Mother lode

MOTHER LODE-noun

1. Mining. a rich or important lode.
2. a major or profitable source or supply:
New York City is a mother lode of actors;
the Dixon backyard is a mother lode of birds.

Tee hee. See what I did up there? The Dixon backyard has become quite the bird haven of late. We had our first unusual visitor over a week ago: a Baltimore Oriole. Oh, man, was he purty! But my camera battery was charging and there was no memory card in the camera. By the time I got everything in place, he flew away, never to return. That's okay, because today we saw our first Indigo Bunting (see below). Seems like every week we see a new visitor of some sort.  :)

This is not a textured background--that is rain falling!

Meet Marilyn. Yes, I know this is a male brown-headed cowbird, but doesn't this remind you of that famous shot of Marilyn Monroe standing over the air vent in The Seven Year Itch? It doesn't? Perhaps I need to take a break from photography. :/

House sparrow, female. Used Kim Klassen's Warm Sun texture.

The male house finches lately are such a vibrant red. He's little, but he sure stands out in a crowd. Used the 'Love' texture by Kim Klassen. 

Aaaannnnd..........we have a new visitor! The Indigo Bunting! Isn't his coloring brilliant? My husband was vacuuming the kitchen and hollered for me to come see what was feeding on the ground. He is a little bitty thing! I said, "How'd you even see that?!" Hubby said he noticed the bright blue moving around on the ground. He finally perched on our tree so I could get a halfway decent shot. I hope he comes back because I know I can do better.