Birds, Birds, Birds

Splitting our time between Pittsburgh and home, I've been able to observe a lot of birds this spring.

I'll start with one of the most well-known birds - the American Robin. It's a thrush and the only thing it shares with its European namesake is the rusty-red breast.

Another thrush with a rusty-red breast is the Eastern Bluebird. The male (left) has more vivid color than the female (right).

Another small blue bird is the Indigo Bunting.

The House Finch is widespread throughout the US. The male (left) is has a bright fuchsia head and breast. The female (right) is drab and could be mistaken for a sparrow.

This male Song Sparrow spent nearly all day defining his territory from a series of high perches.

Cedar Waxwings travel in substantial flocks, and do a great job of clearing berries from a tree. Here they are sitting in a chestnut oak, and I counted at least 12 in just this part of the tree top.

A closer look at the Waxwings. Their high-pitched squeaks are distinctive.

We've seen Cedar Waxings for as long as we've lived here, but they were much easier to see in the same tree in 2007 when the tree was barely alive. The top has really leafed out in the last two or three years. I count at least 25 birds here.

This year a pair of Brown-Headed Cowbirds has taken up residence around our house. They have even chased the cardinals from their favorite perches. Here the male (left) and female (right) are in a persimmon tree just starting to leaf out. Cowbirds lay eggs in other birds' nests and leave the hard work of raising chicks to others.

Turkey Vultures may not the best-looking bird when they're pecking at a carcass, but in flight they are fun to watch.

They hardly ever flap their wings and know how to take advantage of "thermals" to gain altitude. The shallow "V" they make with their wings while soaring is very distinctive and make identification easy - even from a distance.

Our game cameras have also been photographing birds -Wild Turkeys.

Turkeys are inquisitive birds. This one was clearly interested in the camera.