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Tag Archives: birds
Walktober
Sunday afternoon stroll.
Robin over at breezes at dawn challenges us each October to take a walk and then share it with all of you. Here it is October 25 and I haven’t shared a walk with anyone yet. It’s not that I haven’t been walking; certainly we walked a gazillion miles on our Canadian trip and another gazillion in DC last week. I just didn’t do all that with Walktober in mind.
So this morning I headed out into the October sunlight and visited one of my favorite places – the place where I always find something beautiful to photograph – Kensington Metro Park. My plan was to head out on the nature trails and see what I could see, but I was sucked into the incredible beauty along the bike path that circles the main lake so I stopped and walked there for awhile.
Right next to the parking lot was a family of sandhill cranes. Mama and Papa are on the left, this year’s child is on the right. They seemed unaffected by all the people snapping their photo. I think they will be on their way south very soon.
Family of three.
I love fall colors reflected in water and I wasn’t disappointed today. This shot was actually the reason I pulled over and parked earlier than I had planned. It’s a little bay area, with picnic tables under big oak trees.
I’ve had a picnic lunch out on this little spit of land in warmer days.
I used to run on the bike path every weekend, around the beautiful lake. As I walked today I was remembering other times, running with friends, running alone, things I’ve seen on these hills and curves from many years of visiting this beautiful park.
Willow and water.
Along the path I came across some bittersweet. I know it’s invasive, but it’s something my mom used to like to decorate with in fall and I don’t see it very often these days. As the weather cools the orange berries split and fold back, showing a yellowish center. Mom used to dry it and tuck it along the fireplace mantle. I always think of her when I find a bit of it on my wanderings.
Orange berry memories.
I headed over to the nature trails to see what I might find. The sun was warm on my face and I was enjoyed being in the woods listening to the birds, watching chickadees and nuthatches flit about.
Nuthatch stops for a fleeting moment to say hi.
There were lots and lots of chipmunks running around in the dry leaves. They always sound so much bigger scrambling around under those leaves than they really are. I stopped and watched three of them chase each other around.
If I stay still you can’t see me. Right?
The nature trail led through the woods and then opened up into a pretty little meadow with a couple of surprise maple trees still in full color.
A surprise punch of color.
I’m always happy when I see a bit of color that stands out.
Most of the maples are done, and now it’s the oak trees’ time to shine.
This park has an amazing array of wildlife habitats, you can walk in rolling hills or around the lake or near wetlands. Everywhere you look there is something beautiful. No matter what time of year you visit.
More cranes out in the marsh.
New vignettes will catch your eye each time you walk through the park. It’s best to always have your camera handy.
Two trees.
This was the perfect place to visit after our busy week in Washington DC. I am grateful to Robin for suggesting Walktober. Just like last year I’m thinking I need to do a Walkovember next month.
A good spot for contemplation.
Care to join me?
Last of the maple color.
Another shot missed
Sunshine, crisp golden light, maple leaves turning red and gold…how could I resist grabbing the camera and the dog and heading out over the frost covered lawn to the pond across the street. The trees in my neighbor’s yard were stunning in the sunshine.
Morning glow
And those across their pond were beautiful as well. Katie and I moved along the road looking for a spot to capture them.
Morning calm.
I was focused on catching the light and the water while standing on the dog’s leash and listening for cars when I heard a soft, short grunt off to my right. I didn’t look right then, didn’t look until there was a rush of wings and a loud squawk.
A blue heron was lifting off of a submerged tree limb about 10 yards away. He’d probably been sitting there as Katie and I got closer and closer. He gave me a warning grunt and I didn’t listen.
So this is all I got:
Flying away.
I’ve been trying to get a great shot of a blue heron for years. Years. And there he was standing there next to me and I never even noticed. If I had glanced over at the first grunt I think there would have been an amazing shot. But I’ll never know.
Back at home moments after Katie and I came in four young deer crossed the road we had just been standing on. I don’t have a picture of them in the morning glow either. I was too busy trying to keep Katie from flinging herself against the windows to grab the camera.
Silly us.
Missed another one Mama!
Reflection
Morning quiet
Early in the morning I sit on the deck overlooking the still lake. It is cool, surprisingly cool, as I prop my feet up on the railing and open my book. Neighborhood dogs are barking at something up the shoreline, but here on the deck it is quiet except for the fluttering of wings. So many birds flitting around the trees, I only catch a glimpse of some; a house finch, a cardinal glowing in the dappled morning light. I think the birds are startled to see me there, being used to the emptiness of this house. A hummingbird suddenly appears. It stares at the red t-shirt I slept in last night and am still wearing. Then he zooms away and I feel sad that there is no food for him, that there hasn’t been a feeder here for the past 11 years.
Mom always kept the feeder full.
Busy day at the bath
I was doing dishes and noticed a flash of dark grey wing in a shrub beside the deck. I immediately felt alarm. The wing color looked like a junco, and those are only around here in the winter. Surely they were not already descending on my summer! I stopped doing dishes and watched intently.
Turns out this is what I saw:
Visit from a catbird
I saw catbirds when Katie and I were camping a few weeks ago. I know they are also in our yard, but they stay out by the road in the jungle of grapevine covered bushes. I’ve only seen them, even there, a couple of times in the twenty plus years we’ve lived here. I was surprised to see two catbirds in the honeysuckle bush, chasing each other around. And I was stunned to see one hop up on the birdbath.
Turns out there was more fun coming.
A nice cool bath is just the thing!
She (I’m deciding it’s a she) jumped in the bird bath and began to enjoy herself. But then she had an unwanted visitor.
Stay away! This is MY bath!
Then her mate showed up to guard her while she continued to bath.
I’ll keep watch for you.
She enjoyed her bath for a long time.
Shake it mama bird!
But once the mate flew back into the shrub she got even more visitors!
Look! She’s hogging the bath!
Eventually it was all just too much for her.
That’s it! There’s no privacy here!
And the visitors were left on their own.
Was it something we said?
Always an adventure. And to think if I was working I’d have missed it all.
Internet photo of Junco. Not here yet. Thank goodness.
There’s a Christmas card on our bird feeders
I have often thought, as I watch the birds visit our feeders, that it looks like a familiar Christmas card. You know the one…where a different kind of colorful bird peeks out from behind all the letters in “Happy Holidays!’ on the front? Just a few minutes ago I was reminded of that card again and went to get the camera, moving slowly, carefully, quietly.
If I had gotten the shot this is what you would have seen:
A huge bright red male cardinal lording over the flat feeder, the feeder I had just moments ago filled with black oiler seed. A female, or perhaps a juvenile cardinal, a chickadee, a house finch and a titmouse were all sitting on the feeder with him, some grabbing a seed and flying up to a branch to eat before coming back for more. He didn’t move from his spot. A juvenile oriole and another female cardinal sat on the top of Katie’s kennel a few feet away waiting their turn. A small black and white woodpecker slips in, grabs a seed and departs. The bright orange male oriole swoops down from the trees to the oriole feeder. There is no grape jelly left. He hops to the top of the pole and stares into the window, voicing his displeasure with a quick burst of machine gun chirps. The male cardinal, impatient with all the activity on his feeder systematically chases all the smaller birds away. Most go to sit in a line on Katie’s pen. Waiting. When he’s done gorging himself and flies off the activity on the flat feeder picks up again. Bright yellow goldfinches have stuck to the thistle feeder throughout all the antics. They are pigs. And a female hummingbird zig zags nervously around her own private feeder.
Can you imagine all of that? I hope so because I didn’t have a chance to get the shot.
As soon as I moved to the kitchen and picked up the camera, turning slowly back around to head to the living room Katie woke from her spot in the dining room, raced to my reading chair next to the window, leaped up and commenced to barking. Because if mama is grabbing the camera and heading toward the windows there must be something out there!
So you’ll have to be satisfied with a picture of the princess instead. After all, she says, nothing else is as beautiful.
Who;s the prettiest one of all?
Sigh.
Wordless Wednesday
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Suburban wildlife – or- not so wordless Wednesday
It’s beginning to amaze me the beautiful things that are in my yard during any given day. And to think all this has been going on here at home for years while I’ve been off at work.
Katie likes to bark a warning to us humans sitting on the sofa. By the time we get up and look outside she has managed to chase whatever it was away. But just in the last two days I’ve noticed, on my own with no help from her, plenty of goings on in the yard.
Of course we have the Orioles visiting daily. Sometimes hourly. Do you think this one is a juvenile or just a wet female?
Looking for “more grape jelly lady!!”
It’s a good thing Katie didn’t see this little guy at the birdbath right outside her favorite window.
“Hey! Anybody in there?!”
Do you think the butterfly on the house realizes there are two garter snakes curled up sleepily below?
Look out below!
And just now, in the back yard we had a visitor. Katie didn’t see this either.
Looking for rabbits in all the right places.
Good thing she didn’t. All heck would have broken out.
What’s that smell over there?
So much going on in my own yard that I don’t have time for cooking and cleaning and such. Must keep vigilent, as a sheltie, who will remain nameless, seems to be napping on the job.
STILL no grape jelly lady!
Yard treasures
Mr. Oriole comes for grape jelly.
One of the joys of being retired is time spent in my own back yard. There’s time to sit on the deck out back, watch the clouds scoot by, the light change on the birch trees, the birds coming in shifts to feed, even the grass growing. What a treat.
Ripening black raspberries.
I remember the days when, while backing out of the driveway on my way to work, I noticed the early morning sun on the front of the house and felt a pang that another beautiful day at home was going to slide by without me. Now I have to keep reminding myself that I get to stay and enjoy the peace.
Gift from blue jay.
I constantly catch myself feeling sad that a day is ending, a weekend finished, a week gone by. It’s as if my body is automatically gearing up to go back to work after a vacation, sad that it’s ending. And then I remember that it’s not.
Roses bloom.
So if you see me smiling quietly to myself you’ll know I’m just mentally pinching myself.
And enjoying the treasures in my own yard.
Mrs. Oriole visits for a snack.
Wordless Wednesday
