Backyard Birds: Part 2

Choosing photos for my last Backyard Birds posts made me realize how many pictures of yard birds I have taken over the years. Here is the second batch, all taken from home base.

Sitting out back yesterday afternoon, 27 bird species either flew overhead or entered the yard.  One of the highlights was watching eleven Sandhill Cranes glide by, high in the sky. The birds in the above photo, taken in 2013, were at a lower elevation.

 Every Spring and Fall Tundra Swans fly over our house during migration.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker grabbed a "cricket" snack off the road in 2017.

We keep our bird feeders fully stocked with sunflower seeds, 

welcoming cardinals for all 12 months of the year.

Female cardinals are just as beautiful as their male counterparts!

The closest I have ever been to a Bay-breasted Warbler was in our yard.  

They seem to have a fondness for a nearby Tamarack tree.

Predators, including this Merlin, (our second smallest falcon) have dined in our yard. We heard from a neighbour a few streets away that Merlins may be nesting nearby this year.

I don't remember what this House Wren was yelling at but he sure looks perturbed!