Thanks for visiting my blog! MudBay Bird House was created as an addendum to MudBay Musings as a way to share my home bird photographs with other artists. These photos are not meant to be artistic in themselves, but it's my hope you will find them a handy reference for your quilts, collages and mixed-media projects.

This is a blog for those of us who need or prefer a bit of help in the drawing department... I've tried to capture various poses of my feathered friends since I always seem to wish I had a slightly different angle of them for this-or-that, but just can't seem to wrap my brain around how to draw the changes. I hope you find these images fun and useful - thanks for stopping by!

For flower and garden photographs in the same format, visit my MudBay Garden blog.


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Black-headed Grosbeak (male)


 
These last three pictures are through the screen door; the color of the first two pictures is more accurate.



Friday, May 14, 2010

Feathers

Steller's Jay breast feathers

Fantasy feathers - Photoshop version of jay feathers

Fantasy feathers - Photoshop version of jay feathers


Crow feather with trailing left by slugs

Fantasy feather - Photoshop version of the above crow feather

Pine Siskin

Very sweet, social finches, often seen with American Goldfinches or House Finches.  During prolific years, they are easily attracted with finch seed and black-oil sunflower seed. 


Steller's Jay





Golden-Crowned Sparrow


A chunky sparrow with a brilliant golden crown.  They scratch and forage in the flower beds and will occasionally  take seed, especially during nesting season to supplement their wild diet.  The male has a surprisingly delicate song for his size.




Band-Tailed Pigeon

Lovely, sweet birds in shades of gray. They are quite shy, funny to watch their exaggerated steps and bright yellow feet, and their sweet faces always look like they are "smiling."

Pairs stick close together and will often cuddle on a branch, quietly cooing to each other.


Steller's Jay



Steller's Jays are year-around residents here in the Puget Sound.  They are inquisitive, comical and very vocal.  If you're late putting out seed, you can be sure these gregarious birds will voice their disapproval!  They always watch us from nearby trees when we are dining outside or working in the garden.

They are especially fond of whole peanuts in the shell and will take their time picking out the peanut that seem the biggest and heaviest, by shaking each peanut before choosing just the right one.  We've even had them bring a peanut back several minutes later to exchange for another.  We - and our neighbors - find peanuts buried and stuffed all over the yard and in our flower pots.  The squirrels will take advantage of the jays' hard work and watch them to see where they bury their nuts.

In addition to crows, there are no better "watch dogs" among birds - we always know when a cat or other stray intruder has entered the yard.