon, and "a remarkable imitation of the scream of a Red-shouldered Hawk." #backyardbirds #AmherstMA
A black, white and grey nuthatch with a sunflower seed on a tree trunk
I think I know what this #nuthatch is up to.
According to Audubon, the nuthatch "may spend much of its time industriously carrying seeds away to hide them in crevices." For today's #BirdOfTheDay alternate theme of #Eating. #backyardbirds #AmherstMA
Two speckled starlings at a backyard suet feeder
When I think of a #speckled bird, today's #BirdOfTheDay theme, a #starling immediately comes to mind. Audubon.org says of them, "Often regarded as a pest, the European Starling wins our grudging admiration for its adaptability, toughness, and seeming intelligence." #AmherstMA #backyardbirds
A grey catbird in some shrubs eating an orange put out for an oriole.
We put out the orange hoping a Baltimore oriole would stop by. But a #catbird's gotta eat too! Their call is said to sound like a kitten. For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #OpenBeak. #AmherstMA #backyardbird
A pale yellow goldfinch perched on a bird feeder looking into the camera
Can I help you? A #goldfinch looks up from the sunflower seed feeder and into the camera for today's #BirdOfTheDay alternate theme of #finches. #AmherstMA
A fierce- or annoyed-looking grackle, standing on a wooden board on the ground looking straight at the camera
Don't even! For today's #birdoftheday theme of #LookingAtMe. #AmherstMA
A sparrow surrounded by sunflower seed husks on granular snow
Winter's almost over. A humble backyard #sparrow surrounded by #sunflower seed husks. For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #grounded (any bird on natural ground). #AmherstMA
A pair of doves perched on a wire against a backdrop of snowy pine boughs
A demure dove couple avoiding the snow for today’s #BirdOfTheDay of #MarriedCouples. #AmherstMA
A pied-billed grebe with droplets of water on it's back in a pond
A cute little pied-billed grebe in the beaver pond for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Splash, birds with a splash of water, droplets or a wave breaking. #NorwottuckRailTrial #AmherstMA
Red-bellied woodpecker at a suet feeder
Su-weet! A red-bellied woodpecker is ready for some suet for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Feeders. #AmherstMA
A tufted titmouse at the backyard feeder looking straight at the photographer
You looking at me? A tufted titmouse at the backyard feeder looking straight at me for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #GreyDay, any bird with grey in their plumage, photographed in rain or with a grey background. #AmherstMA
Head shot of a Great Blue Heron
This Great Blue Heron in the beaver pond was leaning into his prehistoric look. For today's #BirdOfTheDay alternate theme of #HeadShots. #AmherstMA
A robin on top of a bird feeder with its wings open
A robin through the kitchen window for today's inventive #BirdOfTheDay theme of #WingsOpenNotFlying #AmherstMA
Great blue heron with one leg raised on a tree branch
A #greatblueheron in a tree at the beaver pond for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme #SteppingOut
#AmherstMA #NorwottuckRailTrail
A fierce-looking bird among bare branches
On alert in the backyard for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #SideView. #AmherstMA
A goose on her feathered nest
A goose on her fine, feathered-nest for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme #PowerPose. But I do wonder why the expression "feather one's nest" implies that someone is greedy, when this poor #goose plucked her own feathers for this one. #NorwottuckRailTrail #AmherstMA
Juvenile robin with ruffled feathers standing on the back of a lawn chair
Looks like this young robin is having a tough morning. For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #RuffledFeathers.
#AmherstMA
Baby goslings under their mother's wing in a pond
These newborn goslings are a shoo-in for today’s #BirdOfTheDay alternate them of #cute, and I'd say their mother is a contender for the primary theme of #WingsOverWater. #NorwottuckRailTrail, #AmherstMA
Green heron
This dapper green heron came a calling to our neighborhood on a rainy day. For today's #BirdOfTheDay alternate theme of #green. #AmherstMa
Great blue heron looking for fish
Great blue heron with a fish -- and ruffled feathers
Sometimes you have to ruffle a few feathers when you're #DivingForFood, today's #BirdOfTheDay theme. #GreatBlueHeron #NorwottuckRailTrail #AmherstMA
Newborn goslings in the sun on the first day of May. #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Serenity. #geese #pond #NorwottuckRailTrail, #AmherstMA
Dove with feathers fluffed out on a snow covered branch in my backyard
What a nice fur coat on this dove trying to stay warm in the snow. #BirdOfTheDay #Pigeons&Doves. #AmherstMA #BackyardBirds
Red cardinal in the snow eating sunflower seeds
#BirdOfTheDay is #OpenBeak. Backyard #cardinal in the #snow, #AmherstMA , eating sunflower seeds in #winter
