Spying on the Backyard Birds

Robin

 While I wasn't out and about birding in June, I was trying harder than ever to spy on the birds in the backyard. Instead of sitting on the back steps while eating breakfast, I employed the Audubon BirdCam, which I had received as a gift. It is a motion activated camera that is supposed to be designed for monitoring a feeder or nest box. While I have neither of these, that didn't stop me of strapping it to trees to see what birds and other wildlife I could find.

Catbird

So far it has captured a mourning dove, catbird, chipmunk, rabbits, grackles, a group of starlings, and a family of robins. While the pictures can't compete with my dSLR, the idea of getting regular "reports" on backyard bird life without active participation is quite exciting. I'm still trying to get the hang of it and learn the best settings and I would love
to find a nest to monitor. So hopefully I'll have occasional BirdCam updates too. I'm also hoping that one of the sporadic neighborhood turkeys will cross its path. Speaking of, I had better go put the memory card back in the camera.



P.S. With the cool and pleasant air Friday night, we had lots of windows open and I was lucky enough to hear the hoots of a Great Horned Owl drifting in the open windows!