Friday, August 17, 2012

Birds, butterflies and blooms

I am linking up with Fiona's Green Day and Misty Dawn's Camera Critters and Today's Flowers

These are some shots from around my yard and a pretty female Orchard Oriole. I was a happy birder to see the Orchard Oriole show up in my yard one day.

The female looks like a larger size Goldfinch, 2 inches larger and  the beak is a little different. It has the white wing bars and is a summer bird for my area.

Another day I saw this same bird or another one just like chasing a crow across my yard. I have a feeling they could have been nesting nearby or it was protecting it babies.

My butterfly bushes are great for attracting the butterflies. This Tiger Swallowtail is a common butterfly seen in my yard.

I am pretty sure this is a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly.

My Goldie girl  at the lake, she has had another haircut and is looking more like a yellow lab than a golden retriever.

My Black-eyed Susans are looking especially pretty this year. It is the state flower of Maryland. I am hoping to link up with Today's Flowers. Which has been on a break and will be starting back up this weekend on the 18th. I hope, I missed the gorgeous flowers.

These are a couple of my trumpet vine flowers, they grow on what hubby and I call the monster on our deck. It seems the  hummingbirds love the flowers. They are a great natural nectar for the hummers. I have watched the hummer almost get lost inside one of these large tube flowers.

To see more cute critters please visit Camera Critters and Green Day and Today's Flowers

Special thanks to the wonderful host Fiona of Green Day, Misty of Camera Critters and the M. Luiz of Today's Flowers.

I hope you enjoyed my critter post and flowers. Thanks for stopping by, i hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend.


51 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

your goldie girl is so beautiful. i love those black-eyed susans, too.

DeniseinVA said...

An awesome series of photos Eileen, and Goldie Girl looks like she's having a great time, bless her.

AVCr8teur said...

Your Black-eyed Susans are lovely. They look like little bursts of sunshine all over your yard. How nice of these birds to come for a visit!

Linda said...

Very pretty flowers - black-eyed susans are gorgeous! Your Goldie girl is such a sweet looking girl...have a great week!

Anonymous said...

What pretty photos tonight, Eileen. Your Goldie Girl is gorgeous. A neighbor has the trumpet vines like yours and they are so colorful. Hope you have a very nice weekend.

Self Sagacity said...

I love those photos. The bird is so skinny...it's unusual.

renae said...

Lovely finch photos. I have yet to figure out how to do that. We have quail and I have a pear tree with large pears. I need to take a pick of a partridge (a quail) in the tree but, Duchess chases them out of the tree, yard and over the fence.

Rohrerbot said...

Love the Swallowtail shot. You have lots of fun things around your place. Love the Oriole addition:)

magiceye said...

Loved them all!!

diane b said...

Goldie Girl gets my vote but the bird is a beauty too and the black eyed Susan is very pretty

forgetmenot said...

Flowers, birds, butterflies--you've got it all!!! Lovely photos. I have a trumpet vine too--it tends to "take over" wherever it is growing, but I love it. I transplanted a "sprig" of it from the place I grew up to my current home. Have a great weekend Mickie :)

Cloudy said...

Wieder einmal so traumhaft schöne Aufnahmen...

Lieben Gruß
CL

BlueShell said...

Every photo is delightful.
Thank you dear!
hugs
bs

Vores have said...

Beautiful photo series showing - with both flowers / birds / butterflies and your beautiful dog.
Thank you for sharing it with us in blog land.
Wish you a good weekend :)
Hanne Bente

Sue said...

That orchard oriole does look like a finch-on steroids! Your dog is so pretty-she does look like a lab.

E. said...

All of your photos are great, but the one with the dog in the water is so cute!
I think I may have said that before, but I love your header picture, too!
Have a lovely weekend! :)

Phil Slade said...

You have a great mix of photos today Eileen, so hard to pick a favourite and I know I'm a birder first anf formeost but your Black-eyed Susans are simply stunnung - such an incredible yellow. Have a special weekend.

Dan Huber said...

very nice series Eileen, I have never seen the female Orchard Oriole

DIMI said...

Thanks for your visit and for your nice comment!I am now your follower!Lovely photos,and the dogy is so cute!!!Have a nice weekend!!Greetings from Athens!

jp@A Green Ridge said...

My favorite of all is of Goldie!...:)JP

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

OH i love goldie girl...she has the right idea...cooling off on a hot day!

LOVE the butterflies, birds & flowers too!!

have a happy weekend eileen!

Liz said...

What beautiful wildlife you have in your yard! Those butterflies are gorgeous. Your dog is so beautiful!!

Montanagirl said...

Beautiful photos! I really enjoy your photography.

Chaparral Earth said...

It really is a chore to have enough patience to get just the right shot. I spent 30 mintures the other day waiting for this black butterfly to open it's wings and reveal the colourful interior of it's fully spread windspan.


Nice shots.


.

Lynne said...

Really lovely photos . . .

Unknown said...

Great sequence, especially with that beautiful Goldie Girl in it. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Crafty Green Poet said...

what lovely photos, the oriole is such a pretty bird!

oldthings said...

My dear
All your photos are lovely ! I especially like this with the black-eyed ! Have a nice weekend
Olympia

Linda said...

lovely variety of photos, Goldie Girl looks very happy in the water, I'm visiting from Green Day

Bob Bushell said...

Oh, you can't beat that, the Orchard Oriole, beautiful. And Goldie girl, isn't she wonderful?

Ellie said...

You have some beautiful pictures today and your lovely dog is looking very happy standing in the water. :)

Karin M. said...

... great photo work, a very nice photo series ..
super light and great colors ..
Love greetings, Karin

Jenn Jilks said...

I love your photos. I think I have the same butterfly.
Cheers from Cottage Country!

My Little Home and Garden said...

I love the butterfly shots and it's hard to ignore the golden's wonderful face!

Anonymous said...

Hi Eileen, That Orchard Oriole is a beaut! So is your pup Goldie! Have a fine day tomorrow.

Donna Heber said...

Hi Eileen,

Amazing shots of wildlife! Goldie is so adorable.

Carver said...

Wonderful sequence of shots. Great seeing the birds, butterfly and beautiful dog as well as the lovely flowers.

Anonymous said...

Lovely shots and a beautiful Goldie!

CameraCruise said...

Beautiful shots, you have it all in your garden!
Have a great day.
Mette

Unknown said...

i enjoyed my visit--gorgeous photo. give your dog a hug for me--she's a beauty.:p

visiting from Today's Flowers

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful dog! I love your nature shots too.

Anonymous said...

Hi Eileen :) I'm your new follower of the two blogs on your profile. I'm going to love travel with you. and this blog is dreamy. in the city I live these are the hardest models to catch and I love them so! thank you for sharing :) wishing you a beautiful day. xxo

i beati said...

Each and every frame enlightens my soul

Debbie said...

love your golden girl in that pond, what a cutie!!

pretty goldfinch, she does look big!!

Anonymous said...

Eileen,
thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures with me.
The Orioles visit our garden every spring. Orioles love to use the same feeder as Hummingbirds do, before they arrive. Butterflies and flowers belong together.
Lovely images.

Hootin Anni said...

Super images of the Orchard Oriole. I'm hoping we get some Baltimore Orioles at our feeders this Fall like last year.

And Goldie Girl.........she's so sweet!!!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Birds and blooms are all beautiful! I'd be ecstatic to have that bird on my feeder.

And Goldie Girl looks very happy with her new haircut!

eden said...

Beautiful photos. Orioles are lovely birds.

Saun said...

Awesome set! Wish I had that bird in my backyard. Have a great week!

Andrea said...

Hello Eileen, am a bit late here as I've been sick, now still absent from work but can already open the net, haha! Those are wonderful blooms and butterflies. I love most the color of the fritillary which we don't have here! Thanks for visiting my post too.

Indrani said...

Wow! Great collection!

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