Images of Winter Birds

Seagulls, pigeons, and geese are drawn to urban and suburban Chicago parking lots in search of food.  There is a large shopping area with a retention pond, plenty of grassy areas, and unfortunately, lots of fast food establishments.  

The birds were not afraid of people and I suspect that they have many friends who frequently drop off treats for them.  The natural sunlight allowed for some wonderful photographs but I think the first one is my favorite.   

Signs of Winter #1

We woke this morning to a thin layer of snow.  I love the first hour after a snowfall when it is still clean and touched only by the animals.  I was so glad I had remembered to refill the bird feeders yesterday.  As I opened the front door to get a better view, I noticed four male cardinals enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds.

Footprints in the snow.

One of the male cardinals.

 My abrupt presence, of course, startled them and they flew up into the trees to await my departure.  One was particularly vocal and I was suddenly pulled back into Dr. Dilger's high school animal behavior class when we learned the calls of all the local birds . . .  "here, birdie, birdie, birdie birdie" (that is how we learned to recognize it, anyway).  I love taking photographs of the birds.  Many will stand still as though posing.

Here some of my other photographs of birds.

A robin I photographed this past spring.

I caught this bird while on vacation at Disney World in Florida
two years ago.  I imagine he was thinking, "You are in the happiest
place on earth, why are you taking MY picture?"

I saw (actually heard) this woodpecker while
we were at Castle Rock Lake in Wisconsin
this past summer.