Copyright 2007
Wildlife Artist
Phone: 770-385-1367       email: danielcliburn@bellsouth.net
Address: 35 Ashley Way, Covington, GA 30016
Backyard Wildlife
I wanted to add this page to my site for all of you that enjoy wildlife as much as I do. It is amazing
how much can go on in such a small area when it comes to wildlife that I could not resist sharing
some of my photo's with all of you that visit my site. My three year old daughter loves to look at
pictures on other peoples sites with me so now we would like to repay the favor. It is my hope that
the following will inspire you to get outside, do some planting, put up some bird boxes, take some
photographs with your kids and enjoy all that plays out before your eyes!
5-26-08 This year our resident Red-bellied Woodpeckers decided to excavate a nest site in the
dead tree next to our house while we were visiting relatives in Florida. The male is on the left and
the female is on the right with shavings in her beak from pecking out the hole. I was hoping they
would use a nest box I built for them but to come home to this was quite exciting also! We can easily
see them from our bedroom window. I was going to put the box in this exact location, but it would
face west which is not usually ideal. Maybe the birds are not as picky as some may think?
The following photo's are some of our flower and feeder visitors!
Here I would like to thank all of our friends and family that have given us plants and seeds over the
past few years. I really enjoy planting and moving things around in the yard. We had a very humble
start, but now our plants have multiplied to bring color to every corner of the property. Now we are
giving back by sharing our abundance with others who are starting their own gardens to enjoy!
 
This is my daughter and me with a Rough Green Snake I caught in the backyard while cleaning
out under some trees. We took some photo's and let it go! My little girl loves to check out all the
critters I catch to show her and teach her about. Teaching our children to appreciate wildlife is a
very important part of our future that should not be over looked.
In the early afternoon on 4-24-08 I happened to look outside and see a swarm of Honey Bees
coming across our front yard. I grabbed my camera and out the door I went! The following
pictures document the swarm coming in, resting overnight, and leaving around noon the following
day. I thought it was all very exciting!
Late night visitor, a big Luna Moth!
I set out a live trap to try and catch some wild cats in the area, but caught as many Opossums as
anything. This one looked so cute and posed so well that I couldn't help but take his photo.
I have to include the lizards in our yard, they bring tons of joy to the family and friends! Any time I
can catch one, I will bring it home and release it in the yard. Besides being very fun to watch, they
eat lots of insects. These are Anoles, they can change from green to brown at will to blend with
their surroundings. The following images show their lives around our house, shedding, claiming
territory, mating and just hanging out, I hope you enjoy!
When my wife and I moved into our new house in 2002, one of the 1st things I did outside was put
up a bird box. That box was the 1st I had ever built. It didn't take long for the bluebirds to find that
box and build a nest. I was very excited and knew that I would make more boxes in the future for
various types of birds! I was rewarded by being able to see and film that 1st batch of babies
leaving the nest one afternoon after work. I could not have been more pleased! Six years and 13
nest boxes later, quite a few birds have been added to the area, Almost 50 bluebirds alone. I
would definitely recommend purchasing or building some nest boxes, it is a lot of fun and
rewarding as well. There are many sites on the web that sell nest boxes and show free plans as
well. They also give great info and advice on all kinds of birds. Good luck and enjoy!