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June 30, 2015
Looking for Birds in Harrisonburg

One of the birds I recognize by their stance is the American Robin. They stand rather erect whether they are in the grass (as below) or on patio railings, etc. So since we are back in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, for a few months while I undergo a repeat hip replacement surgery, I have observed the Robin a number of times.

robin in grass (I)

American Robin in Grass (I) (24-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

robin in grass (II)

American Robin in Grass (II) (25-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

robin in grass (III)

American Robin in Grass (III) (26-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Another common and not very flighty bird is the Mourning Dove. It tends to find food under a bird feeder and roosts in trees and on wires much like pigeons. According to "All About Birds" by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, "Mourning Doves eat roughly 12 to 20 percent of their body weight per day, or 71 calories on average." 

mourning dove in grass

A Mourning Dove Hunts for Food on the Ground (23-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

mourning dove on peak of house

A Mourning Dove Sits on a Rooftop (26-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

two mourning doves on an electrical wire

Two Mourning Doves Rest on an Electrical Wire (23-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Whenever I feed birds s Gray Squirrel will not be far behind. While they are often a nuisance, they are also very fun to watch and photograph. 

gray squirrel in grass

Side-view of a Gray Squirrel Eating (25-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

gray squirrel in grass (front view)

Front-view of a Gray Squirrel Eating (25-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

But with respect to numbers, the most common feeder visitors are the House Finches and the House Sparrows. So I had to include them here, too.

female house finch at feeder 

Female House Finch at Our Feeder (22-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

balancing act--two female house finches at feeder 

Two Female House Finches Make Sure No One Else Get on the Feeder (23-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

two female house finches fighting 

All Is Not Peaceful as Two Female House Finches Try to Frighten Each Other (24-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

male house sparrow sitting on a weatehr vace 

A Male House Sparrow Singing at a Strip Mall (28-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

female house sparrow comes io feeder 

A Female House Sparrow Comes in for a Landing on the Feeder (23-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

My favorite photo of all of these is the one below. The female House Sparrow is bright and well-defined with a dark and fuzzy background.

close up of femal house sparrow at feeder

Close-up of a Female House Sparrow (24-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

group of house sparrows on the ground 

A Group of Female House Sparrows Getting Food on the Ground (24-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And the strangest sight I have seen was this photo of a Starling on an electrical wire standing only on one foot. I am guessing that it was injured and lost the other leg. Its backside also looks rather beat up. While I can do without the Starlings, I never wish them suffering.

starling with only one leg on wire 

A Starling That Survived a Fight or Some Such (27-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

It has been good to see a variety of old friends in the animals we see in our back year.

June 17, 2015
Looking for More Birds in Lezhë

We see lots of House Sparrows and Pigeons here in Lezhë, Albania. So here are more photos with hopefully some interesting poses. 

a fancy pigeon

An Interesting Pigeon on the Top of the Building Across from Us (22-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And as I was trying to get a number of photos of the pigeons, I caught this one as it began to fly. 

a pigeon in the beginning of its flight

A Pigeon Captured as It Begins to Fly (22-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Lots of Pigeons around here land on wires and buildings, but the two below thought this limber tree was a good location, too.

two pigeons roosting in a windswept tree

Two Pigeons Captured in a Tree (24-May-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

In our strolls around Lezhë, we often here caged birds singing. I have never before been able to identify what kind of bird they are. Apparently they are wild Goldfinches that are captured and then caged. They are common all over Albania, I am told.

a gold finch in a cage singing

A Goldfinch that Has Been Caged (10-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And there is always the ubiquitous House Sparrow. Below are two pictures of two different males.

a sparrow with a big piece of food

A House Sparrow Has Found Food (8-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

the food was dropped and the backside of the sparrow 

A House Sparrow Has Dropped the Food and Shows His Backside (8-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a sparrow hunting for food 

A House Sparrow Looks for Food (12-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a sparrow looks around

A House Sparrow Stops Looking for Food to Check Out the Audience (12-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Even though Pigeons and House Sparrows are not unique, I do like to see in what setting and activities I can capture them in.

--©2014-15, Richard L. Bowman

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