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birdmom707.bsky.social
Carpingdiem
@birdmom707.bsky.social
370 followers 170 following 210 posts
Retired POC, blue dot in red IN. All pictures taken by me; mostly birds or other nature. I block easily. Header: Two bluebirds fighting, wings spread. Avatar: Power Puff girls me.
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birdmom707.bsky.social
There are a lot of birds around today. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
A male bluebird launches from the feeder. I caught his wings on the downbeat. An American goldfinch is a small bird, perhaps 4 inches (10 cm) long. Small, but very feisty. Here, a male hovers above another male, wings extended, apparently throwing insults his way.
January 2, 2026 at 1:52 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
There can be only one! (Bluebird in the feeder at a time, that is."
#birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
Two male bluebirds go chest to chest, wings spread, in the air above the feeder to decide who gets to feed and who has to leave.
December 31, 2025 at 8:37 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
A Carolina wren scavenges a fallen mealworm from the deck. #Grounded #BirdOfTheDay #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
The Carolina wren is a small brown bird (one of those LBJs--little brown jobs) with an outsize beak and personality. It has a loud voice for its size. We have had Carolina wrens raising youngsters on our porch for years.
December 23, 2025 at 4:23 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
This is me today. But instead of a mealworm in my beak, I've got a Lindt truffle. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebird
A female bluebird has snagged a mealworm from the feeder and is zooming downward off the feeder. Not seen in the picture, a male bluebird is zooming in from above to take possession of the feeder.
December 23, 2025 at 12:41 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It's been a brutal week. Thank the goddess it's #flyday.

#birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #birdsinflight #flyday
This shows two birds having a showdown over who owns the feeder. A female bluebird has her back to the camera and opposite her is a male bluebird, facing the camera. Both have their wings spread open, trying to prove they are the baddest, scariest bluebird. Males usually win these kinds of displays and this male clawed the female and she left. At the feeder, there can be only one. Bluebird at the time, that is. A female takes flight, wings spread as a male comes in for a landing. When the starling shows up, the fun is over. A male bluebird bails out of the feeder, wings spread, as a starling lands on the shepherd's hook above the feeder. A male bluebird is launching out of the feeder, wings spread.
December 20, 2025 at 3:52 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
Pre-Xmas is so tiring. (Bluebird fleeing feeder and starling.). #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebird
This photo shows a male bluebird, wings spread, leaving a feeder. The reason is a starling is perched above the feeder.
December 19, 2025 at 4:43 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
I love it when the male pileated woodpecker comes around. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #woodpecker
A male pileated woodpecker, the largest bird in our woods, spreads his large wings prior to taking off from the tree he's clinging to. The underside of his wings is mostly white, with a black bottom edge. His body is black and his head is white with black streaks. He has a big red crest and a red mustache. In this photo, the same male pileated woodpecker spreads his wings, preparing to take off. The photo is taken from a different angle, you can see the upper side of his wings. You can see his wings are half white and half black, looking almost like the black and white keys on a piano. In this photo, the male pileated woodpecker launches himself from the suet nugget feeder. You can see just how large his wingspan is. Again, his big white feathers are the main feature of the under side of his wings.
December 13, 2025 at 1:45 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
In the winter, when it's cold (like now), bluebirds flock to the mealworm feeder. Last year, I had more than a dozen birds, but so far this winter, there are only a couple of them. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
This photo shows a male bluebird, wings outspread. As a male bluebird approaches in the distance, the current occupant of the feeder prepares to leave, wings outspread. A male bluebird sits on the feeder and, beak open, yells at a departing female bluebird. A third bluebird sits nearby, watching it all. (The feeder was in a patch of light and the bluebird on the wing is passing out of the sunlight into the shade.) A female bluebird is preparing to launch from the feeder. Her wings are still furled, but she is striding towards the edge of the feeder. For a moment, she is in the air over the feeder, legs working.
December 6, 2025 at 4:12 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
After the snow comes the cold. And the birds. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
This is a small, chunky reddish brown bird with a streaky breast. It has a grey eyebrow and some other gray markings. It caught my eye because it was scratching in the snow like a chicken. It is a fox sparrow. The bluebird rule is: Only one bird in the feeder at a time. A bluebird hurries to exit the feeder as another approaches on the wing. The sunflower heart feeder is full of finches. Here, a male finch, with a red head and chest, takes wing from the feeder. While the main visitors to the mealworm feeder are bluebirds and starlings, other smaller visitors come when no one's looking. Here, a small gray tufted titmouse takes off from the feeder, with a mealworm in its beak.
December 4, 2025 at 2:55 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It was really snowing hard today. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #video
November 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It's below freezing and all the birds that were scarce at the bird feeders are back again. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
A male bluebird sits on a branch with red oak leaves in the background. There's a nice contrast between the blue of his feathers and the red of the leaves. A tiny brown bird (also known generically as a Little Brown Job or LBJ) prepares to launch from the feeder, a mealworm in its beak. It is a Carolina wren. A female Northern flicker, a medium-sized woodpecker, hangs off the suet nugget feeder and watches a small American goldfinch approach. The flicker has a handsome dark gold and black patterned back and wings, as well as a red "V" on the back of its neck, but its most beautiful feathers are the bright yellow ones on the underside of its wings and tail. The goldfinch is in its winter feathers, with a dull yellow/brown body and black wings and tail edged in white. A male pileated woodpecker, the largest of the woodpeckers and possibly the largest non-predatory bird in our woods (the crows are also large), pushes off from the tree trunk that it has been resting on, headed for the nearby feeder. It is mostly black with white accents and a bright red crest. The males also have a red "mustache."
November 27, 2025 at 8:54 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
I know I'm late, but here are the two photos I got of the aurora borealis (Northern lights) with my iPhone last week. By the time I got my real camera (in a few minutes), the lights had disappeared. #nature #naturephotography #Northernlights #auroraborealis #nightsky
The Northern lights thru and above the trees around my deck. I could not see anything with my eyes, but the iPhone saw a red/purple sky fading into blue/green. There is a "column" of light extending from the ground into the sky. I was gone a few moments later. Another view of the red/purple sky thru the trees. You can see the stars shining at the top of the picture.
November 17, 2025 at 9:40 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
I was sitting on the deck and watching a nuthatch, when a Cooper's hawk dove onto the feeder. When it realized I was there, it gave a hop and took off. It didn't get the nuthatch. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
A Cooper's hawk is a medium sized hawk. Here, an adult has just landed on the shepherd's hook holding the feeder, when it notices me behind it. It cranes its head around to look at me, giving me a good look at its ruby red eyes. You can almost see the thought bubble above its head: "What are YOU doing there, human?" That gave the nuthatch time to get away. A nuthatch is a small bird that often forages upside down on trees. Here, it is frozen in place, hoping the Cooper's hawk has not seen it. It got lucky this time.
November 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
The snow is back and so are the birds. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
A male bluebird takes off from the deck railing, wings spread. A male Northern flicker hangs off the side of the suet feeder in the snow. A pretty male Northern cardinal, all red with a black mask, perches on the tiny branch in the snow, waiting for his turn at the feeder.
November 10, 2025 at 7:38 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
We went to see the bird ambassadors at the local park. This peregrine falcon could not fly due to a wing injury. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #falcon
This picture shows a peregrine falcon, the fastest bird on the planet, perched on a black glove, eating a chick. It has a gray head, neck, back and wings. Peregrines usually have a white chest, but this one is more tan with gray dots. It has yellow around the eyes and its claws are also yellow.
November 6, 2025 at 4:14 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
The Cooper's hawk has returned to haunt the feeders. #birds #hawk #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
This is a picture of an adult Cooper's hawk perched just above one of the feeders, which is hanging on the metal shepherd's hook. The Cooper is a medium-sized hawk with dark gray back, wings and cap, a white and cinnamon checked chest and belly and red eyes. It hangs out around the feeders in the fall and winter and takes unwary birds; it's favorite meal is starling, which is fine with me.
October 25, 2025 at 3:26 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
Our first near-freeze will happen tonight, so I took a side trip to see these butterfly (and bee) beauties for maybe the last time. #insects #butterflies #bees #fall #nature #naturephotography
A Monarch butterfly (who is large, orange with black veins and black edges on its wings and a black body AND white dots in the black areas) sits on a hot pink zinnia looking for nectar. A painted lady butterfly (who has orange and brown and tan spotted wings and a tan body and legs) takes off from a pale pink zinnia flower. The butterfly is facing the camera as it takes off, so you can seen the underside, which you don't typically see. It has a rather startling face in this picture, which I can't really describe, except to say it looks like it belongs on an H.R. Giger monster. A silver spotted skipper butterfly (who is medium-sized and dark brown with splashes of orange and white on its wings and a dark brown body) looks for nectar on a pale pink zinnia (that looks like it is not going to last much longer). If you look closely at the center of the flower, you can see a tiny yellow beetle with black spots (a spotted cucumber beetle) sharing the flower. A large hairy yellow and black bumblebee hovers above a bright red zinnia. If you look at its hind leg, it has a big orange pollen basket attached, which it will bring back to the hive to serve as food.
October 9, 2025 at 2:13 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It's been warm during the day and we've had some rain, so the wildflowers are blooming like crazy. And with that come the butterflies. #insects #butterflies #wildflowers #bloomscrolling #nature #naturephotography
This photo shows 3 clouded sulfur butterflies--they are medium sized butterflies, mostly light yellow in color with dark brown/black markings along the edges of their wings. In the back are two of them perched amongst tiny white aster flowers (heath aster). They are face-to-face and it looks like they might be kissing--in fact, they are mating. In the foreground, a similar butterfly appears to be attempting to interrupt the duo. It has spread its wings and subsequent to this picture, actually landed on the couple. It has yellow wings with solid dark brown borders. It is a male clouded sulfur butterfly. Nothing it did fazed the mating couple and it flew off eventually. These lovely purple flowers with yellow centers are New England asters. On the right a medium sized brown butterfly with splashes of white and orange on its wings is nectaring (a silver spotted skipper) and in the background, a big black and yellow bumblebee is nectaring on a different flower. A large butterfly, an orange and black Monarch, has spread its wings. It has landed on a big spray of tiny yellow goldenrod flowers.
September 26, 2025 at 8:47 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
I went for a walk yesterday, even though it was drizzling. Partway through my walk, the sun came out while the mist was still falling and I captured this. I was out in that for 20 minutes without a jacket and my clothing was barely damp. #rain #sun #video
September 23, 2025 at 7:51 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It's hot and the boneset is blooming. That means lots of butterflies. #insects #butterflies #wildflowers #nature #naturephotography #insectphotography
This is a medium sized butterfly. It is deep yellow with some dark brown or black markings around the edges of its wings. It has green eyes and red antennae. This is an orange sulfur butterfly and it is nectaring on tiny white spiky flowers of boneset. Boneset is a mid-fall bloomer, in flowers when most other flowers have been and gone. When you find boneset in the fall, you find butterflies. This tiny butterfly is orange with black lacy markings and dark brown/black wing edges. It is a pearl crescent butterfly and it is also nectaring on boneset flowers. This is a medium sized butterfly. It looks a bit like a moth, but it's a silver spotted skipper butterfly. It's a warm brown color with a big splotch of white on the wings and smaller splotches of orange. It is nectaring on a pale pink, spiky, thistle flower. This is a medium sized butterfly with pale white-green wings, edged in pink. It has green eyes and pink antennae. It is also nectaring on boneset. It is a clouded sulfur butterfly.
September 18, 2025 at 9:56 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
Fall birds. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
This is a male ruby throated hummingbird hovering next to the feeder. He is tilting his head to one side and you can see the red iridescent throat he has. The hummingbirds are constantly at the feeder as they are preparing for the long journey south. They'll be leaving shortly, but we'll keep the feeders up until early November just in case some late migrators need them. This is a tiny bird, a red breasted nuthatch. They breed in the north, so we don't see them around in the summer. This one is migrating south, and occasionally they stay in this area for the winter, so maybe this one will stay. Shot from below, this is a young Northern cardinal. It's getting redder (it started out all beige) and you can see its long red tail and pink feet and legs.
September 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
I went looking for butterflies today and I found them, but only time for 1 picture tonight (sleepy). #insects #butterflies #wildflowers #bloomscrolling #naturephotography
The picture shows a large light yellow butterfly in flight. It has vertical black markings on its wings and its hindwings have big blue and smaller orange spots. It has just taken off from a spiky pink thistle flower where it was nectaring. It is a female eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.
August 30, 2025 at 3:41 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
Late summer is the time for a butterfly bonanza! #butterflies #insects #insectphotography #butterflyphotography #wildflowers
This big butterfly is a monarch, with its orange wings with black markings and white spots. It is nectaring on tall ironweed, a fall wildflower, with its spike purple flowers. This big butterfly has black wings with yellow dots along its wing edges and yellow, blue and orange spots on its hindwing. It is a black swallowtail, a female. This tiny orange butterfly has brown markings and wing edges. It has dark bulbs at the ends of its antennae, marking it as a male. It is a pearl crescent butterfly. I almost never see this tiny butterfly with its wings open. It is a lovely dusky blue on top, with black wing edges, black markings and tiny "tails" on its hindwing. It is a short tailed blue butterfly and its blue color marks it as a male (the females are a dark brown/black).
August 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It's the last day of the #indianastatefair. Lovely chickens this year, after they have been absent for so long due to bird flu. #chickens #birdphotography #photography #statefair #chickens
I think this is a Plymouth Rock rooster. He has black and white bars on all his feathers, so he looks barred all over. He has a lovely red comb and wattles and a gold-colored beak. This rakish looking rooster is a Rhode Island Red. He has dark brown feathers all over with a spiky comb and big wattles. He has a wicked curved beak.
August 17, 2025 at 12:04 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
Kids: "Mom, feed us!"
Mom: "If you expect me to chew your food and put it in your mouth, you can forget that!"
#birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
Blue jays are a medium sized birds related to crows. Like crows, they are very noisy. Unlike crows, they are different shads of blue all over. An adult blue jay sits on the suet feeder. Two fledgling blue jays are nearby, flapping their wings and crying for food. The adult continued to feed itself and did not respond to the juveniles.
August 10, 2025 at 11:27 PM