Soggy Saturday

Boy, have we had a lot of rain the past couple of days! Today has started out much the same way. I'm hoping we may get a peek at the sun, and I think my bird friends are hoping, too.

wet blue jay photo by Adrienne Zwart


This little black-capped chickadee took advantage of a break in the rain to dry off.

soggy chickadee photo by adrienne in ohio


This is my favorite photo of the week:
fluffy chickadee photo by Adrienne in Ohio


chickadee photo by Adrienne Zwart


The daddy downy woodpecker and his daughter huddled up under some tulip poplar leaves during the next downpour.

soggy downy woodpeckers photo by Adrienne in Ohio


The mommy downy decided to brave the rain and take advantage of the empty spot at the feeder.
soggy downy woodpecker female photo by Adrienne in Ohio


You might be surprised that they are able to fly with feathers so sodden. Birds usually try to find a sheltered spot under the leaves, but they really don't mind getting wet. In fact, after a long dry spell, many birds will come out in the rain to enjoy the showers. The outer feathers may get wet, but because of the way their feathers are designed, the down feathers stay dry. This allows them to fly in the rain. When they get a chance, they simply fluff their feathers up, shake the water off, and go on about their day. Most birds have an oil gland that they use during preening to smooth and further waterproof their feathers.

Do you enjoy view animal photographs? Check out the rest of the photos at this week's Camera Critters. Maybe you'd even like to participate with a photo of your own!

Comments

Drew said…
I left a comment on the wrong post...just in case you're wondering why I was talking about rain on the previous post when it wasn't even mentioned. :)
Shelley said…
Love your soggy birds! Your chickadee looks like the one I saw this morning! :)
Beautiful photos Adrienne---even with the rains. Send some of your rain down here --since we need it. It's hotter than hot here. Yuk!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy
Cathy said…
Great pictures Adrienne! We haven't had rain here in the Cincinnati area today. Bright blue sunny skies with big white clouds!! Hope it's dried up some for you!
Anonymous said…
Very nice photos. We have had a ton of rain as well. Your blue jay photo made me think of one we have in our yard. He is unable to fly, but he moves fast enough that I could not catch him this morning. I will keep an eye out for him and take him to bird rescue if I have the chance to get him. It's so sad to see our nature friends injured. Thanks for sharing happy photos!
This could be nay garden, well with different birds. They just don't give up do they come rain or shine. Gorgeous captures.
Kelly said…
...your little chickadee fluffing up his feathers is adorable. It's my favorite photo too. Chickadees are my favorite little bird so I really tuned in to him. I loved how you capture the action...
Deejbrown said…
Great post about all the rain we have been having & how the birds adapt. I suppose we could take a lesson from shaking it all off & moving on!
Adrienne: Very cool captures of the wet birds, they do have to fight the weather.
Willard said…
Adrienne, I was glad to read that your doe did have twins. I really enjoyed the series on the soggy birds. As I write this today, we have had two extremely beautiful days in a row and I am glad the rain has stopped for awhile, but can the good weather continue long?
Where are you girlie????? Out-of-town????? Today is June 26...

Missing you!!!
Hugs,
Betsy

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