If you share your link, please comment on my post and include your link in the comment! Since I installed JetPack for mobile last week, links are not showing up and I’m not receiving notifications for them. As always, I will continue to place your links in the round-up section of my post.
Feed the Birds Day
Feed the Birds Day is typically observed on February 3 annually to bring awareness to the harsh winter conditions that might prevent wild birds in the northern hemisphere from finding enough food to eat. According to sources,
“This day is celebrated in early February, during the deepest and coldest part of winter. It is the time of year when food is the scarcest. This is the time your backyard birds need your help the most. The seeds in your feeder provide energy and strength, to help birds make it through the rest of winter.”
“Birds require high-energy (high-fat) foods during the cold winter weather to maintain their fat reserves to survive the frosty nights. Use only good-quality food and scraps.”
Source
Feeding the birds is not without controversy, some feel. This article from the US Fish & Wildlife Service states cautionary advice for those who choose to feed wild birds in their backyards.
If you are a fan of birds, you might know that the entire month of February is National Feed the Birds month and the month for The Great Backyard Bird Count.
Linda Shaub posted last week on her findings. I’m hugely impressed that anyone can sit there and count birds. I’m just happy to capture decent images with my lens!
Let’s Share Our Bird Photos!
Whether you choose to feed the birds that visit your backyard, or not, capturing wild birds with the camera lens is a fun and fascinating hobby. I’ll start with a few of mine. Last week I shared these sweet birds that visit our properties during the winter months. They love the black-oil sunflower seeds I provide each day.
Quail and dark-eyed juncoes also visit our backyard all year long.
Sometimes the deer think they can get in on the action.
I caught this Northern Flicker as he launched from lunch in the sunflower planter. Look at the red color under his wings!
Filtered Finch Fun
I was so happy to capture some great close-ups of the finches scavenging for seeds. This one was intent on the seeds below her perch.
Birds’ Gotta Eat
Now that I live in eagle and raptor country, being able to watch American Bald Eagles hunt and fish is fascinating. Many of you have seen similar images taken in November 2021 at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Keeping a watchful eye.
“May you soar on eagle wings, high above the madness of the world.” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Happy Hummers
Capturing hummingbirds in any situation is always a challenge. I caught this cutie from a window in Scottsdale, Arizona last summer.
Last spring after we had planted our trees and provided a place to dine, the hummers visited regularly.
I sure missed seeing them after years of watching their entertaining antics when we lived in Sacramento. I do not use red nectar any longer.
I really enjoy my alone time with my backyard birds!
“In order to see birds, it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” ― Robert Lynd
This Week’s Inspiring Photo Challenges
Each week I am inspired by my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges. I enjoy incorporating these into my Sunday Stills weekly themes.
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently than mine.
- Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
This Week’s Featured Bloggers
Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Below are this week’s links from bloggers who shared their BIRD photos. I add these all week as new links are posted.
- YOUR POST SHARED HERE!
- Between the Lines
- Boz Bozeman
- Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
- The Day After
- Geriatrix Fotogallery
- Graham’s Island
- Kamerapromenader
- Leya
- Light Words
- Loving Life
- Musin’ With Susan (last week’s sweet)
- Musin’ with Susan
- Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
- Philosophy Through Photography
- Quaint Revival
- Roberta Writes
- Stevie Turner
- The Unretired
- This is Another Story
- Travel with Me
- Woolly Muses
- Working on Exploring
Themes for the March are ready to view on my Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Page. Join me as we kick off March exploring “Out of This World!”
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