Early Saturday morning

While my sister visited this weekend, I treated her to some of the excitement that goes on around here in the early morning.

We sat under the dogwood tree by the side patio, sipping our coffee while watching and listening to all the bird action here on the hill. We saw birds chasing and capturing flying bugs, the elusive bluebirds graced us with an appearance, and we got to observe a Hairy woodpecker being challenged at his perch by the smaller Downy.

It doesn’t get any better than this.

I mean, if you like birds and all. And good coffee.

 

This Hairy woodpecker seems to think he is King of the World.

 

The smaller Downy woodpecker flies in out of nowhere.

 

And challenges him for the perch.

 

This is a showdown.

 

The little Downy is not giving up.

 

But it’s the Hairy who remains King of the World.

 

The beautiful bluebird seems to pose for me.

 

And the red-bellied woodpecker brought his youngster over to the suet block.

 

At first, I thought it was a female but my husband told me it was a juvenile. He’s been watching them for a couple of weeks, he says, as the adults take them out to teach them about their world.

He also saw a couple of cardinals mating right outside the window, but that’s a whole other story.