Around the Yard _Jan 5

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

January 5, 2014

We seem to be having snowstorms or freezing rain every couple of days now.. I am already tired of winter and I wish Spring would arrive early..

 

Our pine trees branches heavy from the snow are hanging over near the driveway.

I've been keeping the birds well fed during these super cold days.  It is suppose to be even colder next week.  I hope everyone stays warm and safe.

The view out my dining room window..I shoveled a path around the deck to walk and fill the bird feeders.

The White-throated  Sparrows usually like to feed off the ground, so I throw some food on top of the snow.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.
Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos please visit  Mosaic Monday and more
 from  Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to our host: Mary our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week ahead!

Around the Yard>Dec 19

December 19, 2013

Linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday 

 I am sharing some of my backyard birds for NF Winged and some of the skies over my yard one evening. We need some warm days to melt the snow and ice that is still hanging around our yard.

I have a faithful Redbellied Woodie couple that frequently visit my feeders. They especially love the peanuts in the shell.

The Mourning Doves are all puffed out trying to keep warm. The weatherman is forcasting warmer temps at the end of this week and weekend. I hope they are right..

Another shot of my Redbellied Woodpecker..

 Wednesday evening there were a few colorful clouds around the backyard..

The moon this morning, was looking beautiful.

Seen this morning the waning gibbous and Jupiter above and to the right of the moon.

 I hope you enjoyed my birds, sky and  post. Thanks for visiting my blog and I always appreciate your comments.

I am looking forward to seeing you join in and share your critters on my MEME called Saturday Critters..early Saturday Morning..join in on the party and post your cute pets, wild animals, birds and the cute farm animals.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged.   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Saturday's Critters #2

December 13, 2013

First, I want to say thank you to everyone that linked up to my first Saturday's Critters.  I think it went very well. And I appreciate all my blogging friends that left comments and wished me well on my first attempt at a MEME. So, here goes Saturday's Critter #2, I hope you can join in on the Critter party.

  A new way to clear a path on the deck...The Shoveling Squirrel.


 These are some of my critters from last weekend. Last Sunday, received our first big snowstorm.. Leaving us with about 8 inches of the cold, wet white stuff.. 

 Our first real snow..we had about 8 inches..last weekend..and then to top it off we received freezing rain on top of the snow.

A cute Dark-eyed Junco..one of my winter birds.

In the mosaic are some male and female Cardinals..a few Mourning Doves, the Dark-eyed Junco, and in the bottom middle there is a White-Throated Sparrow in between a male and female Cardinal.

A cute Carolina Wren on an icy branch.

My male Cardinal looks like a tree ornament on the feeder.

The Cardinals look beautiful in the snow..I tried several times to clear a path to get to my feeders...it was snowing so hard and  laying faster than I could clear it away..the birds had to use their feet to get to the seed under the snow on the deck railing.  Another Snow/Sleet/Rain event for today and winter has not officially really started yet, do you think we are in for a bad winter?

I hope to see everyone join in on the critter party,  link up your blog post sharing your cute critters. Any kind of critter will do. I am sure most everyone knows how to put a link on your post for Saturday's Critters. Also, I hope everyone will take some time and visit with some of the other bloggers linking up.......

I am so happy you joined in on  my Critter party....I hope to see you linking up again..

 To see more beautiful birds and cute critters

Also please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin. Also, sharing with Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting.

 Thanks for stopping by and  I wish everyone a happy weekend.

The Undesirables

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I have to start by saying this is just my opinion, some birders or people might actually like these bullies birds. But I describe them as my undesirable birds visiting my feeders.  I mainly get upset with them because they are like bully's at the feeders. Scaring away the smaller songbirds that I am trying to attract.

Oh yes, hard to believe my yard is not always filled with beautiful, colorful birds. So here are a few of my undesirable birds. And not everyone will agree and I am half kidding. I love all the birds and wildlife.

The Common Grackle is attractive with its shiny head and iridescent feathers. But, they are big pigs and they scare away my little birds.

Above are two of my undesireables, the Grackle and a Starling. When these two join forces, they can wipe out my feeders. Besides being pigs, they leave a big mess behind. I will not go into what kind of mess they leave behind. But, it is not pretty.

The next undesireable is the Mourning Dove. I know they are cute and sweet looking but, at times I can have 20 or more on my deck railing and feeders. They take over everything and the other poor birds do not stand a chance.  They seem to be over populating, if there is such a thing. Can there be too many Mourning Doves?

And when these large crows coming flying in all loud and crazy, all the other birds leave immediately. They eat all my suet with one large bite. I can not afford to feed these American Crows.

Another one of my undesirables is the Brown-headed Cowbirds. They may not eat as much as the piggies above but their parents skills are lacking when they lay their eggs in other birds nest. They should hang their heads in shame!  I feel sorry for my Cardinal parents that have to raise a baby cowbird along side their own baby cardinals.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my UNDESIRABLE BIRDS post. Thanks for the visit and I always appreciate your comments. Have a great day and week ahead.

To see more beautiful birds please visit Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and for some nature scenes visit   Michelle's  Nature Notes

Skywatch>>backyard

It is time to link up with one of my favorites memes Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged.  My entry this week is some of the skies above my yard and a few birds for NF Winged.

I enjoy watching the sky, a simple pleasure everyone can enjoy!

The Black Throated Green Warbler is still hanging around my yard. I guess it wants a full belly before it heads south.

I love to look up and see these beautiful white puffy clouds.

The Mourning Doves are a common visitor to my yard, on this day I had ten or more hanging around my deck and feeders.

Looking west after the sun had set, there were a few clouds left that turned a pretty pink.


To see more beautiful photos and pretty skies please visit Skywatch Friday
and 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.

SWF>>>Beginning to end

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday and Green Day

Here are some scenes from the beginning to the end of my day. I wrote on a previous post my sunrises look the same each clear morning. So here are more of my sunrise shots taken in the same spot.

You can click on the photos for a larger image.

 

LOL, I just can not have a post without birds so I am also including a few of my yardbirds , the cardinal above and a bluejay below

And a trio of Mourning Doves posing sweetly for me and my camera.

In the evening I saw the clouds breaking apart and the sun setting turned the clouds a pretty pink.

I love the pastel colors, the pink and different shades of blue. It was a beautiful evening for skywatching.

I have a setting on my camera where I can choose take a photo using vivid colors. The shot above is with using the vivid color setting. The sky did not really look this darker pink, but I think it is cool how the color changed in the clouds.

As you can see above the pink is a much lighter color but still very pretty. I hope you enjoyed my skies.
To see more of the lovely green visit Green Day and for more beautiful skies from around the world, please visit Skywatch Friday.  Thanks to the hosts: Sylvia and Sandy.Thank you also for stopping by to see my post. Have a safe and HAPPY weekend.

First Snow of the Season & Snow Birds

I am linking my Snow birds up with World Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

Mr Cardinal is saying "Snow already, you got to be kidding!!

This past Saturday we received our first snowstorm. Snow in October in Maryland is somwhat rare, after the last two winters I could care less if I ever saw snow again. I would not miss it at all. We have had snow in October before but it was a long time ago. I love Spring, Summer and Fall but, I am not a winter person at all. Sorry for the rant, but I feel better now.

Above a Tufted Titmouse and a Carolina Chickadee are chowing down on my sunflower seeds.

It snowed all day long, I guess we are lucky compared to the New Englanders. They got dumped on. We did not even have our first frost yet, the flowers on the deck were still blooming.

These poor Mourning Doves look cold, all fluffed up looking chubby.

The snow did bring in my First of year Junco. I saw this female on my deck railing and the male was feeding on the ground.

Mr bluejay is saying " I am not going to look at this white stuff, maybe it will all go away. Bring out those peanuts lady. Snow makes me hungry".

 Looking at my deck I believe we had about 3 inches of the white stuff. The only thing I find good about snow is that I see a lot more birds in my yard. When it starts to snow the birds go into a feeding frenzy. I think this early snow threw them off too,  I am sure that is why my Cardinal is looking a little grumpy, I think my cardinal feels the same way as I do about snow. Bring on that Bermuda high!

I hope you enjoyed visiting my post and blog, to see more wonderful and beautiful birds
please visit World Bird Wednesday  and to see more nature posts please visit Nature Notes.  Thanks to Springman for hosting World Bird Wednesday and to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.

Also, thanks for visiting my blog, I appreciate your comments and visit. Have a great week and Happy Birding.