More Of The Usual

I come up with the best titles, don'tcha' think?

Still sifting through some of last fall's shots and here's what I came up with.

Ever seen a Bluejay prepared for take-off? Me neither, until I got lucky with the pic below. It's blurry but the unusual posture makes it a keeper.

Looks like this red squirrel is riveted by the scene too.

Sometimes we see the same birds often enough that we begin to recognize them and give them names. The following pic is of a sparrow we came to call "Chubs." See if you can figure out howcum....

I knew you could!!

 I was pretty darn excited one day last fall at Hilary's. No, this time it had nothing to do with her beauty, grace and wit. I spotted a Cedar Waxwing feeding on some berries in a tree. It was very quick, nibbling and hopping and nibbling and hopping. I had a heck of time trying to get, and keep him in focus long enough for a decent shot. Well, I got a couple that qualify as decent but will have to hope for other opportunities to take better ones.

 In the first, he's about to gobble a berry.

In the next, you can see a little more of him. They're a handsome bird.

Trees growing near the edge of a lake in the Canadian Shield area don't have it easy. They can't extend their roots lakeward - seasonal water fluctuations, freeze/thaw cycles - thwart the establishment of solid footing. So, they often have to send their roots back towards shore to find solid purchase. When three or four mature trees are grouped close together, the competition can make for a tangle of roots, criss-crossing and overlapping each other - as seen below.

The grey squirrel below seems to have finished his granola bar. And please sir, could he have some more?

I think I'll caption this next one.

"What? Behind my back? Nuthin'...."

Some waterfowl, like loons and cormorants, need a running start to get airborne. Running on water, that is. They can look pretty goofy. But a pic of a cormorant trying to taxi out of the water is a good way to exit this post too. 'Til next time....