Backyard Beauties in Bend: LAPC

I see some of our backyard beauties often, like the chipmunks. This one came right up to our sliding glass door, driving our indoor cat crazy. It was showing me its best side.

Chipmunk on porch

Other animals give us unique views. This immature Cooper’s Hawk posed nicely for me on the back porch.

Backyard beauties Cooper's Hawk

Our regular visitors can be very entertaining. Playful Mule Deer fawns like to run full speed around the yard (when they aren’t busy munching on my plants).

Mule deer fawn

Other regulars are much more secretive. This Mountain Bluebird pair hide every time they see a camera, but I found where they nest and I think they laid two clutches this year. 😀

Mountain bluebirds pair

Some of our backyard beauties make themselves at home for too long. Last winter we had an invasion of American Robins. The birds are nice to look at; their droppings are not!

Backyard beauties American robins

I can never see enough of some of our backyard visitors. Cedar Waxwings are one of the few bird species who are unafraid of the robins. They are bold and beautiful birds.

Cedar waxwings

Some of our visitors try to blend into the background so I won’t notice them. This California Scrub-jay was pretending to be a tree.

Scrub jay

Other visitors do what they can to stand out. This Mountain Cottontail thought it might get more attention by standing on top of the waterfall rock. Did you know this species has been observed climbing juniper trees for food? Yup, really!

Mountain cottontail

There’s never a dull moment when watching backyard beauties in Bend.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge 225 – Wildlife Close to Home

31 thoughts on “Backyard Beauties in Bend: LAPC

    • Thanks, Anne! Yes, though I don’t feed them, they are attracted to the water. We do have a large shrub I call the “sacrifice shrub” in the backyard. The deer trim it up nicely. 😉

  1. The first photo of the chipmunk is adorable. Bend is such a great place to live. Feels mountainous, but is high desert, isn’t it? I love the brilliance of the mountain bluebird. It is funny they always try to hide when they are such a vivid color against the landscape. No…never a dull moment for you. Looks like a nice place to sit and watch the day pass by.

    • Yes, the chipmunks are cute! The color of the male bluebirds is unbelievably blue. Yes, we’re lucky to see so much right out our back door. 😁

  2. We lack some of the species you point out, but like you, we get to enjoy a wide variety of creatures calling our woods home (and some visitor as well). Pretty much have a love hate relationship with the ground squirrels – cute as can be FROM AFAR. Constantly having to relocate them elsewhere as their digging has caused major damage over the years – this year we had to replace a dropped piece of concrete in our driveway thanks to not catching they were living under it – sigh. Would love to have a California Scrub-Jay turn up here!

    • You’re lucky you too get to see a good variety of critters. Sorry the ground squirrels have tried to make your life more difficult. So far (crossing my fingers) our ground squirrels, chipmunks, and voles have not caused much damage. Had to add more fencing to the veggie garden to keep the cute bunnies out, then take some away up high when the Lesser Goldfinches kept getting caught in it. 🙁 The scrub-jays have BIG personalities!

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