@carpingdiem@med-mastodon.com
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carpingdiem

@carpingdiem@med-mastodon.com

Retired doc. POC. Blue dot in a red U.S. state (Indiana). All pictures were taken or created by me except for ones I have boosted. My avatar is "Power Puff Girls" me; my banner shows a male ruby throated hummingbird. I may block followers who have no bio information or posts. #birds #birding #birdphotography #flowers #insects #nature #medicine #knitting #sports #photography #virtualphotography #IndianaStateFair #HoosierMast #INTJ

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carpingdiem, to Birds
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Now I have a female AND a male hummingbird in my yard. You know what comes next!

Male ruby throated hummingbird at the feeder. He has a black face and a black neck, which in the right light flashes red. Hence the name.

carpingdiem, to nature
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A lovely hackberry emperor butterfly landed on my deck and I just happened to have my camera in my hand.

carpingdiem, to Medicine
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Maybe it would be a good idea not to get COVID?! I’m still wearing at least a KN95 mask in public and I don’t remove my mask in public, but I’m usually the only person (article free to read.) https://wapo.st/3Kvhb9d

carpingdiem, to Birding
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A brown winged female pileated woodpecker has been coming regularly to the feeder. She stands out because usually, pileated woodpeckers have black wings feathers. I don't know the significance of the brown feathers on her wings, but at least they help me tell her apart from the other female pileated woodpeckers. #bird #birding #birdsofmastodon #birdphotography #nature #woodpecker #HoosierMast

This is a closeup of the brown feathers on the wing of the female pileated woodpecker. I first saw her last winter and it seems that she is acquiring more brown feathers as time goes on, not fewer.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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Daddy Bluebird was eating mealworms peacefully alongside 2 of his offspring. A third landed on the back of its sibling, demanding to be fed. Daddy bailed on the chaos. #birds #birding #birdsofmastodon #birdphotography #nature #bluebirds #HoosierMast

A third fledgling bluebird is coming in for a landing on this peaceful scene.
The newly arrive bluebird has landed squarely the on the back of one of its siblings and opens its mouth, demanding to be fed.
Too much chaos for Daddy Bluebird, he bails out the side of the feeder.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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Another baby feeds itself at the feeders! And an unusual visitor at sunset. Descriptions in ALT.

A female bluebird checks out the feeders from the safety of the trees.
A red headed woodpecker keeps an eye on me while he visits his favorite feeder.
Just before sunset a small Cooper's hawk visited the feeders looking for unwary birds.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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After 9 long weeks of being housebound after knee surgery, I finally felt confident enough to totter to my local park for a short walk. I wasn't fast enough to photograph most of the birds, but I did manage to get a few insects.

This was a big butterfly that stopped for a drink from a small collection of water in a tire track.It has yellow wings with black markings and along the bottom of the hind wings are light blue and orange spots. This is a female eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.
This is a small butterfly that is nectaring on a red clover flower. Viewed from the top, it has mostly brown wings with orange patches. It is a Peck's skipper. As it is dark brown, it is likely a female.
A tree swallow keeps a cautious eye on the humans from its nesting box. We got quite close and the tree swallow held its ground, which means it either has eggs or young in the box. You can't see much of it in this picture, but it is an iridescent blue, with a pure white chest and belly.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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To my surprise, the fledgling bluebirds are still hanging around. We have made mealworms much more accessible this year, maybe that has something to do with it. Anyway, it's fun to see dad feeding them. #birds #birding #birdsofmastodon #birdphotography #birdvideo #feedingfledglings #bluebirds #HoosierMast

In this video, an adult male bluebird and two fledgling (baby) bluebirds sit on the edge of a feeder full of mealworms. Dad feeds one of the kids.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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Another beautiful day--cool, partly cloudy, breezy and totally lacking mosquitos. Because it was so cool, the birds were waiting in long lines by the time the feeders came out at 10am. (We lock them up at night to keep them away from the raccoons and deer.)

An adult male house finch, with his red face, feeds a fat fledgling in this triptych.
A male summer tanager scrapes up the suet flakes that have fallen from the feeder above (I don't know if he's clever or just lazy). He started out on the jelly feeder, since he loves jelly and now is gathering something with which to feed chicks.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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Today was cool, breezy and mostly sunny. I spent some of the afternoon with the birds and miraculously, no mosquitos bit me.

This sparrow has a cinnamon colored mohawk, a grey face, chest and belly and brown, white and black wings. It's a chipping sparrow.
This male pileated woodpecker, with its bright red crest and mustache and black wings, poses on a branch.
This is the reddest house finch I have ever seen. He must be in great demand by the ladies.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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A male summer tanager has been coming to the jelly feeder for a few weeks. I didn't think he would stay because I didn't see any female summer tanagers. But today, for the first time, I saw her at the feeder. Perhaps there is hope that they will stay after all and I will get to see baby tanagers.

Male summer tanager eating jelly. He is a medium sized songbird, all coral red with slightly darker wings.

carpingdiem, to Birding
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Depressed? Go birding.
https://www.mdlinx.com/article/depressed-go-birding/c0drNcmJ1JseF0thtfpWe #birding #depression

carpingdiem, to Birds
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Dad is still feeding the fledglings, though they are starting to get the idea that they can pick up the food themselves. From the way they are behaving, I'm guessing it doesn't taste as good that way.

The adult male bluebird has landed next to the fledgling and is preparing to jam the mealworms down the fledgling's gaping beak.
The fledgling is spreading its wings as it grabs the mealworms from its dad's beak.
The fledgling's beak is full of mealworms and dad looks on.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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There are 2 bluebird fledglings. This morning, they were fed by their father, but by this afternoon, they were eating mealworms all by themselves! (proud)

In this set of 3 photos, a baby bluebird fledgling is on the left, with its dad on the right. There is a pile of dried mealworms next to them. The baby is paying no attention to the mealworms and is honed in on its dad, who picks up some worms and feeds the baby.
The adult male bluebird is on the right and the two fledglings on on the left. Dad had been feeding the pair, but when he got a bit too slow, one of the babies (at the top) started feeding himself.
Adult male bluebird on right, fledgling on left. They are resting on the top of a nesting box and watching the activity at the feeders.

carpingdiem,
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@Nonya_Bidniss Dried mealworms. Our birds have been fed dried for years and are used to them. We go thru a giant 5 pound bag every month--bluebirds, starlings, wrens, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and more eat them.

carpingdiem,
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@Nonya_Bidniss Start feeding mealworms regularly in the late fall and winter, when live insects are either rare or absent. We often attract lots of birds with mealworms, sunflower hearts and water in the dead of winter (see picture). Then when they are looking for a lot of food for growing chicks, they come back for mealworms and after that, they are regular customers.

Bluebirds crowded onto a sunflower hearts feeder in January
Bluebirds crowded around the heated drinking bowl on a bitterly cold day in winter.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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At first, I thought there was only 1 fledgling from the current brood, but today I spotted 2 at the same time. And in other news, the hummingbirds have returned.

Male ruby throated hummingbird at the nectar feeder. He has dark wings, a shimmery green body and a gemlike ruby throat, which from this angle looks black.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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The bluebirds in the nest box in our yard have fledged! Here, Papa Bluebird feeds a baby that's bigger than him. The baby pushes him around quite a bit, trying to get more food.

Adult male bluebird on the right has his beak (with the food) deep in the baby bluebird's mouth.
Baby bluebird (on the left) pushes the adult bluebird, trying to get every last crumb of food in the transfer. You can see that the only blue is on the fledgling is on the tips of the wing feathers and the rest of the body is covered with mottled white and dark brown feathers.
Baby finally lets the adult go and it flew away almost immediately.

carpingdiem,
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@Pollinators The feeders in our yard are fully stocked and it’s hot with plenty of insects around. They just have to learn how to feed themselves.

carpingdiem,
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@Pollinators Absolutely. We buy dried mealworms in bulk from Amazon and around this time of year, they go thru a big 5 pound bag in no time.

carpingdiem,
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@dTram No, that’s a real bluebird baby. When they first emerge from the nest, they are fat and bigger than the parents. They also look different. They will slim down quickly as the learn to feed themselves. They will molt during the summer into their adult feathers.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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Family is dropping by tomorrow (FYI, vacuuming and mopping from a walker is not much fun). They want to see birds, so I guess I will find out if birding from a walker is worth the effort. The red headed woodpecker dropped by to say hello.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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This guy. He's been coming for the jelly every day for the past week. It makes me think he might stay for the breeding season. But until I see a female summer tanager, I won't really believe it.

A short clip of an all-red male summer tanager eating jelly.

carpingdiem, to Birding
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A normal spring day at the feeder (see ALT for IDs). in addition, Merlin identified a great crested flycatcher, a red eyed vireo, an American redstart and a Northern mockingbird close to the house, but no luck seeing them.

A female cowbird perches on the rough bark of a tree, blending in very well.
A female cardinal plots her next flight down to the feeder.

carpingdiem, to Birds
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It rained all day and was cold. All the usual suspects were at the feeders including the red headed woodpecker, who is now a regular.

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