Welcome to Saturday's Critters!
Hello and happy Saturday!
1. Jan 17th , I heard the Blue Jays and other birds fussing outside my window. I can see why they were upset, this Red-shouldered Hawk was sitting in our backyard tree.
2. It flew off after I was able to take a few photos, I am sure I ruined this hawk's dining plans.
In the news, recently an Eurasian Goldfinch has been seen at feeders hanging outside a Columbia Md nature store. I would love to see this Eurasian Goldfinch but I am no longer chasing birds. Even if I went to see this bird, I am not sure if this could be considered a lifer? Most likely this Eurasian Goldfinch is an escapee, someone's pet? I will share my pretty American Goldfinches seen at my feeder.
3. Two American Goldfinches outside my window.
4. I am constantly battling the Gray Squirrels, I have given up. I think they eat more of my bird seed than my birds are able to eat.
5. At the feeders, a Downy Woodpecker in front, a Hairy Woodpecker in the middle and last is a Red-breasted Nuthatch.
6. Another look at the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. They look so similar. The Hairy Woodpecker is overall larger in size, the head and body is larger also the bill is thicker and longer.
7. The squirrels just sit in the feeder and feast on the bird seed.
Thanks
to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate
everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.
Here is my linky:
Also visit: I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the host Anni.
153 comments:
Lindos,Eileen!Adorei ver os esquilos.. beijos, lindo fim de semana! chica
The hawk is a beauty and so are the other birds feeding at the feeder. The squirrels are so cute. Thank you for hosting and have a beautiful weekend.
Those pesky Squirrels---but what can you do. We share.
MB
Always fun hanging with you, E!
My Dad had the same, streaks of light in the eyes - it went away - best wishes to you!
The hawk looks dangerous. But the Goldfinches are cute!
Sorry to say, but I love ("my") squirrels. A nice weekend to you!
Beautiful bird pics.
Thanks for hosting.
Happy Weekend.
Thanks for sharing the beauties at your feeders. Love the hawk.
I wish you the eye issue will disappear!
All the best!
Red-shouldered Hawk is really special! Never seen a hawk so close. And the squirrels ... they may think they are birds too! LOL
I wish you a blessed Sunday!
~ Stay safe and well ~
We love to see hawks, but they really do scare the birds when one wants to see others! And if it’s not a hawk it’s always squirrels!
I hope your eye improves quickly.
be safe... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Hi Eileen,
These are a nice series of photos.
The squirrel is very cute and he or she just sits in the birds' food bowl.
Watch out for your eye, if this persists you should see an eye doctor.
It may have to do with the retina and you have to be very careful with that, I wish you a lot of strength.
Would you like to post my link, please.
Have a nice weekend and stay healthy.
Good Morning Eileen. Sorry to hear about your floaters. Sue gets them sometimes but she is sort of used to them now. You need to get it checked out though.
I'm 100% certain that the Eurasian Goldfinch will be an escape from a bird breeder rather than a wild one flying the "wrong" way across the Atlantic. They are dommonly kept in captivity because of their song and their colourful plumage.
Have a happy day. Thanks for the link.
Hello Eileen,
Great photos of the hawk. They need food too, but we don't want them to eat "our" small visitors. I have the same problem here, and also the battle with the squirrels. I guess they are hungry too, but they eat more than the birds.
Have a happy weekend!
loved to see your photos of the Red-shouldered Hawk. And the acrobatic squirrel.
I hope your eye issue passes soon. I has something similar yesterday when driving. I had a rainbow pattern in my left eye, but it dissappeared when I came home. So, hopefully yours dissappeares to.
I don´t "chase" birds anymore either. Mostly because of the decline in numbers of most species and also because the travel restrictions. And my age takes it tolls. There is a trip planned to go to see hummingbirds next year. But that will be high altitude so my body wount like it, and then there are Corona. It is also troublesome driving long distances nowadays. So, I have to settle for home area.
Take care, I am going outdoors now, as I see a sunny, cold wintersday outside my window.
Squirrels have a motto, never give up. :) Beautiful bird photos especially the Red-shouldered Hawk.
Enjoy your day and thanks for hosting.
That hawk is not happy with you! They are having a Eurasian Goldfinch in feeders up in Chicago area, also though to be escapes, but birders are flocking to see them anyway. I too have stopped "chasing" for rarities. The flashes of light can be more serious than floaters, so you should see an ophthalmologist. About 15 years back I had a huge burst of floaters in one eye due to a vitreous separation. No light flashes but they could relate to this or retinal problem. Most of the floaters disappeared over weeks and months except for a few which are still attached to the retina.
Visiting your blog after 7 months. Happy to see your lovely critters. The hawk is beautiful!
Un bonito reportaje. Saludos.
Squirrels... What more can anyone say? ;-) I hope your eye is feeling better soon and your vision returns to normal! Thank you for sharing your lovely photos and for explaining the differences in woodpeckers. I need to take a closer look at the ones visiting our feeders! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Thank you Chica!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Nancy!
Take care, enjoy your day! Happy weekend!
Thank you MB!
I have given up, the squirrels always get their food.
Take care, enjoy your day! Happy weekend!
Thank you Cloudia!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Iris!
My eye is slowly getting better.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you for the comment!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you for visiting and for the comment!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Ella! The hawks are special.
Take care, enjoy your day! Happy weekend!
Thank you Mae! The hawks and squirrels have a feast here.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Irma!
Yes, I went to the eye doctor and I have a follow up at the end of the month.
I hope my eye problem just goes away.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Phil!
I am a little more used to the floaters, they seem to come and go.
The eye doctor did check out my eye and I have a follow up appt.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Marit!
I think I have given up battling the squirrels.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Monica!
I have seen the eye doctor, I hope this passes soon, it is annoying to see spots waving in front of my face.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Bill!
So true, the squirrels never give up.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Ken!
I did go to the eye doctor, he explained the floaters. The flashes are decreasing. I was worried about a detached retina, that is scary.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you for visiting, I am glad to see you back blogging! Your photos are just beautiful.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Teresa!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Thank you Marci!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Happy weekend!
Maybe that Red-shouldered Hawk can take care of a couple of those squirrels for you. Squirrels sure are the bane of a bird feeder's (the human not the device) existence!
I hope your eye is better soon, Eileen. Rest and warm camomile compresses have helped me when I had a similar problem. Getting an optician to have a look at it is a good idea too.
Lovely shots, as usual!
PS: Thank you for hosting, Eileen!
Wonderful photos again, dear Eileen, of animals that we hardly get in front of the camera here.
Please go to the doctor with your eye, the symptoms sound like a vitreous problem that needs treatment. (I had that too once, got eye drops and shouldn't have to lift heavily, after a few weeks everything was fine again - but without treatment it could have led to blindness!)
Hugs and happy weekend, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2021/01/fruhlingshaftes-winter-picknick-in.html
Handsome fellow your hawk and the squirrels acrobatics brighten my day. Enjoy yours!!!
Hello Eileen, So sorry about the eye floaters, very annoying and worrying for you. This happened to me several years ago, but they eventually went away without treatment. I'm glad you saw the doctor though, because of the light flashes. I hope you will be feeling better soon.
Great captures of the Hawk, scary for the birds, but wonderful for us to see. I let the squirrels eat what they want, and then refill the feeders. Like you say, it's just no use, and they get hungry too. Those woodpeckers are really hard to tell apart.
Thank you for hosting Eileen,
It suddenly occurred to me that I haven't seen a squirrel in awhile! It's a tad chilly, I guess. I'm resigned to feeding them, as well. All God's creatures!
Thanks for hosting. Happy birding. Good luck with your eyes. Do have them checked out!
Thank you David! I wish the Hawk would take some of the squirrels.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Nick!
I have been to see the eye doctor.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thanks again Nick!
Thank you Traude!
I have been to see the eye doctor, I hope my eye is normal soon.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you for the comment and visit!
Take care, enjoy your day!
I love all of your sweet little critters today! Please go get your eye checked out asap, it could be a serious issue that needs treatment.
...I've never had a hawk at my feeders, but I sure have a bunch of squirrels. Thanks Eileen for hosting, enjoy your weekend.
i hope you see an eye doctor eileen, those symptoms can be serious! i love how my blue jays alert the other birds when a hawk is in the yard, nice that they look out for each other!!
beautiful captures of the hawk, and the goldfinches in their winter wear. most of my feeders are suction cuped to the windows and the squirrels can't get at them, it's nice to see the birds getting the seed!!
i missed you some this week. have a great weekend and many thanks for hosting!!
Those woodpeckers are so similar and I appreciate seeing them side by side. Even the head black and white are nearly alike. We have squirrels to scare away all the time here but they come back! Hope your eye feels better. I had to cut back on computer time because of headaches and now I don't stay on as much. I'll keep you in my prayers! Hugs!
Dear Eileen, you always hear when a hawk or eagle is in the area: the smaller birds give great alarm. Your squirrels are cheeky, aren't they. Thanks for sharing your Saturday Critters and for hosting this meme. I have added my post. Have a great week Jo
Great to see a hawk...who must have also been attracted by the feeders, meaning the birds coming to feed. Squirrels are bah humbug at feeders! Shoo! Go away! Loved the 2 woodpeckers together! Yesterday I suddenly saw 4 birds, and today robins are all over the place. I hope there are more birds around soon. They do make life more cheerful!
I love how the birds hang upside down at the suet feeder. I have trouble with downy and hairy ID too unless the red blotch shows up!
I do everything I can to ruin our hawks meal plans. he still eats but I don't have to SEE it. today the couple was hunting breakfast but not in my yard, they flew over me screaming as I walked about 2 blocks from home. they are very loud when hunting which makes no sense to me. most of the time i see them sitting on the power lines and on the poles, since we walk at sunup.... those squirrels can stuff a lot of birdseed in their pouches
Awesome hawk photo and lovely feathered friends photos ~ As for the squirrel ~ I find that if I mix Cole's Flaming Squirrel sauce into the Wild Delight Sizzle and Heat birdseed this seems to keep the squirrel away ~ working so far ~ Enjoy the weekend ~ Be warm and cozy ~
Moment by moment,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
We've given up on the squirrels also. They definitely eat more than the birds do by a large margin.
Thank you for hosting!!
Eye floaters really make birding difficult. I'm also at a point that unless the light is right I only see a combination of gray light to dark.
Thank you for the comment!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Jenn!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Martha!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Linda!
I have seen the eye doctor and I feel somewhat better. The light flashes have decreased, the floaters are still here.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Tom!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Debbie!
I have seen the eye doctor, he said is comes with age and should get better.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Hi Eileen! :) OH I hope your eye is better soon. I see floaties in my eyes when I'm out in bright sunlight...it's very bothersome. Your photos are great. I'm so glad I saw the different Woodpeckers, I'm now convinced I have a Hairy pair! :) The hawk...wow, nice photo! Surprisingly, no squirrel has come near my feeders! I imagine they will find them in the spring maybe.
Thank you Diane!
The squirrels do come back fast!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Jo!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Have a happy new week!
Thank you Barbara!
The Robins are pretty, it is nice to see them all over.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Jeanie!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Sandra!
The squirrels are piggies, I am surprised they can eat so much.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Carol!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Alan!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Hi Eileen, I am sorry to hear about the issue with your eyes. From time to time I have noticed something similar in my own eyes. It seems to come and go. Mine seems to be triggered by exposure to a bright light or glare. As always, I enjoyed all your photos. I can imagine how discouraging the squirrel activity must be. When I lived in Montana I had a Mountain Bluebird nest box on a 4 x 4 post. At times I put a wrapping around the post, which was slippery, and prevented cats, ground hogs, and other critters from crawling up the post to get to the birds. Could you use something like that to slow down the squirrels? Your mention of the Eurasian Goldfinch is fascinating. I looked up an image on Google and wow, what a beautiful bird. Thanks, as always, for all the work you do to publish and host Saturday’s Critters. Have a happy weekend and best wishes on the eyes getting better! John
Oooooooo...AWESOME! I love Red-shouldered hawks...gorgeous birds!!...jp
Regarding your battles with the squirrels, my husband’s nemesis for years were the raccoons. Finally, he admitted defeat and became an admirer. Now I call him “the raccoon whisperer.” LOL!!
Awesome hawk photo and all the pictures. Squirrels are so clever and agile. We have Steller's Jay that are the guardian of the yard and nothing gets in without a whole lot of noise from them.
Hugs diane
You can't defeat the squirrels. They are so agile and able to figure out new routes to things. I've been seeing a lot of hawks up in the sky lately but haven't had a really good view of any!
Thank you Red!
Thankfully I still see lots of birds outside my windows.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Rain!
The bright lights and sunshine hurt my eyes too, they are sensitive. You are lucky you do not have the squirrels at your feeder. Take care, enjoy your day! Happy weekend to you!
Thank you John!
I think my squirrels can easily jump onto my feeders. I guess I made it easy for the little piggies.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you JP!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Florence!
I have to put my feeders away or else the raccoons have a feast too.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Diane!
The Stellar's Jays are beautiful.
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you RedPat!
Most of my hawk sightings are from the car, they usually sit in trees along the road.
Take care, enjoy your day!
You too have a happy Saturday, Eileen. It's always fun to see who gathers at your feeders and of course the squirrels are there too. I only have ground squirrels here and they hibernate during the winter. But they can climb enough to scale my fence should I have some edible things growing inside it.
Sorry to hear about your eyes, and I hope the rest will take care of that quickly. Is that a Blue Jay looking down at your hawk? What a great catch! Always enjoy your birds and cheeky squirrels :) Enjoy the rest of your day and weekend.
Thank you Inger! I wish the squirrels hibernated. Have a great day and a happy weekend.
Thank you Denise! It is a blue jay, I did notice it on the photo after it was on the computer.
Have a great weekend!
I guess squirrels have to eat too! Maybe you should get your eye checked out if you can. Eyesight is too important to mess around with. Enjoy your weekend :) xx
Squirrels: devious but cute.
Love those little woodpeckers. The blue jays on the boardwalk here are noisy when a hawk come around and all the little animals disappear for a time. That squirrel looks huge compared to our red ones.
That hawk is awesome...even if he is after the other birds....I honestly don't mind the squirrels. Always throw food on the ground for them. But it is useless to feed...the starlings swarm in and eat it all in no time flat. I am lucky to see even half a dozen other birds.
Great hawk shots! Glad he didn't find a meal at your table. I finally got all squirrel feeders and the little dickens still try but they don't get much. Hope you have a good weekend.
That red shouldered hawk is such a beauty, Eileen. Glad you captured it with your camera! Happy last days of January to you!
Hello Eileen! I've missed your great photos! THANKS for saying what the difference is in the woodpeckers. I was looking at them at my feeder today, and noticing the size difference and wondering which was which. The Hairy Woodpecker was a bit of a bully to the little Downy - I'm going to have to put up another suet feeder. And you're right about the squirrels. I have that same hanging platform (thank you Tractor Supply!) but have gone to hanging squirrel proof feeders and a baffle over the suet. It seems to be working. I do still put some in that hanging platform and on the ground for them - and go figure that the deer will eat what's on the ground.
Take care of yourself, I hope your eye is back to normal soon.
I see downy woodpeckers all the time but if the hairy ones visit, they don't stay long enough for me to notice them. Have you checked with your doctor about your eyes? I've had that sort of problem with hormonal changes and too much sugar.
Hope you floaters float away soon Eileen. Love the shots of the Hawk. Thanks for hosting and have a good week ahead
Beautiful Hawk capture! And your yard birds?...gorgeous. I hope taking a break from the computer helps relieve your eye problem.
Thanks so much for sharing with us at IRBB this weekend. Stay safe.
~Anni at I'd Rather B Birdin'
Thank you Mxx! I have been to the eye doctor. I think it will be something that goes away.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thanks William! The squirrels are devious!
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Marie! Yes, these squirrels are big and fat.
I love the woodpeckers and the blue jays.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Rose,
Luckily the starlings stick to the corn fields around here.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Sondra!
My squirrels buster feeder does not work, the squirrels love it.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Ellen!
January just flew by!
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Kim!
The squirrels always find a way to the feeders, it is frustrating.
My platform feeder came from Tractor Supply too, the squirrels love it.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Linda!
I am sure you have the Hairy visiting if you have the Downy there.
Yes, I've been to the eye doctor. My spots are something that will go away with time.
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Margaret!
Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!
Thank you Anni! Enjoy your day, have a great new week!
Those darn pesky squirrels will figure out how to get into anything given a bit of time. Lovely hawk photos. Happy critter spotting and photographing.
Hi Eileen, I have the red squirrels in abundance but my one large feeder is squirrel proof so they have to just get what lands on the ground. But yes, a bit of a nuisance. Meanwhile, I am so glad you saw your doctor; what you described could be a sign of a detached retina, not something to take a chance on. My brother has similar symptoms and they usually herald a migraine for him. Hope your eye is all better now...you need your eyes to keep admiring all of nature and those critters.
Beautiful hawk! The blue jays are great guardians for the song birds aren't they? Hope some rest helps you with your eye issues. Have a great new week!
Sure hope your eyesight clears quickly! Take more naps. :)
Superb collection of birds (and squirrels)! The only solution I have found for squirrels is to erect stand alone pole feeders with baffles which are far enough away from trees/bushes/overhanging branches so they can't leap onto them. I put out seed for them on a table, but they still try and defeat the baffles. ("The seed is tastier on that feeder" syndrome.)
Have a blessed day!
Bien saben de equilibrio las ardillas :)) Guapas fotos Eileen.
Buen domingo. Cuidaros.
Un abrazo.
Happy Sunday Eileen, Your first photo is perfect love the one bird looking down, great capture of them and the others. I share your feelings about the squirrels especially after we had two visits inside of our house, that was madness! Enjoy the rest of your weekend I hope your weather doesn't turn too wintry! They promised us a big blizzard but it failed (thankfully so far) Take care stay safe.
Thank you Linda!
Take care, enjoy your new week!
Thank you Jocelyn!
The squirrels are a nuisance. They have broken many of my bird feeders.
Take care, enjoy your new week!
Thank you Jean!
Yes, the Blue Jays do sound the alarms.
Take care, enjoy your new week!
Thank you Dee!
Yes, I have been to the eye doctor and have a follow up appointment too.
Take care, enjoy your new week!
Thank you Wally!
The squirrels seem to be able to jump straight up. They are determined to eat the bird food.
Take care, enjoy your new week!
Thank you Laura!
Take care, enjoy your new week!
Thank you Karen!
We do have a winter mix here, snow/freezing rain and sleet through tomorrow.
I would not want the rascal squirrels in the house.
Take care, enjoy your new week!
What a gorgeous hawk! The squirrels take over our feeders too!
Hi Eileen,
it seems great to have such a big garden like you :-)
Wonderful to see so many animals and birds in your garden and the Red-shouldered Goshawk is really great to spot in your own garden. Truly beautiful photos.
Greetings, Helma
PS you can always get links from me to put it here that sure is always good.
been trying to go through my birding books to find, i think a hawk ... with bottom feather that are black and white. i didn't get really a good body color, because the what i am guessing was a hawk taking off (doesn't make sense it would be an owl?) my mom says something that enjoys fish since we are near water??! might never know??! i am sure curious. have a great week, Eileen. take care. ( ;
I was sorry to read about your eye problems but pleased you have been able to see the eye Doctor.
I do hope things improve soon, in the meantime do take care.
This was a lovely post, I always enjoy seeing your birds and I do think squirrels can look cute :)
Wishing you a happy February.
All the best Jan
i am sorry for you are having issues with left eye dear Eileen ,i hope rest will make you feel better ,if not please see your doctor immediately !
not light but like my late mom i too started to see tiny dark dot in my left eye though it is just dot still i want to go for doctor's opinion ,mom had used eye drops more than final twenty years of her life ,lets see
stunning images as always :)
thank you for sharing the heavenly beauty of your yard ,i envy you have so many lovely gorgeous birds visiting you :)
blessings!
I hope your eye problem isn't a threat and you feel good. Nice capture with the birds and troubling squirrels. Great shots with the hawks!
Take care
Lovely shots. Take care of your eye and see a doctor if it doesn't get better.
Thank you Vera!
Take care, have a great day!
Thank you Helma!
I can link your post on Saturday!
Take care, have a great day!
Thank you Beth!
Take care, have a great day!
Thank you Jan!
Take care, have a great day!
Thank you Baili!
Take care, have a great day!
Thank you Jeevan!
Take care, have a great day!
Beautiful feathers on that hawk. Raptors rule!
Belos momentos fotográficos.
Um abraço e boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados
I love to see the feeders and the birds...I hope someday soon you can see the lovely Eurasian goldfinch... Happy week and weekend ahead ☺️...
Hi Eileen
I hope your eye feels better soon! Has your eye doctor told you that you have cataracts forming? I noticed more floaters when my cataract was getting "ripe". After cataract surgery correction it went away. I loved seeing your photos of the raptor, goldfinch and acrobatic squirrel.
Always Such Wonderful Photos Here - And Thank You For Checking In - I Am Playing Catch Up As Its Been A Busy Couple Of Weeks - Be Well This Month
Cheers
Lovely selection of birds! Not surprising all the small birds are scared of the hawk! We saw a flock of over 30 (Eurasian) goldfinches yesterday! (In Edinburgh)
Thank you Lady Fi! Have a great day!
Thank you Sharon! Have a happy day!
Thank you for the comment!
Have a happy day!
Thank you Ana!
Have a happy day!
Thank you Pat!
Yes, I was told I have the cataracts forming.
I am glad you had a good results from your surgery!
Have a great day!
Thank you for stopping by, have a great day!
Thank you Juliet!
The little birds have a lot of places in my yard to hide from the Hawks.
Take care, enjoy your day!
The squirrel photos are awesome, it's sad we don't have squirrels here in Australia!
Hope that the computer break helps and your eyes get better soon!
Eileen - thanks for letting us know you would be taking a break other than your linky party - these days, I worry when I don;t hear from someone!!! Great hawk photos, and I am ok that you might have disturbed the dining plans! Hope your eye gets better with a break!
Thank you Mica!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Thanks Angie!
Take care, enjoy your day!
Great photos Eileen and thank you for continuing with Camera Critters during your break, which I hope will give your eyes a nice long rest. Happy day and weekend to you :)
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