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!

At the Lake

I am linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday

My post on our walk to our local lake. Some beautiful skies for Skywatch and a couple of yardbirds for NF Winged.

In the  yard a view of the sky and our Crepe Myrtle bush.

 Skywatching during our walk to the lake. I love these pretty fluffy white clouds and blue sky.

 A pretty day for our walk to the lake.

Sometimes we see Bald Eagles fly over this part of the lake but on this day we only saw a GB Heron.

For my NF Winged post I am including a new yard bird..a juvenile Veery.

The Peeping Tom juvie Veery. I caught it looking in our den window.

Another yardbird I was thinking this could be a juvenile Oriole but also looks more like a juvenile male Scarlet Tanager. It's wing looks funny, I hope it is Ok.

This poor bird looks like it has been in a battle. It is flying so I assume it is Ok. It is has been seen in the weeping cherry tree, which is right next to our blueberry bushes. The birds are all having a feast on the blueberries.

  Happy Skywatching everyone!

Thanks for visiting my post and  blog and I always appreciate your comments.

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 weekend.

Yardbirds

I am linking up with Camera Critters and I'd-rather-b-birdin

It's official Spring has Sprung, but where? Certainly not here, our temp's have been in the 30's and 40's, cold blustery days. This coming Sunday they are calling for another snow/rain event. Did Punxsutawney Phil get it wrong and are we due for more winter weather? Do you even believe a groundhog can predict the weather? I think I hear Florida calling my name.

For this weekend's critter and bird post I have some of my yardbirds from during the week.

One of my pretty White-throated Sparrows, they are a winter bird. I guess that is why I am still seeing them. They know winter has not left yet.

This is a Fox Sparrow, they are also another winter bird for my area. I guess they do not believe it is Spring either. They are pretty with their vivid rust streaks.

The American Goldfinches are one of my year round birds. They usually they wear their dull look in the winter months. 

The Pine Siskins are one of the irruptive year birds, they visit in the winter only during certain years. They are always welcome in my yard and at my feeders. They can even bring more of their friends.

The White-Breasted Nuthatch is another one of my year round birds, lately I have been seeing two chasing each other around. Not sure if it two males being territorial or if they are a couple.

One of the many female Cardinals I am seeing in my yard. Pretty soon the territorial couple will chase off all the other Cardinals and I will be left with the mating couple for awhile.

Not sure if this is the Mrs mate, I am seeing at least 5 or 6 male Cardinals in the yard. One will be the lucky guy!

I

I caught the Bluejay at the birdbath, I guess he/she at sometime has to wash down all those peanuts they eat.

I hope you enjoy my yardbirds, I love to show them all off, they are so pretty. I am not sure how long my winter visitors will be sticking around..not much longer. Thanks for visiting my post and for the nice comments.

To see more wonderful critters and photos please visit and join in on the fun with Misty Dawn's Camera Critters and to see some lovely birds check out  I'd-rather-b-birdin

Thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting Camera Critters and to Anni the host of I'd rather-b-birdin. I wish everyone a great weekend and Happy Birding.

Around the yard VI

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

LOL, I am really original with my blog titles. But what can I say these are shots from around my yard and a mosaic of my most popular feeder.

mybirds: Evening Grosbeak, Chickadee, Pine Siskin, another Chickadee with the Purple Finch, a Purple Finch with the Titmouse, a couple of Goldfinches, two shots of  a Rose-BreastedGrosbeak and last my Evening Grosbeak

 I think by now everyone knows I am obsessed with birds. Not a bad thing, right?  Recently, I received an email asking if I would let this person advertise on my blog. I am sure I mentioned it before but I blog for fun and to record photos of birds where and when I see them. I know my photos are not the best quality and I am Ok with that. I do not advertise on my blog or sell any photos I take if you look at my sidebar I showoff my Smugmug gallery. These gallery photos are of my birds and vacations, again they are not for sale. They are my memories of great trips and seeing wonderful birds. I have been asked by people if they can use my photos and I let them. I do not ask for money and I would not accept money. I am actually surprised that they think my photo is good. A few times, I have been asked to blog about a certain topic and I will only if it is something I believe in. So enough  bla-bla-bla, I am going to show some more photos from around my yard and my birds.

Besides birds I also love trees, we have two of these Red Maple trees growing in our front yard. They are looking beautiful this year. It is a little crowded by the huge Pine tree growing along its side.

The Purple Finch has been hanging around for a couple of weeks. They look more of a raspberry color than purple.

One of my squirrel critters just hanging around.

I believe it was Anni of I'd-rather-b-birdin asked what my Weeping Cherry tree looks like. This is what it looks like now in the fall, but in the spring it has pretty pink blooms. The birds will land in this tree before hoping over to my deck where I hang some of my bird feeders.

I hope you enjoyed my birds and critter and more of the trees and our yard..
 To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit: Green Day  and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Hemlock Gorge Walk

Hello, I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday.


These are some of the scenes from our walk at the Hemlock Gorge yesterday.Such a calm day before the big storm SANDY. I am hoping our electric stays on, they are already announcing school closings. If I am not around visiting your blogs the next couple of days, it will be because I will not have the internet access. I hope everyone in the path of SANDY ..Take care  and be careful and I hope no one has any serious damage.

Above we saw a few falls colors, hemlock trees and a cute Carolina Wren. I also saw the YC Kinglets in the same area as the Carolina Wren.

Our walk on the trail next to the river and goes into a Hemlock forest. We saw various hemlock trees that look like they are dying most likely from the insect called Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. It was sad to see that these same beautiful hemlock trees in the Smoky Mountains are also dying from this insect.

Above are some photos from around my yard: top right is our red maple tree, Clematis is blooming again, more of the red maple, our colorful weeping cherry tree and one of the many Pine Siskins I have been seeing at my feeders.

I love the colors on our Weeping Cherry tree.

More of the blooming Clematis.

Here are just of few of the Pine Siskins in my yard today. You can see their pretty yellow stripe on their sides. At the same time they were also on other feeders and in the weeping cherry tree. My biggest flock of Siskins so far this season.

They are a fun groups of birds to watch, sometimes getting a feisty with each other. I hope you enjoyed my walk and my Pine Siskins.

To see more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday
 Thanks to Mary of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy .  Thanks also for stopping by to see my post.  I wish everyone a happy week!

Pine Siskin Irruption

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I love the Pine Siskins and it seems like lately they are coming in large groups. On this day below I counted 20 Pine Siskins on my feeders and deck railing. The Pine Siskins were missing from my yard last year so this means we are in an irruption year. An irruptive year is where you will see birds that do not normally winter in your area. Some of these birds are the Pine Siskins, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll and the Evening Grosbeak. Another bird that will also shift from its wintering ground is the Red breasted Nuthatch.  I am seeing the Red-Breasted Nuthatches on my feeders and many are in the woods around my house.

The Pine Siskins are brown on their upperparts and pale underparts with heavy streaking. They have short forked tails and a real tell-tale sign is the yellow streak on their wings and tails. You can see the yellow streaks in my photo above. They are similar in color to the house finches.

They say irruptions are due to a lack of food in their normal winter grounds. I am happy to help provide food for these pretty birds and I would love to see an Evening Grosbeak or Common Redpoll at my feeder.

Pine Siskins on 10/20/12

A few years ago during one irruptive year I counted as many as 100 or more Pine Siskins on my deck and feeders. I was joking in a previous post that one Pine Siskin was sent as a scout well a few days later the scouts friends all arrived. I am not seeing 100 but above I at least 20 in the photo. It is hard trying to capture them all in one photo.

 First Pine Siskin arrived 10/15/12




You can look for the irruptive species in your area and I read that there is an Irruptive bird survey on the Cornell Website. They would like to know what irruptive birds you are seeing, when did the irruption start and how long will it last also they would like to know you location. This looks like the start of a fantastic winter for seeing great birds in my yard and around the state of Maryland.


To see more beautiful and wonderful photos please visit: Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.

Around the yard Part 4

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week I have some bird from around my yard.  Some are at my feeders, or the pokeberries and just perched in my Weeping Cherry tree.

A White Breasted Nuthatch eating seed off my deck railing.

The Northern Mockingbird in my weeping cherry tree.

Eastern Phoebe in the same weeping cherry tree. I think this is one of my prettier shots.

For a peanut they do not mind posing for the camera.

It is amazing at how many peanuts can fit into a  Bluejay's mouth.

A female Purple Finch is waiting patiently for her turn at the feeders.

I am looking forward to seeing some new "winter" birds moving into my yard. Over the weekend I did manage to see a Eastern Towhee in the weeping cherry tree and one Pine Siskin on my deck. I am hoping the Pine Siskin was sent as a scout to check out my feeders and come back with lots of his friends. On my walk on the nearby fireroad I am pretty sure I saw a flock of White-Throated Sparrows. Their sound is unmistakable.




To see more beautiful and wonderful photos please visit: Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.

New Yard birds..September Warblers

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

 I do not remember such a great time for seeing new yard birds but September was awesome for seeing Warblers passing thru my yard. I saw the Black-Throated Blue Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Nashville Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Pine Warblers, Cape May Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warbler and a quick glance at a Hooded Warbler. My yard list grew in the month of September.

 I know I have posted some of these photos but since I think Warblers are cool birds I thought I would do a re-cap and show all of them together. All of these shots were taken from my dining room or kitchen windows.

 Tennessee Warbler and the Northern Parula.

 Tennessee Warbler

An awful shot of a Chestnut-sided Warbler, but I have to record that this bird was in my yard.

 A female Black-Throated Blue Warbler

 The Male Black-Throated Blue Warbler

 Nashville Warbler

Cap

 Cape May Warbler

Another shot of the Cape May Warbler

I believe this is still the Tennessee Warbler

This photo caused some confusion as to the id of either a Tennesse or the Northern Parula.

The Black-throated Green Warbler

Another shot of the Black-Throated Green Warbler

Days later the Tennessee is still around.

Not too sure if this is still the Tennessee, look like it.

These are all the warblers I saw in my yard during the month of September. There were a few others I saw like the Hooded Warbler and some others moving thru the branches I could not id. I could hear the Pine Warbler close by.   I am thinking I missed even more warblers while I was at work Monday-Friday. Most of these shots were taken either on the weekends or in the evening after work. So, it is possible my yard saw many more warblers. I have seen the Pine Warbler here even in the winter months. The Northern Parula is a breeding bird in the woods around my house.


I am also sad to think that if the they decided to do more logging in the woods around my house it will be BYE-BYE Warblers. The trees and woods here are probably the main attraction for these warblers. They have already done a large clear-cut and then had the nerve to spray herbicide on the area. I against any kind of spraying in this area, we have well water here and I would think they have not proven that herbicides do not hurt the birds and critters.

To see more beautiful and wonderful photos please visit: Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.