Monarch Butterfly Feeding on Butterfly Bush: ISO 800, 468mm, f/7.1, 1/640

We had a new visitor to our backyard. She is a little different from the birds and rabbits that frequent our yard.

Our Dwarf Butterfly Bush is in full bloom and its fragrance has attracted a skittish Monarch Butterfly. I had to use my long Zoom to get this close up.

Tags: Monarch Butterfly, Nature, Insect, Feeding, Flower

Feeding Squirrel: ISO 800, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/160


Feeding Squirrel II: ISO 800, 149mm, f/6.3 1/125


Peering Squirrel: ISO 800, 159mm, f/6.3, 1/160

I filled our bird feeder earlier this week. The neighbourhood squirrels are feasting on the sunflower seeds and peanuts. There is a Blue Jay flying around the backyard waiting his turn and squeaking is displeasure that he has to wait.

Tags: Squirrel, Feeder, Feeding, Nature

Breakfast Time: ISO 200, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/1600

I set up a bunch of bird houses in our backyard a few years ago. Every year but the last a wren pair had used one of them to start a new family. This year I was losing hope that they would again not use a house . It seemed they were busy building a nest in the neighbours’ trees.

Last week the wrens were getting agitated whenever someone or something invaded our backyard. Watching the wrens revealed that they had set up a nest in the birdhouse I set up in our garage side garden.

I got this image by sitting down on the lawn waiting for the wren to take its usual path from the back fence to the bird house. As you can see by the picture the bug is almost as big as this small bird. I also took the shot mid morning so that the low sun would illuminate the garden and bird.

Tags: Bird, Wren, Feeding, Nature, Insect

Chickadee Feeding: ISO 640, 140mm, f/5.6, 1/750

This is another shot from my previous post. Waiting for the Blue Jays to come to the feeder and tis small guy kept fluttering from the trees to the feeder.

That is a sunflower seed in his bill.

Tags: Chickadee, Bird, Nature, Feeder, Feeding

I was sitting on our deck and noticed a pair of Blue Jays (Not from Toronto) flying to the feeder to find some food. Read More...

Tags: Blue Jay, Feeding, Bird

Pine Siskin: ISO 800, 200mm, f/5.6, 1/125

I have placed Nyger seed feeder sacs in our crab apple tree in hopes of luring goldfinches. When I noticed these birds enjoying the seed I thought I finally attracted female goldfinches.

Turns out this is a Pine Siskin. They seem to be getting used to me as I was able to get quite close to them without scaring them off.

Tags: Pine Siskin, Bird, Feeding

Open Wide: ISO 400, 100mm, f/5.6, 1/30 (Same Settings for Both Pics)

Well the baby wren's are getting bigger. Parents are flying around looking for bugs to feed them every 5-10 minutes it seems.

The parents are very agitated when I peer into the apple tree to snap shots. I don't want to push my luck too much. I noticed my settings weren't the greatest on my camera. I didn't check them before I peered in. I should have set my aperture to around 8 or 11 but then I might have had to push up my ISO to get the faster shutter speed.

I bought a Kodak Playsport Video Recorder and have set it up to record the feedings. Video will follow shortly. From what I seen yesterday there is 3 baby birds in the house.




Update: Here is the Video Link. I adjust the camera at the beginning and the babies hear the rustle of the leaves and pop their beaks out real quick then Mom comes and makes her warning call. At the end of the clip she comes back and feeds the kids.

Tags: Wren, Feeding, Baby, Bird, Nature