Birds & Blooms

I am linking up my Birds & Bloom post to Today's Flowers and   Mosaic Monday   and Our World Tuesday

These are some of the current blooms I have in my yard this week. I have been enjoying the hummingbirds and will miss them when they migrate south. My male hummer has already left and I am seeing the female and the juveniles.

Above Crepe Myrtle, impatiens, Ruby-throated hummingbird, American Goldfinch and the hibiscus.

The female has taken over the duties of being the guardian of my hummingbird feeders. She is chasing away some of the other hummers that enter her domain.

My Goldfinches still have their bright yellow colors, they are one of my year round birds.

The impatiens are looking beautiful and was a good choice of an annual for our garden.

The Gray Catbirds are a summer visitor to my yard and a breeding bird in Maryland. They also should be heading south soon.

Above morning glories, Gray Catbird,  butterfly bush, hibiscus and a White-breasted Nuthatch

The butterfly bushes have been beautiful this season. Attracting many different species of butterflies to my yard.

The Crepe Myrtle is really growing tall and has pretty pink blossoms.


To see more beautiful photos and mosaics please visit Today's Flowers , Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

Thanks for stopping by to see my post and thanks to the hosting group at Luiz's Today's Flowers and  Mary the host of Mosaic Monday and to the host of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy. I wish everyone a safe and HAPPY week ahead. 

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.

Skywatch and my backyard birds

I am linking my skies up with Skywatch Friday and Green-day-2
Running out the door to go to work I remembered my camera on this morning. I captured a few shots I liked of the the sunrise.

The sun looked like a huge red ball when I zoomed in close.

Later and back at home I saw a pretty blue sky and a great view of the moon.

One of my pretty female Cardinals.

One of my pretty Chipping Sparrows.

Our skies have been mostly clear but on this evening we had a few clouds that lit up with color during the sunset.

To see more beautiful skies from around the world please visit Skywatch Friday. Thanks to the hosts: Sylvia and Sandy. If you are seeing green please visit Green-day-2  Thanks to the host Fiona. Thanks, also for stopping by to see my skywatch and post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

SWF>>>>Backyard Sunset

I am linking up my skies with Skywatch Friday

These are shots from last week of the sunset from my backyard. I sat on my deck watching the birds in the yard and keeping an eye on the sky. The sky is looking dramatic with the dark and gloomy clouds. We have been missing the rain, even this time the rain stayed north of us.

Above is how my sunset started.

My Goldfinches are really sporting their pretty yellow feathers.

High in the top of a pine tree my neighborhood heron is just peeking out of the nest. Soon the leaves will be blocking my view and it will be hard to see the nest.

I am not the only one keeping a watch, these three turkey vultures were in the woods across from my driveway.  Not sure if they were watching the sunset, they had their heads turned the wrong way.

When the sun dropped low in the sky, the bottom of the clouds looked to be on fire. I feel much better having the fire in the sky than worry about fires starting from being too dry due to the lack of rain.

We have been having advisories about the lack of rain and the ground being dry and the chances of fires starting were high.

Skywatching is one of my simple pleasures. I enjoy sitting out on my deck listening to the birds and the frogs trying to sing louder than the birds.

To see more beautiful skies from around the world please visit : Skywatch Friday.
Thanks to the hosting group of Sylvia, Sandy and Wren. Also, thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend.

SWF>>>>Walk in the woods

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday


These are some shots of the skies with the moon and planets over my backyard. Also,  some shots from my walk with Goldie Girl on the fireroad going thru the woods to the lake.

 These shots of the crescent moon were taken on  Feb. 26. I enjoyed looking at the moon when it was lined up with Venus and Jupiter. My son was able to show me where to locate various stars. It was a beautiful evening with a clear sky. I was able to focus on just the crescent moon.

 I would have loved to have a clearer shot that included all three Jupiter, the moon and Venus. My moon in the middle looks like it has a star effect when it should look like the crescent moon in the photo above. I guess I need some more practice.

I like this view looking up at the sky thru the pine trees.

Goldie Girl and I checked out the reservoir, I spotted some Common Mergansers across the lake way too far away for my camera.

I was checking out the treetops looking for a "new" bird or first of season bird when I spotted one of my regulars the Tufted Titmouse.

More of the Turkey and Black Vultures flying over my yard. It is like clockwork, they arrive back into the trees next to my house every evening.

This photo above of the full moon was taken in the morning of March 6. The moon was setting and I watch it slide down behind my backyard trees.


To see more wonderful skies from around the world click Skywatch Friday. Thanks to the hosting group: Sylvia, Sandy and Wren. I also appreciate all the visit and comments. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend!

Backyard blooms and birds

I am linking up my post with Mosaic Monday  and  That's My World.  These are some of the flowers blooming in my yard right now and a couple of my yardbirds...the Mourning Dove and the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. Most of our flowers were planted with the hopes of attracting more wildlife like the  birds and butterflies to our yard.

Below,  butterfly bushes, crepe myrtle, trumpet vine and a Ruby Throated Hummingbird.

The Mourning Dove is another year round bird and a regular visitor to my yard. They spook easily and sometimes it is hard to get a good photo of them.

Below, Purple coneflowers and Maryland's state flower the Black Eyed Susan and my sweet looking Mourning Dove.

Black  Eyed Susan's, Maryland State flower.

Over the years hubby has planted many flowers, he has the green thumb and I just help to choose plants and bushes with the wildlife in mind. The butterfly bushes attract the butterflies and the trumpet vine is a favorite of the hummingbirds.

I just love to see the hummingbirds in my yard, this male like to take control of all my feeders and the flowers.

To see more wonderful mosaics and photos please visit Mary's Mosaic Monday and That's My World.. Thanks to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday and to the gang at That's My World: Sylvia, Wren, Sandy and Klaus.  Also, thanks for stopping by my post and blog. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and try to stay cool during these HOT days.

Walk to the lake

I am linking up  with That's My World  and Watery Wednesday . These are some photos from yesterday's walk with my hubby to the nearby lake and some from my backyard. The lake has a thin layer of ice and is starting to melt quickly now.

These are some shots of Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures flying around my yard and a pretty Pine Warbler and a gorgeous sunset to end the day.

I hope you enjoyed my photos please visit that's My World and Watery Wednesday.  Thanks for stopping by and thanks to the great host of the two memes.