Thanks Deanne, just wonderful feathered friends you've captured there. Those brown creepers can be so hard to capture against the bark background.

I am saddened to see very few birds here this year since the snow arrived in mid November. We usually have lots of goldfinches, juncos etc...but very few so far. I hope this isn't some environmental issue! Anyway, Phoebe loves to "save" us from juncos. Funny girl!!!

Deanne, Enjoy them I did! Such beautiful work. It's like each bird has come to the photographer to have their portrait done. You know I still have out my old bird calendar that you did a few years ago and still turn the pages every month. Thanks so much for sharing these. I always love seeing your bird photos. No one captures them better! I've been missing you around here but you must be spending many hours out in the blind.

Eden

Oh my gosh. Do those birds know just how beautiful they are?
Your photography skills are excellent - the details - I can't get over it. Do you post in the Bird Watching forum? If not, you should, they would love these pics.

I may have to break down and go buy bird seed today, it's become so costly; but I miss my birds.

Wonderful pics! I recognize every one except the one following the wren. It is a warbler, isn't it?

I am thinking you need to sell your pics to a bird magazine, or National Geographic. They excell any that I see in those mags.

Re: the Brown Creeper, I agree with Marie, they are very hard to capture in a pic, or even to see very often!

It's as if the birds are coming to their own little photo "studio"! It is so fun to see them up close with that beautiful golden light shining on them!

Thank you for sharing these, Deanne.

Lisa.

Those are sensational, Deanne. I was amazed by the shading and blending of colors on the feathers. It was nice to see the extended wing on the Nuthatch in flight, it reminded me of Larry. Living with a bird is very special.

What we've all been waiting for, Deanne. Score on the external hard drive! These are simply incredible.

Deanne, fabulous photos! I'm so glad I popped over to Idyll land and was able to see them. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Amazing, just amazing Deanne. I'm so glad you shared these with us.

What happened to all of the blue jays? They were so common when we were growing up. I haven't seen or heard one in years.

A big fabu-fabu for this thread Deanne ! Envisioning you freezing your a** off in the blind to get these shots-I didn't know where to look in my bird book to get an ID on the last pic-what a pretty bird! Whatever it is I don't think we have them here...and seeing the Cardinal reminded me of how excited I was to see one 'in person' at NYBG..

Thanks so much for sharing these with us.

Kathy in Napa

Kathy, the last pic IS a Blue Jay. They are beautiful birds, but can be very annoying!
Out in your area I think you have Gray Jays, and maybe Scrub Jays,Steller Jays, and Pinyon Jays.

Thanks Marian, this jay is quite different from ours.I found it in my book and they don't inhabit our area. I get scrub jays in my garden, and an occasional Steller , but they tend to be in the forested areas of our hills.I feed the scrubs, and do find them amusing.

Kathy in Napa

Oh my! Deanne, I am speachless. That new lens is awesome. It shows such detail. Your lighting and backgrounds are just right. I especialy like the reed fencing some of them are sitting on. They are just beautiful. I tried to pick a favorite, but I like them all. Norma

If we put peanuts out we get a flock of blue jays. We call them the neighborhood gang. They're very agressive birds here. They'll take on a squirrel and even have cats running for cover. Still, we love observing them.

Eden

Eden, I feed peanuts to my jays too. They despise Doobie and will sometimes perform dive-bomb activities , which he finds quite intimidating-even though he is a cat and they are birds ! Must be the loud squawking!
Kathy in Napa

Time well spent Deanne, you continue to amaze with the talent that you have for capturing images. I love the second photo of what looks like a gold finch with the yellow leaves. Very pretty. What type of shrub is that? And the little guy that is all puffed out, he reminds me of a Disney movie that had little rounded cute little birds, maybe Cinderella? [g] The blue little birds that help with the dress?

I wonder has anyone seen the Funniest Home Videos clip of a mockingbird dive bombing a cat? The cat does not see the bird coming from behind him and the bird hits him right on his butt and the cat is so startled it leaps in the air doing a complete 360 degree turn. It was one of the funniest things I've seen. lol

pm2

Thanks so much everyone! I'm so happy you've enjoyed the photographs.

Cynthia, I've no shortage of Blue Jays here. There is a mob of them, seven to ten birds, that come in together to the feeders several times a day.

Marian, that bird you didn't recognize is Pine Siskin. Its a new yard bird to us this year. The Siskin populations are 'irrupting' this year and I've been enjoying them at the feeders regularly.

Deanne

Here is a link that might be useful: Bird Irruptions

Thanks Deanne, on the identity of that bird. I don't think I have seen one here, but they are possible in winter. I did not think it looked like a warbler....I love that link, and added it to my favorites. :-)

Hi Deanne and friends! Just checking in on a work break, wondered if I might find some of your too fabulous pictures here. These get better and better every year, Deanne, I LOVE the subtle coloration of all these birds that you capture so exquisitely on images. The yellow leaf with the goldfinch, the subtle buff of the junco's flanks echoed in the surrounding rocks, the flicker head beautifully framed by the blue sky...Wow! I wonder how much you might be selling these pictures, certainly there must be a market for such gorgeous images. The siskin is lovely too with the yellow highlights in the wings, I have been listening for them in the garden but none yet. Do you get evening or pine grosbeaks in your part of NH? I would guess so at least in some years.

Thanks for the great holiday treat. Hi to all....

David

Deanne

What a treat to see the results of what I'm sure were many, many hours with your camera. The color, clarity and composition are simply outstanding. I agree, you just get better each year.

Bravo!!!

Mary

Hi Deanne!

I'm at a loss for words...imagine that! LOL! Thank you for the gift you share with us....they are just soooo beautiful...every one! I can't express it, but it is just such a special thing to see these birds up so close...I'd never get the opportunity otherwise.

I just got back from a vacation at the in-laws. The night before we were to come home I was playing on their computer and showed the in-laws the Idyll website. When I saw your post I *knew* they were in for a real treat. They could not *believe* the beauty and didn't believe that you weren't a "professional photographer". MIL said "you should tell her to change careers!" :-) I told her that was the problem...LOL...you are so talented you could have your pick of careers! And then I told her about your paintings and your gardens and your pots....now she wants me to email her all the pics of your gardens, etc. that I've saved! :-)

Thanks again! And Hi T...it's good to see you! :-)
Ei

Just an aside...

Yesterday we ate breakfast by the fire and Phoebe was looking out the window, searching for birds. All of a sudden a bluejay landed on the firewood pile right in front of her nose, and she froze! It was so funny! Then another jay arrived, and another! There were at least EIGHT jays and Phoebe just got so excited that I worried she'd pee on the rug. (She didn't)
I thought I'd add that bit of trivia after commenting yesterday that we were seeing very few birds so far this winter.

Deanne, thanks for sharing these totally wonderful photos. I agree with others that these are beyond professional quality. No shortage of blue jays here either. Actually I've been too busy lately and its too dark for me to do much bird watching.

Michelle

Thanks so much again everyone! I really appreciate your kind comments and so happy you like the photographs. It's become a passion with me and the best part is I'm spending lots of time outside at this time of the year when it's easy to let oneself become housebound.

David, so nice to 'see' you! So far I've not sold any of these photographs but I'm trying to figure out a way to market them. I was talking to Doug about seeing if I could get a gallery showing at one of our local colleges. I NEED to get out of the blind and get some of these images printed and framed.

Mary, thanks so much! coming from you with your very talented professional photographer DH that is a wonderful compliment.

Bug, eight Jays!!! How fabu! I've got a mob of them that show up a few times a day here as well. WE also have an enormous flock of American Robins, probably more than a hundred birds that have been roosting in the trees next door and making use of the pond (still not quite frozen over) and bird bath that has a heater in it. It is an odd irruption year for many species. I've a friend in the Carolinas who hasn't seen a single Goldfinch yet and she's never had a year where they didn't show up by the end of November.

Deanne

Deanne - just glorious -- Im so glad I finally got to look at these.

And you brought old names out of the wood along w/ the birds, LOL.

An idea -- my DSISIL paints and she's very inventive re getting her work around the local Vermont scene -- I think she started out doing some blank card stock things w/ her scenes - schlepped them to some local gift stores/art galleries/local artisan shops - I wonder if that might be a venue to get your foot/work out there - and then you could do some more larger, better quality shots solo to go along? Im not a marketing person; but some things like that comes to mind (esp when I heard about my SIL managed to get herself an entree to these shops like that...).

Thanks for showering us with just a few - I cant believe you have all those birds in your yard!!

Cindy