Friday, January 15, 2021

Life is a balancing act!



Eastern bluebirds


Male Northern flicker ~ Eastern bluebird


Female Northern flicker


 Male Northern flicker


Brown-headed nuthatch - Female Northern cardinal


Male Eastern bluebird


European starling


"Perching isn't easy - I could use a pair of those wings!"


Eastern Grey squirrel seems to enjoy the suet as much as the birds!


 All photos taken yesterday morning - as you can see our fig tree is a popular 
hangout for the garden birds and squirrels.
We are expecting rain later today so will take our now daily
 two mile walk this morning.  
Wishing each of you a good weekend wherever you plan to hang out!


19 comments:

  1. You got some great pictures. My camera will no longer read my memory card so I can't get good pictures of the birds or the moon. I hope it's just the memory card that's the problem and not the camera. :/ Happy Friday!

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    1. Hope you get camera up and running again Tammy - enjoy your weekend.

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  2. A good weekend to you, too, Mary! I am sure you and Bob enjoyed your morning walk.
    After I've been away for 1 1/2 weeks over Christmas and New Year, it took the birds around my house more than a week to re-discover their feeding place on my kitchen window sill; only yesterday, I have noticed some of the food gone. Of course it could also be our resident squirrel; I spot him or her regularly around.

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    1. Off to walk and then do a quick grocery run soon.
      Happy your birds are returning, they usually do I find even when gone for a couple of weeks - which of course hasn't happened for a year now - my birds must be thrilled that food is always available lately!!!!

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  3. Oh, the Bluebird is the most heavenly shade of blue! I would love to see one, one day. What fun to have squirrels, as well as all those gorgeous birds. Have a good weekend, dear Mary.

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    1. Thank Trish - plenty of cardinals too but many more bluebirds coming daily now. We seem to have a huge family of them which is fabulous, and they LOVE the suet which I guess keeps them healthy in the chilly weather.

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  4. I so enjoy your wildlife photos. I am learning from your bird identification and eventually hope it will stick. I bought my first bird feeder - it appears to be the green, "safe from squirrels" type you have. Before I place it do you have some advice for me? Some things I should consider - how to hang, position, etc. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks Maudie, glad you stopped by. You will enjoy feeding your birds but no matter the feeder type still expect to see squirrels, they NEVER give up trying! Good quality mixed seed with little millet filler is best. Suet cakes are enjoyed by most birds and they especially love, and need, it during winter months. New suet holders take two cakes so you can put different ones in and get birds actually queueing up to eat! Hang feeders on shepherd hooks and at a height which make them easy for you to refill. Hope you also have a birdbath nearby and can watch your visitors splish splash, always fun.
      Good luck - hope you enjoy your birds as much as I do.

      Mary -

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  5. You get such wonderful shots of the wildlife around your home. Have great weekend!

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    1. Thanks Penny. I must admit that birds bring joy and color to my little garden and I probably spend far too much time looking out the windows watching them!
      Mary (who misses you a lot!)

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  6. What a great variety of birds you saw in one morning and, of course, your photography does them justice. We have been seeing a great number of cardinals which is such a treat. Also been watching squirrels tending to their nest. They are all providing something new and interesting to watch during these at home days.
    Hope you and Bob had a nice walk before the rains come. Take good care, Mary.

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    1. Kim, the squirrels are nest-building now ready for Feb/Mar offspring. It's aways funny watching them stuff so many crunchy leaves into their cheeks and climbing up the tall oaks - Nature is amazing!

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    2. I love seeing the photos of the bluebirds. We don't have those here in northeast Illinois. Right now in the winter, we have sparrows, nuthatches, woodpeckers, starlings, cardinals, house finches, and the other day I did see a pair of mourning doves. Most of them migrate south for the winter.

      Good for you and Bob for taking a two mile walk every day, that's awesome! I admit, I've been pretty lazy about that. The day-after-day dreariness gets me down. When Brian's home from work, we always go for a walk. I know I (literally) need to get my rear in gear!

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  7. Dear Mary,

    Another set of beautiful bird photographs. I love them all.

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  8. Yay, you. All of those birds live in OK and you still walk in winter. You are unstoppable Mary.

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  9. Such wonderful captures of the pretty birds that live around you.

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  10. I read your column about starting amaryllis bulbs and wondered why you had all those sticks in the pot. Well - this morning my very tall, beautiful amaryllis' flower was almost on the floor. It had been perfectly tall and straight until then. Had to hurry and find a tall stick. Now I see why all the sticks!

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  11. Love seeing your wildlife. We have the same flickers, but those bluebirds are gorgeous. I very much miss cardinals. The only time I have seen them in our yard was many years ago when we lived in Kansas. We don't get them in the west, sadly!!!! Our squirrels love the birdseed and suet too.

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