Category: nature
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Birds & Blooms
Carolina Chickadee I finally got my garden planted for the season. It was a lot of work this year, I must say, but I very much enjoyed it. I enjoyed less how sore I was after hauling over a dozen bags of dirt and mulch. That said, I am very happy with the way it’s…
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Birds of Spring, Part II
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) Generally speaking, there are three things I love about birding this time of year: This collection has photographs of all of the above. Among my favorites here are a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, who was passing through on her journey north, a Carolina Wren perched on a wooden plank, and, ironically, the only…
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Birds of Spring & Other Things
Brown-headed Cowbird (female) This collection of photographs spans about three or four weeks; although, I took the majority of these photos within the past week or so. You’ll note that the backgrounds in some photographs are lightly green or brownish green, while others have an intensely vibrant green backdrop. The greenest are, of course, the…
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Afternoon with an Osprey
I typically associate ospreys with open water; so, this afternoon when I spotted one hunting for fish beside a lake at a nearby park (not what I would call “open water”), I was more than a little surprised. I was also delighted because I’d never encountered an osprey anywhere other than the coast–and I’d never…
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Birds of Winter, Part V (Early Spring)
Mourning Dove When I started birding about two years ago, I had assumed it would be a fairly “hands off” pastime. That is, I would hang a feeder (or two or three). The birds would eat, and I would observe from a distance. It didn’t occur to me that we would ever interact. That I…
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A Tale of Two Hawks
Red-shouldered Hawk I love to spend Sunday mornings outdoors, provided it’s sunny and not too cold. It’s a routine I’ve really come to cherish over the past year or so: coffee, a book, perhaps, or some music, and the birds. And this morning was just perfect for it. The sun is shining. There’s not a…
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Birds of Winter, Part IV
Eastern Bluebird (female) I’ve been going through a lot of bird seed this winter. When I say “a lot,” I mean about 55 lbs of seed per month plus suet. That may not be a lot for everyone, but it is for me. It’s almost double the amount of food I went through last winter.…
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Birds of Winter, Part III
Eastern Bluebird (male) There are four bluebirds who have been visiting my feeders all day everyday for the past few months. And they eat a lot. So much that I’ve gotten in the habit of refilling the mealworm trays before I go to sleep at night–in case I am not outside before sunrise to make…
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Birds of Winter, Part II
Ruby-crowned Kinglet I spent a good amount of time taking photographs this week. Among the most noteworthy here are the Ruby-crowned Kinglet (above), Blue-headed Vireo, and Brown Creeper. I have been waiting (not so patiently) since last winter to get acceptable photographs of both a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Brown Creeper. Both are winter residents…
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Birds of Winter
Red-bellied Woodpecker (male) Here is a new batch of photographs. Among the most noteworthy, for me, are the Red-bellied Woodpecker (above), a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a pair of Purple Finches, and a Winter Wren. I spotted the Red-bellied Woodpecker in the woods yesterday morning, way up high in a tree. It was something of a zen…
The Used Life 