Thursday, November 1, 2012

Backyard Skywatch

It's time for some of my favorites memes Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged.

Just another post from my backyard, I have not really been anywhere beside work and home. These shots were taken a few days before the big storm. The sky was mostly clear except for a few line of contrails across my sky. When the sun was setting the contrails turned a pretty pink. Also, for the NF Winged entry I some of my Pine Siskins. They seem to be visiting my feeders everyday now. They are fun to watch.

A few Pine Siskins and one of my Goldfinches.



Above is a shot showing the difference between a Goldfinch and the Pine Siskin. The main difference I think is the yellow stripe on the side of their wings. The Siskin has stripes on its belly and the Goldfinch has more of an off-white belly.


Looks like a caught a few geese flying by, the contrails turned a pretty pink when the sun was setting.





Above I could watch the jets and the contrails in action.


A couple of my Purple Finches, they also seem to be daily visitors now.


Yesterday, hubby and I drove around our lake to see how much water was going over the dam after all the rain we received from the storm Sandy.





I took this shot standing on the dam looking over at the river below the dam is overflowing its banks.  On good days this river is popular with the trout fisherman. It will be awhile for this river to recede enough for fishing.

I am hoping with the time change coming up I can look forward to seeing some great sunrises on my way to work.  I saw a beautiful sky this morning from my office window,  I was upset I did not have my camera with me. Next time I will be prepared.

To see more beautiful photos and pretty skies please visit Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged. Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

56 comments:

  1. Our next door neighbours have a thistle sock hanging on our fence line border that we can see and watch perfectly from our livingroom window. Those little tiny Nuthatches, Finches and others are even now beginning to congregate and beg for handouts. We use the Suet seed balls when the snow finally arrives.

    I wonder why they released excess water from the dam ? It would seem with drought conditions they would want to save as much extra as they can.

    -

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  2. Lindas fotos ,adoro os céus e pássaros. Legal teu alimentador! E tomara as coisas voltem ao normal! beijos,chica

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  3. OMW Eileen, that's a raging torrent of a river in your last shot. I'm glad to hear you're OK and continue to pray for all who have been affected by Sandy. I love your sky shots. Brilliant! And I'm fascinated by the net-like feeder in your first photo. Did you make this yourself or are they available in the pet shops/garden centers around the US. I have never seen anything like this in SA. Hope you have a great weekend. BTW after our recent rains, the birds are out in full force. While I sit here at my desk I can hear no less than three cuckoos, the White Browed Coucal and the Black-headed Oriole. I need to get out there with my camera! Hugs Jo

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  4. Good Morning Eileen,

    I love those purple finches, they are really pretty birds.
    You are lucky to have them visit.

    Great sky shots and also the water photo is fantastic.

    Happy 1st of November to you

    x Fiona

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  5. I like the photograph of the river from the top looking down.

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  6. Ηallo Eileen!Im glad you are ok!Thank God!Your shots are amazing!Love the one with the Purple Finches!!So pretty birds!You give me ideas about the feader!Im on hollidays for a few days!Thank you for your lovely comment!Wish you all the best!!
    Dimi..

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  7. Amazing shot of the river . . . Is the Purple Finch the same as a Redpole?

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  8. Oh gosh - that is a lot of water!

    Lovely purple finches and a great sky!

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  9. Amazing flood pictures. So much water. Glad you guys made it through safe.

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  10. Thanks for explaining the difference between the Goldfinch and the Pine Siskin. Cute little birds! Have a great day Eileen.

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  11. I really like the orange contrails. The one especially looks like a rocket.

    Wouldn't want to be caught in that water!!!

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  12. always love seeing your bird visitors. the purple finches are so pretty (so are the siskins and goldfinches, of course). that contrail lit-up is wonderful!

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  13. Love those pink contrails and the water rushing over the dam and down the river!

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  14. Beautiful! I love the sky pictures. I saw something like that the other day and did not have a camera. You caught it so beautifully!

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  15. Wow that's a lot of water and your bird shots inspires me to bring seeds to the feeders.

    Kim,USA

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  16. I love Siskins. I hope to have a feeding station again someday...and have lots Pine Siskins.

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  17. I love the variety of beautiful birds you have, Eileen! Lovely skies you have for the day with the colorful contrails! Wonderful captures! Hope you have a great weekend!! Enjoy!!

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  18. A great serie of photos, - lovely to see!

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  19. You have some nice bird shots, especially the purple finch. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. Lovely photos! I really like those contrails. The Purple Finches are so pretty!

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  21. A great series, the pink contrails look like ribbons in the sky.

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  22. The finches have a wonderful colour!

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  23. I learn something new everytime I come to your blog. I have some of these birds in my backyard. I thought they were red headed finches little did I know they were purple finches. do you keep your sock up all winter? I found me one of those round feeders love it. have a great weekend,

    Saun

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  24. I love that last shot! Amazing!

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  25. That water rushing is very scary:) I love all your finches. I've been enjoying the thistle seed feeders at our place. They really attract the birds and I've been having to fill them up often. And wouldn't you know it's the expensive seed:)

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  26. That is alot of water.... Great for waterfall enthusiasts like us!!!!! Ha

    Cute little birds. We have the same ones --except we don't have Purple Finches.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  27. I love your skies and the birds. The dam was scary to look at. Me too learned that I have to bring always my camera. One can never know if the sun will shine:) thanks for the visit.

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  28. Must be so nice and soothing to hear those birds chirping in the early mornings. They are so beautiful!

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  29. Interesting picture of the river - its remarkable that the fish dont end up in the ocean!

    Stewart M - Australia

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  30. Good veiws of nature, and I'm sorry, I hope nothing went wrong to you during Sandy.

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  31. If I had lots of siskins and goldfinches in the garden I think like you, I would be spending time taking lots of good photos and just watching their antics. That overflowing water looks a tad scary to me and thankfully you are safe and no harm done. Have a great weekend - no work.

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  32. Pink contrails are leaving glowing trails in the sky!! Magnificent!
    How lovely your finches!! I especially love the first photo!
    Have a great weekend.
    keiko

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  33. Fabulous skies and lovely birds! Thanks for sharing!

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  34. These are such sweet little featherballs ! I can't put a feeder in my garden wouldn't be nice with 4 cats !

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  35. i always wonder why they are called "purple finches" when it looks red to me? i see no purple.... purple is my favorite color ... no purple there or there? odd??!

    lovely views. have a great weekend. (:

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  36. You have quite the eye for subtle detail.

    I love the shots of the water over the dam. I think Sandy really surprised a lot of people.

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  37. lovely birds, specially the purple finches! Lovely skies too and that's a huge amount of water. Glad you're okay after the storm.

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  38. Beautiful birds, and that streak in the sky is amazing. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  39. Great shots of your backyard birds and sky and amazing how much water was crashing over at the lake when you visited.

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  40. That's a great view of the river standing on the dam! Have a great weekend!

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  41. Wonderful shots of the birds in your backyard and the skies above it.
    Must be great to have so many birds in your garden.
    Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend.

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  42. Awesome shots, Eileen. All of them, especially the river one.
    Thanks for dropping by!

    www.womenandperspectives.com

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  43. Me too.

    I have not really been anywhere beside work, home and Cerok Tokun.

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  44. Nice to meet you at Nature Footsteps too Eileen! So many lovely photos of birds. Love the purple finches. Have a nice weekend.

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  45. totally enjoyed perusing your blog....the tropical birds are awesome, too....these shots are great, from the skies to the birds to the floods - great stuff

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  46. Gorgeous captures!! My favourites are the sunsets with the contrails!!

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  47. wow Eileen... the waters are raging...glad you are safe...as always your photos are beautiful!

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  48. I love the greys with the roses and golds in the feeling of fall, and coming cold. Great views of the birds "stocking up" on seed. That shot from the dam is really neat!

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  49. Lots of birds, pretty skies & great views from the dam! =)

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  50. Happy weekend Eileen -- There couldn't possibly be any better backyard than yours to be when you can't go anywhere else. You have your own nature preserve there. Beautiful pictures; thank you for sharing.

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  51. Ηi Eileen! I'm glad you are ok after the storm! My aunt in Ocean City went up to PA. Still don't know anything about her house. It's just behind the dunes not far from the Delaware border.

    Pretty birds in your backyard. So many more than in my backyard. The temperature is some days below freezing point, so many birds has gone to a warmer place down in Europe.

    Wish you a peaceful and great weekend!

    Irene

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  52. wow, that dam is impressive. And you should always carry a camera. I do. Don´t go anywhere with out one.

    Saturday morning I´m off to Morocco. It is a birding trip, bur most of teh birds is our migrating birds so not that exiting. But I hope for a lot of desert shots. And ocean. :)

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