Is that a chickadee in your pocket?

One of my new favorite past times is bird watching. I'm trying my hand at photography, too, with some success. Unfortunately the birds flee if I'm outdoors, so everything is through a window. My camera doesn't have the greatest zoom, either, so bear with me. Still, here is a small sample of some of the birds I enjoy observing. Click on the pictures for full sized versions.

This fellow on the left is a Ringneck Dove. I think he might be a juvenile because his feathering doesn't seem as sharp or developed as some of the other birds... or maybe he's just slow? He's pretty friendly though and fun to watch.

This is a familiar scene - those small doves with the "scale" like feathers are called Inca Doves. They're not really supposed to be this far north, but there you go. They're about as big as a Robin and quite cheeky little fellows.

Here are some close ups of the Inca doves. Aren't they just charming?


Last but not least is my favorite bird, the Junco. These little folks have a black back and a bright white belly. They're cheerful and make lovely sounds. All of the aforementioned birds, including the Junco, eat mostly the corn scattered around the bird bath. Tomorrow we shall take a look at a few of the feeder frequenters.