Female Mountain Bluebird at a Northern Flicker nesting cavity
No, I didn’t take a tumble and I am not black and blue all over. 🙂
Well, it was another fun morning at the Magical Sapsucker Tree and today the cast was joined by a pair of Mountain Bluebirds who seem dead set on taking over the Northern Flicker cavity. I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that a Northern Flicker took over the Williamson’s nesting cavity I photographed last year and is doing some renovation, mainly enlarging the entrance hole.
The female Mountain Bluebird kept checking out the cavity and one time brought in some nesting materials. I will be curious to see who wins the nesting cavity war in the future.
Male Mountain Bluebird on the Sapsucker Tree
This male Mountain Bluebird was checking out the other side of the aspen when I photographed it. I love that vibrant blue against the black background and white of the aspen. I’ll write more later on how the bluebirds didn’t take kindly to the Williamson’s Sapsucker at a later date but it was exciting!
Male Red-breasted Nuthatch
I am including this image of a male Red-breasted Nuthatch just because I think they are cute little buggers and this one sang for quite sometime on this perch.
Oddly enough I seemed to have been drawn to all of these images because of their black or very dark, natural backgrounds. I haven’t touched the blacks on any of these images so nothing about the background is “photoshopped” but I love how well all three birds stand out from the backgrounds.
The birds I saw and photographed were black and blue all over with just a splash of red.
Life is good. Even magical at the Sapsucker Tree!
Mia
PS, all images taken with my Nikon D810, 500mm VR lens. All editing done on my lap top and I hope the sharpness is fine on all the images.
Click here to see more of my Mountains Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.
Click here to see more of my Red-breasted Nuthatch photos plus facts and information about this species.
Lovely series from today and yesterday. Those lovely little birds are so pretty in this setting. Somehow their personalities shine through in your photos.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I am having a terrific time.
Thanks also for letting me know about sharpness. I don’t trust my lap top.
Oooooh.
Thank you.
Hi! My favorite color and birds since I was very little in Michigan! You knew up there it was Spring when they came back!
Have a very special day! Love ya and all your photo’s
What WONDERFUL images!!! Love the unusual wing position in the first.that female is so graceful..that male looks so beautiful and sleek, a real tree hugger,and like a cherry on the top, the fluffed up tiny Nuthatch…We don’t see them very often ,but get really excited when we do…they are so tiny and cute!!! That tree sure is a “honey hole” for birders…
Laptop working well …. sharpness very good. I like the dark backgrounds too.
Mia,
Your observations highlight the scarcity of tree cavities and the important role cavity-creators play. The cavities in the Sapsucker Tree are in high demand!
Thank you for sharing!
Glen