Around the Yard

Hello and Happy Monday,  🙂

I am sharing some images from around our yard. I love watching and feeding my yard birds. I think in the winter months the birds appreciate the extra food. I have various offerings of suet, sunflowers seeds, peanut nuggets and the heated bird bath on our deck.  On Feb 2 and on the 3rd we saw a pretty sunset from our yard, the colors were beautiful. These are images from Jan 28 through Feb 3rd.  BTW, the Great Backyard Bird Count starts on Feb 15th through Feb 18th, will you be counting your yard birds?

Jan 28th, this pretty male Goldfinch was on the thistle feeder.

Jan 28th, a cold snowy day. I cleaned the snow off the deck and feeders a few times. 

Jan 30th, more snow and the birds were all over the deck and feeders. Below are the Dark-eyed Junco, Blue Jay, Female Cardinal, Pine Siskin and White-breasted Nuthatch. 

Below: the American Goldfinch, Downy woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, White-throated Sparrow and a Cardinal.

Jan 30th, within a couple of hours we saw first a pretty blue sky and then a snow squall passed through hours later. 

 I watched these 3-4 Blue Jays hanging around a hole in the tree across from our driveway, they were fussing and landing in front of the hole.  I have been watching this hole in the tree from my kitchen window, hoping to see a owl head popping out one day. Not sure what was inside, maybe the Screech Owl?

Cute squirrel with snowflakes on his face. 

Feb 2nd  below are the male Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, female Cardinal and a Dark-eyed Junco. 

Pretty male Cardinal in our pine tree.

Feb 2nd and the 3rd, we saw two beautiful sunsets. The bunny is on a hook that hold my bird feeder.

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.


Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

I hope to see you there. Thanks to the hosts today. Enjoy your day and new week.


As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Around the yard

Happy Thankful Thursday,

I hope everyone is doing well and your New Year  is off to a great start. It has been super cold lately.  Too cold to go out birding or walking. I am doing my walks on the treadmill and watching the birds out my windows. We did get in one walk on Dec 24th Christmas Eve just a local walk to our lake. These are some views of the lake, sky and my back yard birds.  Photos taken from Dec 18th to Dec 26th. 

December 18th Skywatch from our deck.

December 24th our Christmas Eve walk on the fire road trail to the lake.

December 24th.  A view of the lake.  Christmas Eve was a cloudy and cold day.

December 24th some Canada Geese flying over the lake.

December 25th, our White Christmas

December 26th, a Blue Jay mosaic. I have a heated bird bath, the birds seem happy to stop for some water.

December 26th, a very cold day and I watched the birds from my window. Top row: Blue Jay and Downy Woodpecker, bottom row Northern Cardinal and another Downy Woodpecker.

I am thankful for the little things, like bird watching, skywatching and taking walks in the neighborhood.
I am thankful to have a warm house on these cold winter days. 
I am thankful for all your visits and comments this past year. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Around the yard

Happy Thankful Thursday!
I am sharing some of my yard bird and skies shots taking from my deck or my dining room window. On November 18th we saw a beautiful sunrise from our deck, the low laying clouds all turned a pretty pink. 

November 18th, I enjoyed watching the Carolina Wren and a Dark-eyed Junco from my window.

November 19th a Dark-eyed Junco

A pretty sky on November 19th

On November 23, the male Downy Woodpecker was seen on my deck railing.

November 24th I think this American Robin was trying to eat some of the Pokeberries.

November 24th, my morning bird watching from my window I was able to see the American Robin, a female Downy Woodpecker and some Blue Jays.

November 24th, I enjoyed several Blue Jays on the deck railing.

The waxing crescent moon on November 24th 

I am thankful I live in an area where I can see various species of birds visiting my backyard.  
I am thankful for my camera (Canon SX40)  with it's awesome optical and digital zoom. It is getting old, I hope it hangs in there. 
I am always thankful for your visits and your comments.


Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Around the yard in June 2017

Hello  and  HAPPY Thursday,

June seemed to fly by, the weather has been a mix bag, hot, chilly, cloudy and rainy days.  I am hoping July will feel more like summer. I have various photos taken from around the yard.

The Great Blue Heron is on a nest in the woods across from our driveway.

The Stella D'Oro lilies bloomed nicely, I do not think the deer like to eat them.

This clematis blooming is mixing in with our blueberry bushes. If you look closely you can see the blueberries.

The waxing gibbous moon and Jupiter below taken on June 3rd.

The almost full moon rising on June 8th.

This Great-crested Flycatcher has been hanging around the yard and also banging himself on our front window. He is safe and finally stopped.

"Always be thankful for each other."


For my list of thankful things this week:
I am thankful for a bush full of blueberries, if not for me but for the birds to enjoy.
I am thankful for a clear sky to see the full moon, just beautiful.


I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.  Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

Around the yard, Spring 2017

Hello,

Happy Thursday, I wish everyone a great day!  Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and post.

I am sharing some birds and blooms from around our yard, spring 2017.

This is a loud House Wren that is nesting in a box on our deck. He/she is a loud fussy bird.

Some Clematis blooms growing on the fence.

This Rhododendron was planted before we moved in over 27 yrs ago. Now it is taller than our house.

I stopped putting out bird seed but once in while I spread some suet nuggets around the deck for the birds. This Catbird seems to love the suet balls.

I threw away most of my bird feeders but I kept just this one above and a suet feeder, luckily for this Rose-breasted Grosbeak that stopped by for a quick visit.

A closeup of one of our rhodo blooms.

For my Skywatch Friday photo, I am sharing a view of our lake and a pretty sky and reflection.

My list for Thankful Thursday:
I am thankful for warm sunny days!
I am thankful years ago my hubby planted and still takes care of these lovely plants and bushes. They are all growing well.


Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

Around the yard

Hello,

I will never forget Sept 11, 2001. God Bless us all!

Lately our walks have been closer to home, on the fire roads and to the lake. Here are some views of our lake, some shots from  my yard sharing more butterflies and birds.

One of my Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. They can be pretty feisty, I watched this hummer chasing other birds and even butterflies away from it's feeder.

A walk to the lake, we saw and heard a lot of birds and it was a lovely day for a walk. Top right is a Cormorant flying away,  Bottom row possibly a Common Yellowthroat Warbler and an unknown Flycatcher.

A view of our lake.

Below, the female (top) and the male (bottom) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies.

The Chipping Sparrows are one of my common yardbirds this summer.

I wanted to share the giveaway gift I won on Jemma's blog I love the pretty towel set, spatula and the gorgeous sunflower print. Thanks Jemma! I hope you can visit her blog, Jemma shares many decorating tips, recipes and crafting ideas.

Here is another local barn in nearby Carroll County, A drive by shot during one of our outings.

More on what I have been reading, I enjoyed and actually laughed out loud at Jana DeLeon's "Ghost in Law" series. I read all 6 books in the humorous fun Mudbug series. Helena the MIL ghost was just hysterical.



As always, I thank you for visiting and as always thank you for the nice comments.  Have a great day and new week ahead!

Here is my list of memes for the week, I hope you can check one or some of these fun memes and the participants post.

Thanks to Tom the host of The Barn Collective 
Thanks to Jesh for hosting Seasons
Thanks to Maggie of Normandy Life  the new host of Mosaic Monday

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Around the yard

Hello,

It is hard to believe it the middle of August, time is just flying by. It has been hot and humid here in Maryland...feels like FLORIDA... I am sharing some scenes from my backyard, at the lake and the neighborhood. The weather is still summer like, hot and humid.


The Buddleia bushes in our yard are attracting a lot of butterflies. The Tiger Swallowtail is one of the most common butterflies I have been seeing.

The Great Spangled Fritillary is another common butterfly I see in our yard.

One morning, I took a walk to the lake, I saw a couple people kayaking and a few damselflies.

During my walk to the lake and I was seeing and hearing numerous Scarlet Tanagers.

A line up of the damselflies.

A few drive-by neighborhood barns. I am used to see some goats around the flag barn but lately I have not been seeing them. :(

Thanks for visiting and as always thank you for the nice comments.  Have a great day and new week ahead!

Here is my list of memes for the week, I hope you can check one or some of these fun memes and the participants post.

Thanks to Tom for hosting the The Barn Collective
Thanks to Jesh for hosting Seasons
Thanks to Maggie of Normandy Life  the new host of Mosaic Monday

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday