Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird A huge wave of Hummingbirds came through during migration, with a dozen and more busy around the prairie at Owen Park, Madison.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Depending on their angle, a few looked rather plumped up for their journey of thousands of miles ahead.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Feeding with great precision and delicacy as it hovered before one of countless blossoms.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Even a thistle had to be checked out.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Perched and watching as others flew around and around. Though not in their terrritories, they could still be contentious with one another.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sometimes the aggression seemed half-hearted, with only a buzzing fly-by.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird If another came too close, a squat posture turned elongated with the possibility of a lift-off and chase.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird A close-up showing the fine detail of the very tiny bird.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird That portly look achieved partly by posture and partly by actuality.

Red-eyed Vireo With its bright red eye gleaming in the sunlight, the Red-eyed Vireo is on the hunt for insects active in the warm morning sun.

Red-eyed Vireo A Ruby-throated Hummingbird pauses to look back at the staring Vireo.

Brown Thrasher Another bird with a very bright eye, though this one is brilliant yellow, attached to a very long tail on the other end.

Brown Thrasher And here's the tail shown off.

Gray Catbird Looking a bit scruffy from being both wet and going through a molt.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Colorful, with no shortage of patterns, and a very large bill excellent for cracking open difficult seeds.

Hairy Woodpecker When side-by-side with a Downy, the Hairy looms much larger, both in body and bill. It's always surprising.

Foggy Stricker`s Pond After yet another stormy and wet day, the morning began with waves of fog rolling over the pond, perfectly clear one minute, then socked in the next.

Northern Flicker Usually raucous, once they have all attention on them, they like to fall silent as if to claim it wasn't them.

White-throated Sparrow As September eases from summer into autumn, more and more White-throated Sparrows appear in the low brush, and often agitated.

Common Yellowthroat A female flitting about and tossing out characteristic grunts and chatter in the sheltering cattails.

Wild Turkey A beautiful feather left behind by a roving wild Turkey. A combination of night dew and rain beads up on its surface.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photograph from this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.

Lincoln's Sparrow

; Lincoln's Sparrow Though it stayed well-hidden in the brush, it briefly appeared in a little window for a clear view. At Governor Nelson State Park.

; Lincoln's Sparrow It didn't stay on the perch long at all, but very quickly flitted across the trail and away.

; Chipping Sparrow Hidden in plain sight on the gravel path at Stricker's Pond, among a noisy horde of English House Sparrows.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird With the adult males long gone, migrated, far south, only the juveniles from this year remain behind as they fatten up.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird A blink of the eye punctuated by an equally quick flick of the very long tongue.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird Though the bird itself is tiny, imagine how absolutely tiny the feet are gripping the plant stem.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird A hanging dead branch with a stub made for a good perch to pause on.

; Palm Warbler Out in the open in the scrubby trees at the edge of Tiedeman's Pond in Middleton.

; Nashville Warbler Behaving normally for a warbler, this Nashville Warbler flits in and out of the leaves on its non-stop bug hunt.

; Great Blue Heron A juvenile standing in a retaining pond at Owen Park, Madison, hoping for a fish.

; Great Blue Heron Pumping low over Stricker's Pond, Middleton, on the way to a better and higher roost.

; Northern Flicker Yellow-shafted tail showing brightly as it perches along with three others, maybe a family.

; Northern Flicker At Governor Nelson State Park, a Flicker briefly clings to a dead bush before flying off.

; Turkey Vulture Slowly circling with very little flapping, expert on up-drafts, suddenly a mile away with no apparent effort.

; American Redstart Adept at maneuvering through tiny branches, often flaring its tail for emphasis.

; American Redstart A quick peek at observers of its industrious insect hunting.

; Northern Parula Round-looking as it swivels about, breast colors bright from brownish to yellow to white.

; Northern Parula And an olive-gray cap with white wing bar for emphasis.

; Black-throated Green Warbler In true warbler style, doing a tree-top peek-a-boo while hunting for insects.

; Black-throated Green Warbler And a quick flip to check for any insects that might have been behind it.

; Red-bellied Woodpecker Tongue just visible as it probes beneath the bark on a dead branch.

; Red-winged Blackbird At Stricker's Pond, not too long away from migration, perched on the rim of a Lotus plant head.

; Red-winged Blackbird A closer look at the brown edging of feathers and the very long and sharp talons good for plant perching.

; Wood Duck Brilliant in color, the male Wood Duck paddles the pond with several companions. Shy as ever.

; Monarch Butterfly A rare sight these days as it floats from flower to flower, tanking up for migration.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photographfrom this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird Bill open just a little bit with its tongue flicking out just after a drink.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird Since this feeder is near other busy feeders, all activity has to be carefully monitored.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird A metal perch just overhead makes a good resting spot while recuperating from eating.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird Tiny neck feathers ruffle out with each turn of the head.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird Looking quite hefty when tucked in.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird A quick pee, as fast and sudden as everything else the Hummingbird does.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird After all that, time to warm up for a bit of stretching.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird It's simply amazing how flexible this tiny bird can be.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird Stretching everything at once: wings, tail feathers, neck. The head almost looks upside down.

; Ruby-throated Hummingbird A forward stretch that looks very much like a body-building muscle pose.

; Double-crested Commorant Two juveniles pausing from migration and feeding.

; Red-breasted Nuthatch A welcome and surprising migrant that quickly discovered the peanut feeder.

; Red-breasted Nuthatch Smaller and with a little more nasal voice than its relative, the White-breasted Nuthatch, who know all about the peanut feeder.

; Red-breasted Nuthatch There's also a food cylinder, but after a few samples the Red-breasted Nuthatch thinks it's not as interesting as the peanuts.

; Ovenbird A warbler, and as small as most at only six inches in length.

; Chestnut-sided Warbler In fall plumage, it is somewhat drab, unlike how it appears in breeding plumage during Spring.

; Chestnut-sided Warbler As with just about every bird, a slight shift in angle and light can change everything.

; Black and White Warbler Preferring insects in tree bark and following a predictable pattern of feeding, this warbler makes up in striking pattern for what it lacks in color.

; Black and White Warbler Around and around, sometimes doing downward, sometimes upward, but usually spiralling whatever the direction.

; Magnolia Warbler Even in fall plumage, this bird shows off nicely in the leaves as it searches for the next bug.

; Magnolia Warbler Even the yellow and black tail feathers stand out.

; Magnolia Warbler Like most warblers, it never is still, frequently turning even when on the same perch.

; Yellow-rumped Warbler A visitor at Tiedeman's Pond in Middleton, this warbler has a variety of a appearances. Breaking it out into three species is being considered.

; Yellow-rumped Warbler It is one of the most numerous warbler species within its range.

; North American Cardinal Though everywhere, the Cardinal is a shy bird and often is the first to feed in the morning and the last to feed at night.

© Michael Bailey All Rights Reserved; Not for reproduction.
No photographfrom this blog may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means whatsover.