Joel Varty
A blue jay perched on top of a shepherd's hook against a wall of backlit green leaves

Football's Coming, But First: Mom's Birds

3rd Spacesphotographynature

Football season is about to take over around here. But this week I sat on Mom's porch and watched her feeders instead. Jays, hummingbirds, a red-bellied woodpecker, grackles, and one very well-fed chipmunk.

I spent some time at my mom's place this week. She's super stoked for the start of football season, and we'll be going to as many of Harry's games as we possibly can, so watch for LOTS of football content in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, I really enjoyed just sitting and watching the birds have at it.

The porch is the front row

Mom has many feeders out there, with copious amounts of seed, suet, syrup, and everything else these birds love. You sit down with a coffee and for the first few minutes you're the thing everybody is watching out for. Then you stop being interesting, and the whole yard goes back to work.

The view from the porch. Everything happens in that patch of grass and weeds.
The view from the porch. Everything happens in that patch of grass and weeds.
Late sun coming through the walnut trees.
Late sun coming through the walnut trees.
Mom, topping things up before the light went.
Mom, topping things up before the light went.
She still hangs the clothes out to dry.
She still hangs the clothes out to dry.
The field out back.
The field out back.
Same field, a couple hours later.
Same field, a couple hours later.
The vines takin' over the apple tree, but the apples still come.
The vines takin' over the apple tree, but the apples still come.

The woodpecker got there first

A red-bellied woodpecker was the one that made me pick up the camera. He'd work the seed tube for a while, drop out of sight, and come back a few minutes later like he'd forgotten something. Most of my shots of him are through a fence rail or under the bench, because that's where I was hiding.

The small ones just get on with it

No drama from these guys. They land, they eat, they go. I couldn't tell you with any confidence what half of them are.

The jays run the place

The blue jays are the ones you hear before you see. They come in loud, they take what they want, and everything else clears out and waits. There were at least three of them cycling through the whole time I sat there.

Surveying, from the top of the hook.
Surveying, from the top of the hook.
Coming in between the two seed tubes.
Coming in between the two seed tubes.
Landing on the suet, wings still out.
Landing on the suet, wings still out.
Settled in on the blue-roofed one.
Settled in on the blue-roofed one.
Waiting his turn on the dead branch.
Waiting his turn on the dead branch.
Same branch, different jay.
Same branch, different jay.

Then there's the birdbath

The birdbath is the best seat in the yard and the jays know it. One of them worked through the whole routine while I watched: up on the rim, look around, crest up, look around again, and finally a drink.

Up in the walnuts

There are a lot of walnut trees on the property, and most of what's happening is happening up in them, behind about six layers of leaves. Half these shots are a bird-shaped shadow, and I like them anyway.

In there somewhere, next to the dead leaves.
In there somewhere, next to the dead leaves.
A jay tucked into the fork of the trunk.
A jay tucked into the fork of the trunk.
Same gap, a few seconds later.
Same gap, a few seconds later.
Way up, backlit, barely there.
Way up, backlit, barely there.
My favourite of the tree shots. Pure silhouette.
My favourite of the tree shots. Pure silhouette.
A grackle in the leaves, holding still for once.
A grackle in the leaves, holding still for once.

The hummingbirds don't sit still, except when they do

Mom keeps a couple of nectar feeders out in the tall grass and the hummingbirds treat them like territory. I got one hovering out in the open with nothing around it, which I did not expect, and then a whole run of them working the red feeder. A few of the shots even caught one sitting down, which felt like cheating.

Hovering out in the middle of the grass, no feeder in sight.
Hovering out in the middle of the grass, no feeder in sight.
Coming in on the red feeder, wings blurred right out.
Coming in on the red feeder, wings blurred right out.
Down on the perch, drinking.
Down on the perch, drinking.
Holding a few inches off to the side.
Holding a few inches off to the side.
Sitting down on the job.
Sitting down on the job.
Still there.
Still there.
Wider, to give you a sense of how much grass they're hiding in.
Wider, to give you a sense of how much grass they're hiding in.
Parked on a grass stem, keeping an eye on the feeder.
Parked on a grass stem, keeping an eye on the feeder.

The grackles just take

The grackles are the ones with no manners at all. One of them hung himself sideways off the feeder to get at a port he clearly wasn't built for, and it worked.

Hanging sideways off the seed tube, and getting away with it.
Hanging sideways off the seed tube, and getting away with it.
One on the feeder, one on the branch, taking turns.
One on the feeder, one on the branch, taking turns.
Waiting his turn, sort of.
Waiting his turn, sort of.
Up in the leaves between runs.
Up in the leaves between runs.
A streaky brown one owning the top of a fence post. Best guess is a young red-winged blackbird.
A streaky brown one owning the top of a fence post. Best guess is a young red-winged blackbird.
Same post, backed off a bit.
Same post, backed off a bit.

And the chipmunks clean up

Of course, since we also have many walnut trees on the property, there are a few well-fed chipmunks that partake of the droppings from time to time. This one didn't have to work for a single thing.

A well-fed chipmunk in the grass under the feeders

That's the whole morning. No score, no clock, nobody keeping stats. Which is going to feel very different from where I'll be spending my Saturdays for the next few months.

Bring on the football.