The Lazy Birder

A photoblog
that wanders …

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Searching for a sound

🎶

The iPhone Merlin app identified a Cape May Warbler in my backyard a few days prior, but I had an appointment so did not have time to investigate although I thought I saw a brief flash of the suspected bird. Now several days later it again identified the sound and I had time to investigate so I pulled up a chair under the dogwood tree with my camera ready… People say "Merlin makes mistakes" but if it identifies a bird repeatedly I think it may be something.

Soon after I see something moving around the honeysuckle on the arch and was happily surprised to see a hummingbird, first of the year, and was able to take some photos. Also spotted an Ovenbird and snapped some photos too, a bird I had never identified visiting the yard.
I had a nice time looking and listening, but no signs of a Cape May Warbler. But still two different birds identified.

I also confirmed I am a Lazy Birder; I most enjoy the birds that visit my yard, even more than when on field trips with the local Audubon Society although that is a nice social gathering…
Afterwards when near the computer I checked NameCheap for the domain thelazybirder and found thelazybirder.blog, the least expensive of the dot.domains and purchased it for $2.98.
All totaled it was $15.05 for a cheap hosting service and SSL for the first month …
A recurring cost of @$5 a month for the hosting site…. Not horrible for the greater flexibility …
And that's where it starts.
If you are reading this blog post then read more about why blogging is still relevant, at the Namecheap Blog, link below.
And recognize that there are still possibilities for free blogging/website services to begin your journey.
hummingbird photo
Ruby-throated hummingbird and Coral Honeysuckle
hummingbird photo
Ruby-throated hummingbird closeup
Ovenbird image
Ovenbird
Ovenbird image
Ovenbird

Links

  1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird - at All About Birds
  2. Coral Honeysuckle that attracts hummingbirds, this is where I obtained mine.
  3. Ovenbird at All About Birds
  4. Cape May Warbler at All About Birds
  5. Merlin App - Identify the birds you see or hear
  6. NameCheap article; Why Blogging Is Still Relevant

Rare Birds

In this instance it refers to a movie, Rare Birds, an offbeat comedy that I saw a long time ago and was reminded of by Don Torino during a discussion of films while on one of the Bergen County Audubon Field Trips.

An online search revealed it was $3.99 to rent in Apple TV or $5.99 to buy, so a no-brainer to add to the film collection. Already in the collection of films starring William Hurt, were:

Altered States - my favorite with the actor
The Big Chill
Broadcast News
Eyewitness - another favorite)
Until The End Of The World, directed by Wim Wenders, one of my favorite directors….

This movie is a funny , though indirect comedy on rare birds (and birders?) and a pleasant way to spend 99 minutes …

Links

  1. Rare Birds at Rotten Tomatoes
  2. William Hurt at The Movie Data Base
  3. Wim Wenders at The Movie Data Base
  4. The Bergen County Audubon Society Website

Shakespear's birds

A very ientertaining story I initially discovered in The Smithsonian about an artist .who decided to paint birds from Shakespeare plays titled Painting the birds of Shakespeare.

There are links below to the artist's site especially the paintings of the birds; the accompanying information and research with each painting is really unique and needs to be seen! The Starling painting below from Missy Dunaway Creative Studios LLC, is very special IMO.

Missy Dunaway Creative Studios LLC

Links

  1. The Birds Of Shakespeare paintings+ - The Birds.
  2. Another article about painting the birds of Shakespeare at The Folger Shakespeare Library.
  3. The Smithsonian Magazine

100 Greatest Names?



An article I found on Kottke.org, simply described as "Founded in 1998, kottke.org is one of the oldest blogs on the web.".
Everyone should always find something interesting here so bookmark the site and if you enjoy the content, consider supporting. I do.

The 100 Greatest Bird Names of All Time by Robert Francis

Making this list was the hardest thing I’ve ever done

Read on Substack

Links

A few Garden plants

June 2026
These pictured plants were grown from seeds; White beardtongue, common milkweed.
The wild bergamot was a plant I think I purchased at one of the plant sales to support the New Jersey Botanical Gardens.
The lady's foxglove was I believe from Rohsler's Allendale Nursery.
Most of the garden flowering plants are native and started from seed, The bushes and small trees were from other sources and also native with some exceptions.
Photo of white beardtongue flower

White Beardtongue

Photo of white beardtongue flower

White Beardtongue

Photo of Lad's Glove or Foxglove

Lady's glove or Foxglove

iPhoto of Lad's Glove or Foxglove

Lady's glove or Foxglove

Photo of common Milkweed

Common Milkweed

Photo of common Milkweed

Common Milkweed

Photo of Wild Bergamot

Wild Bergamot

Photo of Wild Bergamot

Wild Bergamot

Dragonfly photos

On my last walk I took a photo of a dragonfly and I was reminded of previous photos from my immediate surroundings and other walks and thought I would post them in one place.
picture of a common whitetail dragonfly

Common whitetail dragonfly

picture of a Blue dasher skimmer

A Blue Dasher skimmer

Picture of a Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

Photo of a Blue Dasher

Blue Dasher skimmer

Photo of a Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

A Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Photo of a Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Halloween Pennant Dragonflyet.

Photo of a Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

A Widow Skimmer

Photo of a Flame Skimmer Dragonfly

A Flame Skimmer Dragonfly AKA a Firecracker Skimmer

Photo of a Widow Skimmer

Widow Skimmer

Photo of an Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

An Ebony Jewelwing *Damselfly*

Photo of a Swamp Darner Dragonfly

A Swamp Darner Dragonfly

Photo of a common Whitetail

A common Whitetail

Photo of an Eastern Pondhawk

An Eastern, or Common Pondhawk Dragonfly

photo of a widow skimmer

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

Photo of a Widow Skimmer

A Widow Skimmer

photo of a twelve-spotted skimmer

A Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly

photo of a blue dasher

A Blue Dasher

picture of a gold colored widow skimmer

Widow Skimmer. My favorite and photographed in my yard! I love the metallic gold appearance!

Photo of a Blue Dasher

A Blue Dasher

photo of a Blue Dasher

A Blue Dasher

photo of a blue dasher

A blue Dasher

Links

  1. Common Whitetail Dragonfly at dragonflyfacts.com
  2. Blue Dasher at iNaturalist.org
  3. Widow Skimmer at insect identification.org
  4. Halloween Pennant Dragonfly at canvasofthewild.com
  5. Flame Skimmer Dragonfly at mother-natures-backyard
  6. Swamp Darner Dragonfly at iNaturalist
  7. Twelve-spotted Skimmer at insectidentification.org
  8. Eastern Pondhawk AKA Common Pondhawk at The National Park Service (NPS)
  9. Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Menunkatuck Audubon Society
  10. Meet the Skimmers: Colorful Dragonflies
  11. NJ Fish & Wildlife: Dragonflies and damselflies
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