Monday, February 24, 2020

Our World, My World

 Hello and Happy Monday,

February is flying by, at least it is for me.  I am looking forward to spring and walking in the warm sunshine.  But, for now these are some photos from my world, the nearby reservoir and our neighborhood. I will be happy to see green trees again. 

 "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." Paulo Coelho



Lately I have been seeing both the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers at my feeders. They both love the suet.  The Hairy Woodpecker is larger in size,  9 inches long. The Downy woodpecker is 6 1/2 inches long. The Hairy is on the left and the Downy is on the right in both of the mosaics below. 

The female Hairy Woodpecker and the female Downy Woodpecker.  The white (wider stripes) around the eye  on the Hairy Woodie also looks different. The suet feeder fits a small block of suet and is not big, you can see the smaller Downy Woodpecker does not take up much room on the feeder compared to the larger sized Hairy Woodpecker. 


 The male Hairy Woodpecker is on left and the male Downy Woodpecker is on the right.   Both male woodies have the red spots on their heads.


A view of the local fire road, one tree is down we either go around it, climb over it or turn back.


 A view of the reservoir, our lake seen through the trees.


 At the lake, way in the distance a saw a few Canada Geese, Common Mergansers and the Hooded Merganser.





"Smile more, Embrace the lessons, Love your life."

On Feb 16th we took a walk to the front part of the lake, we saw more Mergansers, and a few dogs and their humans were across the lake from us.  🌝  Dogs make me smile. 😀



Another cloudy day in the neighborhood, lake view and reflections.


Mergansers seem to be the most common waterfowl seen at our lake.






"Follow your dream, listen to your heart."


Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


Check out My Corner of the World  Thanks to Betty the host. 
 
Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday



Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!


Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

128 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  2. Lindas mensagem entre as fotos! Beleza, como sempre ,que nos faz bem apreciar aqui! Linda semana! beijos, chica

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Chica, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  3. Hello Eileen,

    The woodpeckers are all so beautiful. I look forward to spring too.
    Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Marit, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  5. I can't wait until spring is here ... I'm tired of this awful weather!!
    The woodpecker is always a pleasure to watch!
    Wishing you a nice day and a great week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Ella, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  6. Lovely photos, nice to get the comparisons between the two species of woodpeckers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Juliet, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  7. Pretty woodpeckers. Looking forward to the green trees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Nancy, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  8. Thanks to your explanation and the photos, I think I will be tell apart Hairy woodpecker from Downy Woodpecker, and male and female of each species. The red spots on the head is a helpful clue. Have happy days ahead.

    Yoko

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  9. Nice to have them side by side. Very cooperative birds you have. Another surefire ID character with the males is that the red on the Downy is continuous, on the Hairy it is broken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello David, thanks for the id help! Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  10. Beautiful birds as always...and I love your lake reflections photos, especially the island with the water in waves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Barbara, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  11. I meant the last one with ducks and water in waves, as well as island! Sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the Merganser photo. It's nearly a perfect mirror image.
    Have a great Monday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Toni! Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  13. THis was very helpful to have these two scamps side by side. I can never tell them apart but maybe now I can. I love the photo of the bluebird in your last post. Their blue is such a beautiful shade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jocelyn! I love the bluebird too! Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  14. It is great to see the woodpeckers side by side like that. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Marie, Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  15. We see a lot of Downy Woodpeckers and some Hairy ones which seem so large when they fly in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  16. I would have thought all the woodpeckers were the same. it is hard for me to see the differences. the ducks are very good at drawing designs in the water

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sandra, they woodies do look alike. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  17. I could walk around and sit by the water all day. We have the same woodpeckers that visit us daily. Precious, I feed them all. They love the suet blocks. Lovely doggies!
    Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  18. Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  19. ...your world looks wonderful to me, enjoy your week, Eileen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  20. That lake looks to be a great place to spot birds. I love your last photo of the two birds swimming together.
    Enjoy your day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  21. It's cloudy and colorless here too at the moment. Great woodpeckers! Wishing a beautiful new week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Ritta, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  22. awwww, you changer "your" picture, i love it!! i have been seeing a lot of different mergansers, but they swim so far out it is impossible to get a picture like you did!!!

    i still have a hard time telling the hairy from the downy, but the picture is very helpful. i have a male downy that is hanging around, it looks a little smaller and does not fly off, when i hang out the window closest to the tree. could it be a young one this time of year? it is not injured.

    awesome pictures today!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Debbie, I hope your woodie is OK. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  23. Awesome photos. ❤️❤️❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  24. What a fantastic pattern in the water the birds have made, reminding me of skaters making the figure eight!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  25. Underbart med dessa celebra gäster vid fågelbordet. Fint att du fick båda två på samma bild. Ingen vinter hos er heller men det kanske är normalt, har dålig kunskap om det.

    Ha det gott Eileen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Gunilla, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  26. Hello Eileen
    I am also really looking forward to spring. In the Netherlands we now have the fourth storm in a few weeks and the 5th is coming. It keeps blowing and being bad again. I am sick and tired of many others.
    Your photos are also a welcome change. It is wonderful to see these woodpeckers, but the woodland views are also beautiful. I also see beautiful sawfish swimming. Your collage also works great.
    I wish you a very nice week.
    Greetings, Helma

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Helma, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  27. Oh love the woodpeckers and other great nature photos ~ Beautiful, Eileen ^_^

    Happy Moments to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Carol, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  28. I like that last photo but my favourites are the woodpecker photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  29. What a lovely trip! We had a few rock pigeons at our feeder today. They are flighty :-) and I can't get a good photo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jenn, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  30. Hello Eileen,
    Wonderful shots.
    So nice how you've caught the woodpeckers in these shots. So nice!!

    Greetings, Marco

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Marco, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  31. Great photos of the Woodpeckers!
    Dogs seem to get the maximum amount of enjoyment from every day! We could all learn from them.
    Have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Lea, Dogs have big hearts, love unconditionally. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  32. It was fun to see both types of woodpeckers at your bird feeders, Eileen! They do look hungry. I alos enjoyed reading all the quotes you included in this post. I like to collect inspirational quotes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pat, I love collecting and reading the inspiring quotes. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  33. I'm going to get my journal out and write down some of these quotes! You KNOW I love my life but I need to encourage others to love theirs! What sweet woodpeckers! They are sharing! heehee! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Diane, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  34. Woodpeckers (hairy) seem to be the only friends I'm attracting to one of my feeders. Your pix are great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jeanie, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  35. Beautiful photos as usual. Love the woodpeckers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Karen, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  36. It's difficult to tell the difference between hairies and downies. I go by the size of the beak.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Red, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  37. You are really good - those 2 male woodpeckers look similar to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Carol, yes they do look alike! thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  38. Love how you captured the two side by side...lucky to have happen! (I like digs, too.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Anni, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  39. Woodpeckers are so much fun unless they are drilling in the wall of your cabin. - Margy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Margy, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  40. Those pictures of the two woodpeckers are so great...the comparisons are really helpful for IDing. Thank you! The fire road makes a very nice neighborhood walk. Hope your Spring comes soon !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sallie, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  41. Woodpeckers are very cool when they aren't pecking on your house. :) I'm ready for some good walking weather. Happy week to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Ellen, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  42. I fell in love with the first woodpecker I saw IRL. I'm still in love with them, although I rarely see them.

    Worth a Thousand Word

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  43. Hello Eileen,
    I am also looking forward to spring, here there has been a storm and a lot of rain 4 times.
    I love the woodpeckers, really beautiful pictures.
    Best regards, Irma

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Irma, I hope you stay safe in the storms. Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a great week!

      Delete
  44. I lost my rhythm with my trip to Dresden...

    ...now I'm here, reading and enjoying your Post. Thank you for sharing this lovely captures.

    Happy MosaicMonday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  45. I enjoyed learning of the differences between the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. Thanks so much Eileen. I had what I thought was a Downy on the feeder yesterday but I will pay more attention to it next time. Always enjoy looking through your photos. Gave a great day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Denise, thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  46. Nice pictures. Love the woodpeckers. And...today I discovered that a hawk has built a nest right above my office window!! Unfortunately I can't see him from my window, but when I walk into the building I can see him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Vera, thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  47. I never thought of using Suet, we've been using bird seed and dripping/fat. Thanks for the idea :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  48. Hello Eileen, I completely agree with you, and if only spring were closer than it feels around here. It's colder again, we had a few warmer days but oh my there is so much snow still out and about everywhere. Much of it iced over too, which my dog Misty cannot tolerate! Hoping there will be real spring here by the time Easter arrives.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Poor Misty, it must be hard walking on the ice and cold. It is colder and windy here today! Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  49. Great shots of the woodpeckers. Hopefully winter will end soon here too. The weather is unpredictable and lousy. We all need warmth and some colour.
    Have a lovely evening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Bill! You are right, the weather is unpredictable. Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  50. The woodpeckers love the suet blocks :)
    All very nice photographs.

    Hope your week is going well.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jan, Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  51. Imagens como sempre fascinantes, desse pedacinho de paraíso... tão próximo da natureza!...
    Magnifica partilha, Eileen! Saio sempre daqui do seu cantinho, respirando paz e serenidade!
    As imagens como sempre, são fascinantes! Adorei ver! Beijinhos! Feliz semana!
    Ana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ana, thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  52. These are awesome scenery images. The birds are so awesome to see, so pretty. The last shot with the wakes crossing is a great capture.

    Thanks for linking up at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

    My Corner of the World

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Betty, thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  53. I always enjoy your walks so much...great captures of the woodpeckers. You have a lovely place to walk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Rose, thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  54. It seems that one of those dogs noticed you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  55. The woodpeckers are so adorable! I am impatiently waiting for spring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  56. Eileen - great captures of the Hairy and Downy, and explanations of how to tell the difference. We also have both of these at our suet feeders. I have often wondered how they got their names, since they don't look particularly downy or hairy! The last photo of the mergansers, gazing at each other and leaving a wake pattern, is a fabulous shot!! I can almost see a heart shape in that wake pattern! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Angie, Thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  57. I would love to have these woodpeckers feeding in my garden - you obviously put out good food for them!
    Wren x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Wren, thank you so much for the comment and visit. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend!

      Delete
  58. Interesting to learn about the comparisons between the two species of woodpeckers.

    Happy Wednesday, Eileen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  59. The woodpeckers are very cute Eileen :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sami, thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  60. Amazing! I love woodpeckers and this year there are also many in our garden!
    Your landscapes also fascinate me, how beautiful it must be there in summer?
    I wish you a beautiful day, Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Julie, thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  61. I am looking forward to spring too. It has been so rainy here in Atlanta. Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, it seems we have more cloudy rainy days than the nice days. But, It could be worse. Thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  62. Lovely capture from your walk on local fire road and i could see how dry the trees are waiting to rekindle on new shoots and greenish. Beautiful captures and nice details observed on the woodpeckers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jeevan, thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

      Delete
  63. Hello, thank you so much for the comment. Wishing you a happy day!

    ReplyDelete
  64. Love the two swimming Merganser.
    Happy Thursday and happy rest of week!

    ReplyDelete
  65. nice birds seen in your world :) Today we finally has some snow so I had a chance to walk in snow. The feeling of winter was great, but it starts to melt away already :(

    ReplyDelete
  66. Eileen, I love pattern in the water made by the Mergansers! Thanks for sharing and have a great week. Sylvia D

    ReplyDelete

Hello, thank you for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.

BTW, Anonymous comments unless a name is included will not be published. Also, comments with links will be deleted.

Have a happy day, Eileen

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts." Rick's Cafe, N...