The Roving Lens

Nature is my church. It is the only place I can go to leave behind connection and yet still experience connection.

Easily the most beautiful bird to visit my backyard. Baltimore Orioles are on their way north to breeding grounds! I sure hope he stops back by with family on the way back south later this summer.

An often overlooked beautiful...yet pesky bird. Blue Jays are so common in much of the U.S. they are easily looked past when birders are out searching for more exotic breeds. However, did you know:

-Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes and Atlantic coasts, but much about their migration remains a mystery. Some are present throughout winter in all parts of their range. Young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, but many adults also migrate. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. No one has worked out why they migrate when they do.

-The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. These calls may provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or may be used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present.

The Blue Jays kept signaling so I decided to venture over and have a look at what all the fuss was about. Sure enough, a female coyote and apparently her den. Wonder if there will be pups soon?

Red-Bellied Woodpeckers are among my favorite birds. I love how boisterous they are and love to announce their arrival!

The Abundance of American Robins:

In winter, robins abandon nesting territories in places like your yard and instead wander the countryside in huge flocks, sometimes several hundred together.

Sitting out back this weekend watching the multitude of Goldfinch and Pine Siskins decimate my feeders when all of a sudden they made a b line to the nearest tree. That usually means predator. And sure enough, a second later, this Cooper's Hawk swooped in about 15ft in front of me and took up a perch in the neighbor's live oak. Bad backlighting but was able to get a couple of cool shots.

-make sure to follow me on instagram .rovinglens for more bird and wildlife photos

Yellow-Rumped Warbler startles Red-Bellied Woodpecker on approach and is subsequently startled by Red-Bellied Woody upon take-off.

Bluebirds feed heavily on insects and worms and typically find mealworms irresistible. Kind of like this little guy here.

Texture and Light are a beautiful yet delicate balancing act. Able to alter moods with the slightest shift.