2011: looking back...

^{Anna's Hummingbird female, DBG, 5/18/11.}

2011 was my most birdacious year yet.

This year, most of my days involved birds in one way or another...

spotting, watching, feeding, identifying, photographing.

Birdacious...

There were birds seen through my windows:

^{Gambel's Quail family, front patio through window, 8/13/11.}

^{Cooper's Hawk juvenile, back fence through window, 1/16/11.}

^{Verdin at the kitchen window, 11/4/11.}

And birds seen in our yard:

^{Calliope Hummingbird female, backyard, migration, 9/17/11.}

^{Green-tailed Towhee, backyard, migration, 9/29/11.}

There were birds seen at my beloved Desert Botanical Garden:

 

^{Peach-faced Lovebird, DBG, 10/3/11.}

^{Greater Roadrunner with hungry young, DBG, 5/5/11.}

^{Wilson's Warbler with worm, DBG, 5/10/11.}

^{Cactus Wren bringing lunch, DBG, 4/23/11.}

^{Elf Owl, DBG, 9//23/11.}

^{Green Heron, DBG, 9/19/11.}

And birds seen at many new-to-me places...

Gilbert Riparian Preserve:

^{Yellow-rumped Warbler, Gilbert Riparian, 11/14/11.}

^{Black-crowned Night Heron, Gilbert Riparian, 11/14/11.}

Boyce Thompson Arboretum:

^{Broad-billed Hummingbird male, Boyce Thompson, 8/22/11.}

^{Cooper's Hawk mom with chicks, Boyce Thompson, 6/13/11.}

Tempe Marsh & Tempe Dam:

^{Red-tailed Hawk juvenile, Tempe Marsh, 11/29/11.}

^{Coyote and Snowy Egrets, Tempe Marsh, 12/1/11.}

^{Great Blue Heron with fish, Tempe Dam, 12/1/11.}

^{Snowy Egret, below Tempe Dam, 11/7/11.} 

There were birds seen in Bermuda, a new-to-me country where our nephew was married in April:

^{Great Kiskadees, Southampton, Bermuda, 4/17/11.}

^{Cottage driveway sign, Bermuda, 4/17/11.}

And there were birds rediscovered in August at the Chicago Botanic Garden, long ago the favorite haunt of my family's preschool days:

^{Cedar Waxwing, Chicago Botanic Garden, 8/28/11.}

^{Ruby-throated Hummingbird (a rarity!) at Chicago Botanic Garden, 8/28/11.}

There were bird families I met and followed on the web:

Bald Eagles via the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Cam and the Wildlife Center of Virginia Critter Cam.

Red-tailed Hawks via the NYTimes/NYU Hawk Cam and also via Roger Paw's blog.

Watching regularly, I grew to care for these birds

as if they were residents of my own backyard.

*     *     *     *     *

 I learned so much about birds in 2011.

Apart from my own explorations, I thank the Monday morning DBG birders and the fellow photogs and generous bird experts at Birding--Arizona and the Southwest FaceBook group for broadening my bird horizons and challenging my photography skills.

It's been a birdacious year.

 

Comments

[John]

A wonder-filled year indeed!

[susan m hinckley]

Birdacious indeed! I LOVE some of these photos, LuAnne. I don't know why, but "Verdin at the kitchen window" absolutely stopped me in my tracks. I want! Thanks for sharing your many gifts.

[luanne]

Honestly when I look back through all my photos from this year, I'm amazed at everything I've witnessed and been lucky enough to photograph.

Susan, you need only tell me which photos and what size. Or I can email you jpgs to print, since your printer is likely superior to mine!