Thursday, September 24, 2015

When Birds Fly South



More than anything else, it is the quiet backyard and the long shadows that achingly signal the coming of autumn here in New Jersey. As the Sun moves southward, birds follow. Most of my backyard birds are gone though a few stragglers remain. I saw a pair of cardinals this afternoon. Not sure if they plan to hang around here for the winter. During spring and summer, I spent a lot of time watching the backyard visitors from my kitchen window and capturing their movements and sounds with my Nikon D7000. I had put makeshift ground level bird baths in several places. I observed the communal (or its lack) spirit in sharing the water bath and was amused to see how the birds perched on the nearby branch to signal to the bird splashing in the water that its time was up. I wasn't the only one observing them. My neighbor's little kitty stalked them too. Even the cat is now huddling inside. 

Just yesterday, nearly three dozen birds descended on my  backyard for a little sip and a dip before resuming their southern journey. It felt like a good omen for the season to come. 

The art work at the top is two sides of a clay tag collaged with a print of an original watercolor I had done of  Red Munia, also known as scarlet finch, a common bird in the Indian sub-continent. Below are a sample of my backyard visitors through the camera lens. 

Enjoy the photos!






























Thanks for visiting.


9 comments:

  1. for us it is the start of spring so it always gives me a start when I see autumn is approaching... lovely photos...xx

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  2. Love your feathered visitors, so pretty, and always good to see how different your birds are to ours. Your bird artwork is beautiful. Happy PPF, hugs, Valerie

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  3. Love your adorable birds, both drawn and they in the garden.
    Thanks for sharing xx

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  4. oh what utterly sweet photos! I too am seeing migration here in PA. The hummingbirds have gone and I'm not seeing the Goldfinches much .However, the robins are all over, we have a new brood of cardinals (which will stay thru winter), a young pair of blue jays, the chickadees are back and will stay as will the visiting nuthatches and woodpeckers. That should keep me happy until next summer:):)

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  5. Love the birds ~ the art, the photos and how they remind me how much I enjoy the feathered visitors in my own little world. :)

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  6. Such adorable birdies!! Sweet little paintings!!!

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  7. Lovely little birdies. I adore cardinals. I've only seen two in my life. Once in Boston when my family and I were on a tour there, and another time here in the Valley--they never come this far West, so I don't know why it was there...I've often wondered about it.

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  8. I really like your painted birds. Great detail. Your photos are fabulous!
    Nicole/Beadwright

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