Galleries

Eastern Bluebird males : Be he slender or fluffy, soaking wet, suffering in the heat or hunkered down in the cold winds of winter, the male Eastern Bluebird is to me the most photogenic of all the American song birds. Nearly all of the photos in this gallery are of Papa, my adult male Bluebird. He lived in my yard from 2004 until June of 2009, and fathered more than 55 offspring during that time. I have shot more than 75 thousand pictures of him: wing-waving, mating, feeding nestlings, teaching fledglings, and through it all, protecting his family. I of course, knew him by sight and he is identifiable in many of these shots by the broken middle toe on his left foot. Sadly, he was trapped in an empty nest box and killed by a house sparrow while Mama was sitting on a nest with five eggs. A replacement showed up less than 7 hours later and he continues to do a wonderful job. I love him already but he is still only a replacement and for me there will never be another quite like Papa.

Eastern Bluebird males

Be he slender or fluffy, soaking wet, suffering in the heat or hunkere ...

Updated: Jan 02, 2010 5:23pm PST

Eastern Bluebird males Gallery 2 : This is simply an overfow gallery. I originally thought I would limit each gallery to 1000, but found when I was looking for a particular image, that 1000 was far too many.

Eastern Bluebird males Gallery 2

This is simply an overfow gallery. I originally thought I would limit ...

Updated: Mar 05, 2009 7:34pm PST

Eastern Bluebird males Gallery 3 : This is another overfow gallery.

Eastern Bluebird males Gallery 3

This is another overfow gallery.

Updated: May 23, 2010 5:05am PST

New male bluebird : These are pictures of the adult male that stepped in to help when Papa was killed by the house sparrow. I have taken many more pictures of him and will add them as I find the time.

New male bluebird

These are pictures of the adult male that stepped in to help when Papa ...

Updated: Jul 06, 2012 7:13pm PST

Eastern Bluebird females : While to the casual observer she may seem gentle and subservient, the adult female bluebird is not always so. This is my third female since 2007, each one being challenged, and chased from the area by a newcomer. Each time this has occurred in mid summer, after the sitting female had completed two successful nestings and was working on a third. In 2007 there were 6 day old hatchlings in the nest and to my surprise, the challenger killed them. In 2008, at about the same point in the cycle, that female faced a similar fate. She had also built her third nest and had laid five eggs when a new female arrived, fought with her and chased her away. I did not witness this confrontation, but I did find a number of blue feathers in the grass under the nest box. Within 3 days the new female began building her own nest--on top of the five eggs.

Eastern Bluebird females

While to the casual observer she may seem gentle and subservient, the ...

Updated: Jan 17, 2012 3:41am PST

Eastern Bluebird females, Gallery 2 :

Eastern Bluebird females, Gallery 2

Updated: Feb 14, 2011 3:04pm PST

Male and female Bluebirds together :

Male and female Bluebirds together

Updated: Nov 21, 2009 8:43pm PST

Defending the nest box : Whether it be the abandoned woodpecker hole in the dead tree up on the hill, or the NABS-approved nest box I put up in the back yard, housing is always in short supply. My birds watch "their" box every day throughout the winter, and challenge any bird --Bluebird or otherwise, that approaches it, as if to say, "Don't even think about it." Some of these shots are in sequence. Some are random shots taken at different times. Dave

Defending the nest box

Whether it be the abandoned woodpecker hole in the dead tree up on the ...

Updated: Feb 03, 2013 5:43pm PST

Eastern Bluebirds in flight : Like no other bird I know of, the bluebird is attractive from any side, almost any angle, and especially when in flight.

Eastern Bluebirds in flight

Like no other bird I know of, the bluebird is attractive from any sid ...

Updated: Jan 04, 2012 9:11pm PST

Eastern Bluebirds wing-waving : Communication is a wonderful thing, especially the way Bluebirds do it. You see them greet each other this way a lot during courtship and while they are nesting, but actually I see them wing-waving year round, usually when they are working as a team, such as when they are defending "their" nest box or "their" meal worms. The male does it most but the female will do it too.

Eastern Bluebirds wing-waving

Communication is a wonderful thing, especially the way Bluebirds do it ...

Updated: Apr 07, 2012 2:33pm PST

Nestlings-Fledglings-Juveniles : They say a fledgling is a fledgling until it is capable of feeding itself. After that they are considered juveniles. That is a sometimes fuzzy line so I have put them together.

Nestlings-Fledglings-Juveniles

They say a fledgling is a fledgling until it is capable of feeding its ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2012 4:59pm PST

Watching them fledge : Eighteen days after the eggs hatch (sometimes seventeen), the babies are ready to "fly the coop." To see it happen is always a thrill. To get a good photograph of that first flight is something to celebrate.

Watching them fledge

Eighteen days after the eggs hatch (sometimes seventeen), the babies a ...

Updated: Aug 01, 2012 9:04pm PST

Mad Bluebirds : Mad -- or at least irritated. (Just having a little fun with some of my birds in poses that resemble Michael L Smith's "Mad Bluebird.")

Mad Bluebirds

Mad -- or at least irritated. (Just having a little fun with some o ...

Updated: Nov 19, 2009 9:47pm PST

Fun in the Sun(dial) : I have a sundial in the back yard about 10 feet from the nest box and I keep water in it all summer long. When full the water is only about 2 inches deep. The bluebirds seem to prefer it's shallow depth to that of the regular bird bath and, like the nest box, consider it their own.

Fun in the Sun(dial)

I have a sundial in the back yard about 10 feet from the nest box and ...

Updated: Mar 14, 2011 8:09pm PST

Bluebirds in the Winter :

Bluebirds in the Winter

Updated: Jan 17, 2012 8:24am PST

Now THAT Seems Unusual! : A collection of bluebird activities you (or at least I) don't see everyday.

Now THAT Seems Unusual!

A collection of bluebird activities you (or at least I) don't see ever ...

Updated: Jun 19, 2012 9:21pm PST

Surviving on berries and seeds : Poke weed is a Summer favorite and in Winter it's anything they can find to survive. When the ornamental pears are gone, it's things like dogwood and holly berries.

Surviving on berries and seeds

Poke weed is a Summer favorite and in Winter it's anything they can fi ...

Updated: Oct 05, 2012 6:23pm PST

Backyard birds : When we first moved to our new house we had a lot of bird visitors so I put out a lot of seed and suet in several different feeders. Then came the starlings and the cowbirds and the house sparrows who hogged it all. I finally took down all the feeders except for the thistle feeders and the meal worm feeder which I control as much as I can. Clearly, I am here for the Bluebirds, but it is nice to see the others and if I ever get the starlings and cowbirds under contol, I will put the seed feeders up again.

Backyard birds

When we first moved to our new house we had a lot of bird visitors so ...

Updated: Mar 17, 2013 7:01am PST

Carolina wrens : Another favorite bird and a big fan of the meal worms. He gets shoved around by the bluebirds, but then, he does the same thing to the song sparrow, the titmouse and the chickadee.

Carolina wrens

Another favorite bird and a big fan of the meal worms. He gets shoved ...

Updated: Jan 03, 2013 4:06pm PST

Tufted Titmouse : My second most favorite bird.

Tufted Titmouse

My second most favorite bird.

Updated: Dec 28, 2011 6:24am PST

House Sparrows (or HOSP) : These pictures are not here because I am a fan of the HOSP. To the contrary, they are a number one enemy of the bluebirds and many other cavity nesters, and for that reason alone they are no friends of mine. They may look harmless and even cute, but make no mistake, they are killers or will soon become killers. Anyone who would host bluebirds must have a plan for HOSP control. Their markings resemble the markings of several protected birds and I have posted these pictures to hopefully help someone tell the difference.

House Sparrows (or HOSP)

These pictures are not here because I am a fan of the HOSP. To the con ...

Updated: Oct 05, 2012 1:37pm PST

Woodpeckers :

Woodpeckers

Updated: Mar 13, 2013 10:09am PST

Bird tongues : Just another of my many silly collections.

Bird tongues

Just another of my many silly collections.

Updated: Jan 17, 2012 8:07am PST

County Courthouses in Virginia : There are currently 95 counties in Virginia. In 2010 I visited 93 of them and took pictures of their Courthouses. Thanks to my daughter and son in law, who for Christmas gave us a trip to Chinoteague Island, I have now managed to get pictures of the remaining two: Accomack and Northampton. So here are the old courthouses, arranged alphabetically. (In the case of Arlington and Montgomery, they are not so old). If there was more than one structure I have posted a picture of the older one, whether it is still used for holding court, or as a museum, or whatever. In some cases (Northampton, Prince William), I may also show you a picture of more than one. If the courthouses were being renovated, I will post the best picture I could get and hope for a better picture at a later time.

County Courthouses in Virginia

There are currently 95 counties in Virginia. In 2010 I visited 93 of ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2012 8:17pm PST

password protected gallery

Work bench

Updated: Jan 21, 2013 10:00pm PST

Papa's corpse (WARNNG: graphic photos) : My male Bluebird, that had nested in my yard every year for five years was trapped in an empty nest box and killed by a HOSP while Mama was six days into the incubation of five eggs. I was very surprised when another male showed up the same day, took over Papa's guard duties and helped feed and raise the step children as if they were his own. Picture 11 is of the female, exiting the box with a feather in her beak Pictures 12 to the end are of the step dad.

Papa's corpse (WARNNG: graphic photos)

My male Bluebird, that had nested in my yard every year for five years ...

Updated: Jun 27, 2009 3:18pm PST

Backyard Peonies :

Backyard Peonies

Updated: May 29, 2009 8:12pm PST

2009 Backyard Flowers: Everything except peonies and daylilies. There are separate galleries for them. :

2009 Backyard Flowers: Everything except peonies and daylilies. There are separate galleries for them.

Updated: May 17, 2009 12:58pm PST

Backyard Daylilies 2009 :

Backyard Daylilies 2009

Updated: Jul 22, 2009 10:11pm PST

Close ups : This will probably be a mixed bag of things I was lucky to get at pretty close range.

Close ups

This will probably be a mixed bag of things I was lucky to get at pret ...

Updated: Sep 16, 2009 7:03pm PST

Sparrow spooker :

Sparrow spooker

Updated: Jan 28, 2012 3:22pm PST

February Favorites :

February Favorites

Updated: Dec 05, 2012 7:09pm PST

January Blues :

January Blues

Updated: Jan 24, 2013 7:05am PST

Fecal Sac Removal : Something most of us don't see up close, and maybe it's just as well.

Fecal Sac Removal

Something most of us don't see up close, and maybe it's just as well.

Updated: Sep 16, 2009 7:06pm PST

feather mites :

feather mites

Updated: Feb 14, 2010 10:20pm PST

Cat Photographers and a few other things :

Cat Photographers and a few other things

Updated: Sep 28, 2010 9:21pm PST

Mama Beating up on younger female : With the snow and cold weather we have been having, a few of the bluebirds from around the neighborhood have been coming to the deck, trying to grab a few meal worms. My regular 10 object to this and repeatedly drive the outsiders away. This incident happened today.

Mama Beating up on younger female

With the snow and cold weather we have been having, a few of the blueb ...

Updated: Feb 19, 2010 12:25pm PST

Where do they go when they fledge? :

Where do they go when they fledge?

Updated: May 23, 2010 5:10am PST

April Pics :

April Pics

Updated: Apr 30, 2013 10:52pm PST

Baltimore Oriole building her nest :

Baltimore Oriole building her nest

Updated: Jun 16, 2010 8:05pm PST

Tree Swallows :

Tree Swallows

Updated: Feb 10, 2013 5:02am PST

password protected gallery

Bailey -Lowe Genealogy page

I will try to arrange these in groups or in some logical order so that ...

Updated: Nov 17, 2010 11:04pm PST

Flowers 2010 :

Flowers 2010

Updated: Jun 27, 2010 11:15am PST

Farewell to Pastor Paula & Roy : To view these pictures as a slideshow, click the appropriate tab near the top right corner of this page. Speed adjustment is located in the top left corner of the page. To download any picture, first click that thumbnail and the desired image will appear in the viewing area on the right, Then move your cursor over the image. A floating box of tabs will appear on the right side. Click the folder at the bottom of those tabs to download a copy to your computer. This copy will be in jpeg format and the largest size available. If you should want a lower resolution copy, choose small, medium, large etc., from the floating box of tabs, then right click on the image thus displayed and select "save picture as." If you have ANY problems, email me (rockinear@aol.com) and we will get it done. Dave

Farewell to Pastor Paula & Roy

To view these pictures as a slideshow, click the appropriate tab near ...

Updated: May 22, 2011 11:02pm PST

NABS 31st Annual Conference : If you would like a copy of any-- or all of these pictures, you can download them directly to your computer. Click on the image when it is displayed in the viewing area, select the size you want, right click and select "save picture as." If you have problems, let me know which one(s) you want and I will send a copy via email. If you need a hard copy of an image and have no printer, please let me know (rockinear@aol.com) and I may be able to print it and send it to you by surface mail. To view my Bluebird galleries, cliick this link: http://secondcousindave.smugmug.com/ Dave Kinneer

NABS 31st Annual Conference

If you would like a copy of any-- or all of these pictures, you can do ...

Updated: Sep 16, 2009 6:26pm PST

Some of My Favorites :

Some of My Favorites

Updated: Feb 09, 2013 11:24am PST

NABS 33rd Annual Conference : To view these pictures full page and as a slide show, simply select the appropriate tab in the top right corner of this page. Speed selection will appear in the top left corner. If you would like a copy of any-- or all of these pictures, I think you can download them directly to your computer. Click on the desired image when it is displayed in the viewing area, select the size you want, right click and select "save picture as." If you have problems, let me know which one(s) you want and I will send a copy via email. If you need a hard copy of an image and have no printer, please let me know (rockinear@aol.com) and I may be able to send it to you by surface mail. To view my Bluebird galleries, cliick this link: http://secondcousindave.smugmug.com/ or just click on my username, SecondCousinDave, in the upper left corner of this page. Dave Kinneer

NABS 33rd Annual Conference

To view these pictures full page and as a slide show, simply select th ...

Updated: Sep 27, 2011 2:13pm PST

Robin attacks bluebird fledglings :

Robin attacks bluebird fledglings

Updated: May 14, 2012 2:30pm PST

November shots :

November shots

Updated: Nov 30, 2011 1:07pm PST

Bluebirds and theXBox :

Bluebirds and theXBox

Updated: Mar 18, 2013 8:18pm PST

Molting :

Molting

Updated: Sep 25, 2012 1:13pm PST

Saint Matthias UMC photos :

Saint Matthias UMC photos

Updated: Apr 16, 2013 9:52pm PST

Tree Swallows vs BBF :

Tree Swallows vs BBF

Updated: May 03, 2013 3:52am PST