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birdmom707.bsky.social
Carpingdiem
@birdmom707.bsky.social
380 followers 170 following 220 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
First spring butterfly, spring bees and flowering bushes! #insects #bees #butterfly #lilac #flowers #photography #nature #naturephotography
This picture shows a butterfly with a brown body, black tipped wings with white spots, orange bars and brown near the body. A red admiral butterfly. It was small and sitting in the patch of sunlight, suggesting that it was a male. This photo shows pink flowers on a flowering tree. I think it is a crab apple tree. Tiny bees and flies were swarming all over the flowers. I think this tiny bee is a blue mason bee (Osmia lignaria). This shows more pink flowers of the crab apple tree (I think). A tiny golden furred bee with wings that are dark on the leading edge and transparent on the trailing edge is hovering over a bloom. I think this is a dark edged bee-fly, and this is the first time I have ever seen one. This insect is not a bee, but a fly mimicking a bee. It drinks nectar, but it uses it appearance to gain entrance to a bee nest (usually a solitary bee), then lays its eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae try to find a bee grub, then latch on and slowly consume it. They will overwinter as a pupae in the nest and emerge in the spring as an adult. This photo shows a flowering lilac bush. I smelled the beautiful lavender flowers before I saw them.
April 12, 2026 at 12:22 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
The only upside to being completely awake at 3am is that you can record an owl hooting right outside your bedroom window. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #video #owl
March 30, 2026 at 12:45 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
No migrators at the feeders yet, but here's a year-round resident (female flicker). #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
Female flicker with wings spread, taking off from the feeder. The inside of her wings are bright yellow (the topsides are dark).
March 29, 2026 at 3:34 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
The high today was 71F (22C). The forsythia is blooming and the daffodils have begun to emerge. Tomorrow morning, the high will be below freezing with a wind chill of 14F (-10C) and it will snow. #flowers #photography #nature #naturephotography
Yellow forsythia flowers with sunset through the trees in the background. My mini daffodils are always the first daffodils to emerge. Here they are popping up out of the leaf litter which we leave in place so that insects and small mammals can shelter there.
March 15, 2026 at 10:59 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
The weather continues to see-saw between cold and hot. The birds come to the feeders when it is cold or snowy and find their food elsewhere when it is warm. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
The photo shows a large black and white woodpecker with a red crest, taking off from the feeder in the snow, wings spread. A small bluebird is on the railing. The photo shows bluebirds flying in to the feeder on a cold day. 7 bluebirds are perched on the rim of the birdbath on a cold day.
March 3, 2026 at 3:49 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
'Birdbrain' benefits: How being an expert birdwatcher may boost cognition
New research shows that seasoned birders — including older adults — had denser tissue in parts of the brain tied to attention and perception.
www.nbcnews.com
February 25, 2026 at 2:57 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay, it's #Blue (male Eastern bluebird). #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
A male eastern bluebird, wings spread wide, leaving the feeder.
February 11, 2026 at 10:25 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It was very cold yesterday and more than 30 bluebirds showed up to eat mealworms. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebirds
This picture shows 5 bluebirds taking flight from the top of the mealworm feeder and 2 remaining on the feeder. The little plastic dish can hold 4 bluebirds comfortably. I don't know how many birds are in this dish, but I think it is 7 or more. Two are waiting nearby for their turn. It looks fun, but it's not a game--these birds are starving. Another shot of the little plastic feeder full of bluebirds. I think there may be 6 in the dish and 4 waiting nearby. And after you've eaten your share of dried mealworms, you need a nice drink of water. Here 10 bluebirds are gathered on the rim of the birdbath to drink. The white thing in the water is the heater that keeps the water from freezing.
February 9, 2026 at 9:15 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
WIth an outside temperature just below freezing, I knocked the ice off the birdbath, cleaned it and filled it with fresh, warm water. And then this happened. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebirds #video
February 5, 2026 at 4:23 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It's cold (10F/-12C) and snowing heavily. The bluebirds have declared a temporary peace. I saw 6 birds pile into nesting boxes we have in the yard. Nothing more I can do. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebirds
Normally, there is only bird at a time in the feeder (they don't like to be crowded), but I count maybe 6 birds in this tiny feeder. On frigid mornings, they flock to the feeder like this. These two female bluebirds, perched on the edge of the birdbath (which provides clean liquid water when it is below freezing, have puffed out their feathers for warmth. They look like little blue and tan tennis balls with tails and beaks. Normally, they are very svelte. You know the party is over when the starling shows up. Starlings are bigger than bluebirds and when the starlings fly towards the feeder, the bluebirds take off. I have to stand or sit near the feeder to prevent the starlings from eating all the bluebirds' food. (The starlings fear me, while the bluebirds tolerate me.) Two bluebird bails out of the feeder as a starling approaches. The bird on the right has jumped out of the feeder back first, so its feet are pointed up, but it has turned its head in a different direction.
January 25, 2026 at 4:59 AM
birdmom707.bsky.social
Birdbath klatsch and railing klatsch. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
Five bluebirds and an American goldfinch gather on the rim of the birdbath (no one bathes in it, it is a source of drinking water). It's well below freezing outside and because the birdbath has a heater in the bottom, the water is liquid, though not warm. Four bluebirds (3 males and a female) gather on the railing to eat mealworms for breakfast.
January 22, 2026 at 9:40 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
It is getting colder and the birds are showing up in the morning for breakfast. "All present and correct!" #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography
A pile of dried mealworms has been dumped in the middle of a hanging feeder with a flat rectangular top. Two bluebirds are already perched on the feeder, one is perched above it and 5 are flying towards it. This year's flock is 10 individuals so 2 are not here yet. Here 7 birds are perched on the top of the feeder, eating mealworms. One is perched on the side of the feeder (there is a bowl of mealworms inside), one is perched nearby on a support and one is flying in. So all 10 members of the flock are present.
January 22, 2026 at 9:30 PM
birdmom707.bsky.social
The bluebirds are still not getting along too well.
#birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #photography #nature #naturephotography #bluebirds
Two bluebird have jumped in the air, wings out and are clawing at each other with their feet. Two bluebirds are facing each other across the feeder, wings up and out. One bluebird has captured the other's beak with its own and is giving it a tweak. A female bluebird (left) has spread her wings and opened her beak in protest of the male who has landed on the feeder opposite her. He also has his beak open.
January 4, 2026 at 12:45 AM
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