Banded Hairstreak

This little Banded Hairstreak was busily drinking nectar when I encountered it in a forest meadow.  I didn’t seem to mind me taking photos.  In fact, it didn’t even seem to notice I was watching it.

Gray Squirrel 2

This gray squirrel came by to get in on the action as birds were dropping seeds from my backyard feeder.

White Breasted Nuthatch II

White Breasted Nuthatches have the odd habit of creeping down tree trunks.  This one stopped to survey it’s surrounding.  In the process it showed off it’s flexibility by craning it’s neck more than 90 degrees to assess the scene.  This photo was taken on a rainy day and you can see a tiny drop of water clinging to the bird’s belly.

Tufted Titmouse

This tufted titmouse is taking a break between trips to a nearby bird feeder.  Titmice are quite gregarious and are often found with chickadees.  They are always one of the first birds to notice when my feeders have been refilled.

White Throated Sparrow

The white throated sparrow is a shy, colorful little bird with a sweet song.  They primarily forage for food on the ground.  From above or behind they look like a typical brown sparrow but from the front one can see their namesake white throat patch and the bright yellow patches on their face.

Dark-Eyed Junco 2

This dark-eyed junco was busy searching for food among the leaves when I took this picture of it.

Dark-Eyed Junco 1

The dark-eyed junco is a common bird in Richmond during the colder months.  When the weather warms they will migrate to the Appalachians and Canada, not to return again until autumn.  They make for tricky photography subjects as they are small, quick, and almost never still.  I waited until this junco hopped into a patch of direct sunlight to get a shutter speed fast enough to catch it.

I would like to give some credit for this photo to Cornel Apostol.  If you’re not familiar with Cornel’s blog, check it out at http://apostolcornel.wordpress.com.  On several of his posts he’s mentioned throwing a sheet over his head to get closer to birds.  That inspired me to rig up a simple blind which I used to capture this image.