Diane McAllister / Male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) hovers in mid-air looking at the camera in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, August

Diane McAllister / Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) drinking nectar from an Agastache bloom in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, August

Diane McAllister / Newly hatched Western scrub jay chicks (Aphelocoma californica) huddling together in their nest near one last egg. This nest is in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, June

LYNN M. STONE / Pair of English Springer Spaniels, one black and white, one liver and white, amongst autumn leaves with pumpkins in cart, Illinois, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Persian kitten (baby doll type) in strawberry basket, Illinois, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Golden Retriever in backyard garden; Illinois, USA

MYN / John Tiddy / Ewings / Southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingi) in a backyard garden, Stawell, Victoria, Australia, February. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / John Tiddy / Ewings / Southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingi) in a backyard garden, Stawell, Victoria, Australia, February. meetyourneighbours.net project

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)buck nibbling on leaves in rural backyard, New York

Diane McAllister / Lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) perched on willow branch in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, March

Diane McAllister / Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) perched on a Sycamore tree branch in the early morning light in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, January

Diane McAllister / Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) roosting in a juniper tree in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, December

Diane McAllister / Long eared owl (Asio otus) roosting in an Austrian pine tree in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, December

Diane McAllister / Male House finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) perching on profusion crabapple branch with blooms, in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, May

Diane McAllister / Lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) perching on a cherry branch which is just starting to bloom in a Reno backyard. Nevada, USA, April

Diane McAllister / Lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) perching on a pine cone in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, April

Diane McAllister / California quail (Callipepla californica) with feathers fluffed out, standing on a rock in a backyard in Reno. He visits to search for seed underneath the bird feeders. Nevada, USA, May

Diane McAllister / Large flock of Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) descending upon a Cottonwood tree in a Reno backyard after a snowstorm. Nevada, USA, December

Diane McAllister / Four newly-hatched Western scrub jay chicks (Aphelocoma coerulescens) sleeping in their nest with one unopened and silent egg. The nest is in a backyard in Reno. Nevada, USA, June

Florian Möllers / Maggie's Farm, a green area in the backyard of Tacheles Cultural Center, Oranienburger Strasse, Berlin, Germany. June 2009

Florian Möllers / Common Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in a garden, captive, Bad Essen, Germany, September. Model released

Marie Read / Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) landing to feed from sunflower seedhead in winter, New York, USA

Marie Read / Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) taking seed from sunflower seedhead in winter, New York, USA, (Digitally retouched - eye highlight added) February

LYNN M. STONE / Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) male, feeding on sunflower seeds in snow covered backyard, St. Charles, Illinois, USA.

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) walking through backyard at night, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) walking through backyard at night, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in backyard at night, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, California

Bruno D'Amicis / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) female suckling cubs outside block of flats in a city backyard, Berlin, Germany

Rolf Nussbaumer / Black-crested Titmouse, Baeolophus atricristatus, adult bathing, Uvalde County, Hill Country, Texas, USA, April 2006

Jan Vermeer / Great Tit (Parus major) two feeding on bag of peanuts with a Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus) in winter, Europe

Flip de Nooyer / House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) group feeding from a bird feeder showing possible mold that can kill birds if left unchecked, Europe

Duncan Usher / Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) group at bird feeder, Europe