Aren't they beautiful, Toots? I'm glad you have one (maybe more to come?) to enjoy.

Pudge, 3 today ! :^)

Konrad, You're Welcome.
That's about the size of those last pics. I think now that it was my connection that day making things so slow.

Wow....congrats..on your ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK Toots!!
Today, when I was taking pictures of the goldfinch, a hummer came and chased it away, then having a drink on the Oriole feeder I just hung up yesterday!
Then,... what I think?? a pine siskin a little later, a first for me on this one and a first picture on a hummer but not very good, the light was poor [cloudy] and shutter speed
too low!
Konrad
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I was blessed with a visit from all the spring birds today. I have a small window feeder that usually doesn't generate much interest from the birds. But today, every time I looked out my kitchen window there was a different bird sitting there. They were landing on the edge of the window box and they appeared to be looking in at me. It was happening regularly so I decided to try taking a few pictures through the window. I missed getting the Harris sparrow and the chipping sparrow and the ones I did get wouldn't sit still, so the pics aren't great, but I enjoyed watching the show.

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This little guy hit our front window yesterday. I couldn't leave him to recover on his own because Java the Hunting Cat would have found him and that would have been that! It took several minutes of stroking him before he started to feel better. Then i set him in the cherry tree where this picture was taken. Next time i looked, he was gone. :)

Blackburnian warbler, i believe:
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Neato, Marcia! What a lovely photo with the pink blossoms. My hunter has figured out the thunk that a bird's head makes when it hits the window and he let's out this sadistic meow and beats me out the door...I have to be quick.

Konrad, I think you got a great shot of that hummer! I'm a little disapointed mine has never been back that I've seen.

Your guys' photos of the goldfinches are so nice...are they ever a sunny yellow!

This is lovely!!
north 53
all nice shots! .. and all birds shown I have seen today also.

Marcia
Good shot!....hope this little guy will be OK.
Konrad

Yesterday I got better pictures of the
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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Wow Konrad,
Those pictures of the hummingbird are simply spectacular!
Marie

Wow, those are beautiful Konrad!! I have never seen hummingbird feet before, they are so cute they made me LOL.

Love the hummers, those are great photos!

What an enjoyable thread to read and view everyone! I'm sure glad the hummers don't come as big as turkeys,it is hard enough trying to dodge them while they are dive bombing me when I'm near their feeder..lol...savona

Awsome Konrad! Boy, you really got the red throat this time! I always get a kick out of seeing them perched in a tree... just seems wierd when they're so small!

We have a summer visitor that it's going to be hard to get pictures of. A pair of birds - phoebes, i think - have built a nest on the top of the casement window here in my computer room. Now i can't close the window, even when it gets chilly! Like this morning, for instance. :)

I need Konrad to come and visit with his awesome skills and zoom in from the outside! From inside, i can just see the back of the nest from underneath (and the bird's tail stuck out the top!), and our house is a bi-level, so from the outside, the thing is 12 feet up! Should be interesting when they hatch, and even more interesting later because i know from past experience that phoebes raise two or three families in the summer. And it should be extremely interesting come fall when "one of us" has to get up on a ladder to remove the nest! :O

Neat Marcia!
We have crazy bird life happening this year...there's a robin nesting in the shop in the curve of a rubber belt right above the welder. DH had to move it so he wouldn't exhaust the babies when he was welding the other day. He put it back when he was done and looks like mama came back. He's really hoping he doesn't have another breakdown :^(

Then, another chapter in the saga of the sapsuckers...aparrently they've turned the old hole into a suite and are subletting it to a young tree swallow couple.

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I wasn't sure if this was going to be ok, but it seems to be working and each family is going about their business. It's probably safer for both as far as looking out for predators. They all make quite a racket when the cat gets too close. I think I'll wrap some tin around the tree so he can't climb it.

Another pair of tree swallows have found a hole into the attic and are packing straw into it. I don't really care for the mess they'll make, but with two families close to the house I think they'll keep the bugs down.

Thank you all!
marciaz, this is interesting...I'm fairly new to phoebes, in the Flycatcher family I think, last year I had a pair of eastern phoebes nesting under roof of the shed.
Now there is a similar species nesting on a poplar tree.

Is it a
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus ??

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Toots
This is just wonderful!.. and yes, something around the trunk is a good idea.

Konrad

OK, that flycatcher has got to be the most adorable looking little bird ever! And what a comfy looking nest.

This is what the Cornell University site says re: Least Flycatchers:

"Difficult to distinguish from other members of its genus. Least is the grayest of the eastern Empidonax. Call is best character."

You can check out the call at this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Least Flycatcher

What amazing bird photos you all have posted! Konrad, those hummingbird pics are really awesome shots.

I found a different visitor tonight.

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Anybody out there good at identifying moths?

Laurie,

You have yourself a polyphemus moth...

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://booksandnature.homestead.com/files/polyphemus.jpg&imgrefurl=http://booksandnature.homestead.com/moth24.html&h=307&w=360&sz=55&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=UMQWIhEIwuiWBM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpolyphemus%2Bmoth%26svnum%3D30%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN

I found a cocoon of one of these moths on the ground under the linden tree in our yard the other day. It must have fallen out of the linden tree. They have huge cocoons, about 2 inches long.

Isn't it a pretty moth?

Brenda

Thanks Brenda! He sure was a beauty alright. According that site you gave, the females have thinner antennae, so by judging from the size of antennae on this one, it may be a male. It's so furry looking, you just want to pet it, but we didn't for fear of hurting it.

Now if I could just get those monarchs and swallowtails to hold still for a second, I could get their pictures too. There seems to be quite a few of them flitting about lately.

My son-in-law was here last night taking pictures and he just couldn't get the monarchs to sit still for him at all. Yet, the yellow swallowtails seemed like they were almost showing off for him. The butterflies and bees are just loving all the lilacs in bloom right now.

What a wonderful time of the year!

Brenda

Wow Laurie that's a beautiful moth! I would have said she was a Cecropia but Brenda's obviously right, and Cecropias are similar in some ways.

But... eeeeekkkkk... she has tarantula legs! Someone lend her a waxing kit! ;0)

Laurie, that's a great photo of a Polyphemus Moth!

Brenda, pretty moth? eh?, I think it looks scary, those eyes on the wings are just staring at you! Don't ever watch the movie The Mothman Prophecies ;)

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Polyphemus Moth

I've heard of the Mothman Prophecies, but haven't seen it. Is it the polyphemus moth in the movie?

Yeah Gillian, I couldn't get over the size of the legs in comparison to the body. It had a real hold of that hosta stem, and wasn't about to let go. I was able to pick up the pot, and tilt it for a better view, and then that's when it opened up it's wings for me to see. It's cool that the "eyes" on the wings are actual holes that you can see through.

Thank you all!

Toots, at the bird watching forum the flycatcher was I.D. as "Least"

Laurie,
You got a lovely shot of this huge moth!

The hummer is still around, got some shots when he was grooming,..... look as those little feet!
Konrad
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Thanks for those pics, Konrad! They made me laugh :) I love how the light is glinting off his neck.

Laurie, what a beautiful moth! Great photos. I had to go back and look at the 'eyes' after you said you could see through them...too cool! Are they actually holes or just transparent?

Toots, you got me.......I'm not exactly sure if they were holes or were transparent "windows". I didn't pay enough attention to that when I was examining it. I was more interested in how furry this guy was, and how big he was. I should have taken a pic with a ruler underneath him, as I had lots of time, because he didn't seem like he was going anywhere for awhile.

Konrad, I love those tiny little feet on that hummer.....too cute!!

Konrad, I really like those pictures of the hummingbird and his little feet.

Last night before we went to bed we opened the 2 windows in our bedroom. One of them doesn't have its screen on...waiting for the air conditioner to be put into it. As we turned out the lights the firefly that came through the open window into our bedroom turned his on. He flew around the room for about 5 minutes flashing on and off until he found the open window and flew back outside. What a neat thing to see before falling asleep! Our own little firework display!

Brenda

I haven't got a picture yet, but there are several Monarch butterflies around today.
One sat on an Allium bloom but by the time I got the camera it had moved on.
There's also the big yellow ones with the black striping, many little blue ones,
and some medium sized black with orange striping.

Pudge, that is funny because I had a monarch on my alliums for about 20 minutes straight yesterday - then as soon as it saw my camera it took off before I could get a good pic.

I just got this upside down one.
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Konrad, that hummingbird is sooo cute! :0)

Monarchs must be on a high part of their cycle right now. I certainly don't remember there being so many of them around a few years ago. I was lucky enough to get a 2 for 1 photo.......monarch and swallowtail together.
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Spider babies anyone?!
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Eeeewww!!

UHHHG! Those make me shudder.

Laurie, Well, after I asked if that moth had wholes in its wings I felt a little silly because it would seem to me now that it wouldn't have much air lift if they were actual holes. So, I'm thinking they were just transparent.
Great shot of the two butterflies together!

My yard is just full of butterflies and bees of all sorts all on the lilacs.

It is fun to watch the bumblebees. They are having to make quite the effort into getting into some of the irises. This bumblebee crawled from one petal around to the other petal and then into the flower.

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And then his back end only sticking out.

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Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? There are a lot in my yard all over the lilacs. I caught this one on a poppy leaf opening and closing his wings, sunning himself.

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Brenda

I've been enjoying watching a phoebe catching bugs in my backyard. But today I was shocked to see it actually attack a squirrel that was on the fence. It knocked the squirrel right off. It's not a large bird! The squirrel looked confused, as if he had no idea what had happened. Is that an unusual behavior for a flycatcher?
I can't ever get a picture of this bird as it never stays in one spot for long.

I love watching bees & things in my flowers too :0)

North53, I bet that phoebe has a nest nearby - squirrels will eat baby birds out of their nests and the parents don't take any chances.

Oh jeez, speaking of baby birds, I have been hearing a funny noise in my chimney lately, and last night I was dusting the mantle and heard peeping. I looked in the fireplace and there were little blue egg shells. Guess I'll have a robin nest to clean out in the fall. >:0(

The squirrels really pick on the flicker nests in our yard. Who knew they were little meat eaters :(

I tried getting a bee pic today and darn it, he just wouldn't sit still...way to busy for this time of year :)

Are these a type of lady bug? I have a few around. If not are they good or bad?
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As I was weeding today, I watched a ladybug hone in on some flea beetles (or something just as small) that were all over this wood plank I had holding down a row cover. He was just a motoring, gobbling them up as fast as he could. I had to laugh because it was just like the old computer game Pac Man. I wish I had the video camera :)

I have no idea what kind of butterfly this is...anyone else know?
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Your butterfly looks like a ....
Common Name: Northern Pearl Crescent
Latin Name: Phyciodes cocyta

and I think the Ladybug is called...
Common Name: Glacial Lady Beetle
Latin Name: Hippodamia glacialis
http://www.insectsofalberta.com/glacialladybeetle.htm

Check out the links and see what you think?

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Northern Pearl Crescent

Brenda, I believe your butterfly is...
Common Name: European Skipper
Latin Name: Thymelicus lineola

Here is a link that might be useful: European Skipper

Thank you all!

Great stuff, all of you!....I have yet to see one of those Monarchs!

European Skipper....
When looking at that German site, that one's butt end doesn't look the same LOL.
It say's it's a Moth.

Konrad

Thanks Sharon,

This is definitely a European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola). There is a great article on it at...

http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/families/hesperiidae_e.php

According to my 'Butterflies and Moths' book a Skipper is a butterfly not a moth because...

it flies during the day (not evening)
its front and back wing overlap (moths usually don't)
the antennae end in a pointed, curved club (moths usually lack the terminal club typical of butterfly antennae)

The European Skipper long thin green pupae apparently like grasses and the Timothy Hay is where its pupae have been known to overwinter in.

Interesting. Thanks Sharon for pointing me in the right direction.

Brenda

Hm....this is funny, according to the German site, the Thymelicus lineola, main body dark/ black, is a moth, the related species, Thymelicus sylvestris , main body brown is a Butterfly.
I have a hard time to destinguish one from the other.
Konrad

Here is a link that might be useful: European Skipper/ Thymelicus sylvestris

Here, the black bodied one.
Konrad

Here is a link that might be useful: Thymelicus lineola

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Enallagma boreale Boreal Bluet Dragonfly - lots of these flying around, hope they're doing their job!

Sharon

This baby crow has been in my yard for several days now. It seems quite helpless. I can walk right up to it, but I didn't try to get closer to take the picture. I didn't want to startle it out of this bush. It is in danger from my dog, as it doesn't even try to escape. The parents sit in the trees screaming at me every time I leave the house. It is very annoying.
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That's a great photo of your baby crow, Marg.

Sharon, butterfly looks like it is the Northern Pearl Crescent. Thanks. I googled some other photos and the colors were a bit brighter than on the Alberta Insect site.

I think the ladybug is the Three-banded lady beetle, though. Check it out...there seems to be white outlines around his black markings. Thanks for that link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Three-banded Lady beetle

Oh for sure, Three-Banded Lady Beetle Toots, I must of missed page 2 ;)
The Alberta insects website is a great reference.

We've had a pair of mourning doves nesting in the trees behind our garage for a few years, but they're such an elusive bird, that I've never been able to get a picture of them. I was able to finally get a picture through a window, but I really wish I had one of those mega telescopic lens though!

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We hear them all the time.......it's such a haunting sound.

The monarch caterpillars are busy munching away.

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Laurie

Lovely Dragonfly Sharon!

north 53, I love your crow picture!

Laurie, great stuff! ... I have never seen mourning doves, thanks for posting!

That's pretty neat they're nesting right there, Laurie. We've had one show up and stay for a week or so then leave for the past two springs, but not this year. I never did hear it coo, though.