A Downy Woodpecker couple are regular visitors to the backyard. They are especially fond of suet. Below, the male indicates I am not fibbing.
I've taken dozens, perhaps hundreds of shots which show some aspect of a departing bird. They're always either out of focus or partly out of the frame, or in some way unusable. I delete 98% of them. But every once in a while, an otherwise-poor shot offers something positive. In the following pic, a departing chickadee's blur still manages to reveal something of their fluidity and grace.
The dessicated currants below are still an important mid-winter source of food to many birds.
I have no idea what the flower below is. But the photo works for me.
I like the colour of these berries and the way they seem to be hanging in space.
The cute fellow below lives in my backyard and has come to be known as Patio Bob. I don't think I'd be overly surprised if some day he tucks a Volkswagen into those cheek pouches.
The colours of the leaves below caught my fancy. Not as bold as many autumn colours but the longer I looked, the more I saw and appreciated.
The sparrow below enjoys a bit of a nosh and some late-afternoon sun.
A lone sentinel stands watch.
I think I'll close this day's offering by mooning y'all.
Hope you're having a good one, wherever you are. Thanks for taking a peek.
Some lovely shots here, dear. I quite like the chickablur and the suspendaberries. And thanks for being discreet enough to only show half of your moon.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the old tree and bird near my place reveals some dust or fiber on your sensor. Unless you took that with my camera. ;)
Bob is my favourite...that and I had no idea a chickadee was a real bird. Either that or you're having me on again :/
ReplyDeleteThe chickadee image -- if it didn't give the wrong idea, i'd say it looks like the ghost of wings, as you can see through them.
ReplyDeleteThose leaves are much like the way they turn colors here -- the ones that don't just turn straight to brown, that is.
Beautiful shots. The Downy Woodpecker, Patio Bob, and the moon are favorites; but all are wonderful. Patio Bob may have already gotten a Smart Car in those cheeks. The VW will be next.
ReplyDeleteThose are awesome pics! Very expert photography. I love the animal pics. I can never get a good bird pic. The best one I ever got was a blue heron. I had to chase after it, though, until it finally stood still. LOL Jen got a good one, once, of a bird keeping watch on the very edge of a roof.
ReplyDelete- Thanks, Hil. Yeah, I noticed that on another sky shot. Will have to see what I can do to get rid of it.
ReplyDelete- It's a real bird, Althea. Honest. :)
- There is a ghostly aspect to that pic, mimi.
- Thanks, Linda. He's fun to watch. :)
- Thanks Dawn. The Blue Heron is a great bird. Glad you got a good shot.
Great bunch of photos Frank. I really like the suspended berries and the blurry Chickadee.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Reb. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful shot of that woodpecker. He is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteSorry to see your Moon so pitted; but you redeemed yourself by posting such beautiful Foto's of things nearby. The shriveled up berries and leaves like autumn are wonderful finds. A handsome fella, when do we see Patio Bob's S/O? ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Glad you liked.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Bob's S/O, near as we can determine, is Backyard Betty, another chipmunk who resides in the yard behind mine. She's tougher to photograph. But maybe one of these days....
Thanks both, for the visits and comments. :)
the berry shot is a treasure
ReplyDeleteit's refreshing just to look at it
and of course you capture the best critter images
hugs to Benny
Wow, between your photos and Hilary's I could stay online all day. LOVE Hilary's "suspendaberries."
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh right away, for in your first descriptive passage were two words I used in the last hour in Scrabble - suet and fibbing.
The chipmunk is adorable. We have one that lives in our front yard...somewhere...and my dog's favorite sport is chase-the-chipmunk. True story - one afternoon last week, we had a most welcome thunderstorm and afterwards, sat on the front porch to enjoy the coolish air. After a time, I became aware that Jude, the Shih-Tzu, was creeping ever so slowly down the porch ramp and out into the yard, his eyes never leaving one spot. Curious, I followed his gaze and saw about 200 feet away the little chipmunk under a tree, upright as in your photo, munching a leaf. I watched as Jude stalked his prey, prepared to see the chipmunk bolt at any moment, but it didn't; it sat stock still. About three minutes into Jude's slow stalk, I began to wonder if perhaps the chipmunk was not a chipmunk after all...perhaps it was a large leaf blown off the tree. Another minute and Jude was almost upon it, still stalking. When he was within a foot of it, he suddenly stopped, his body slumped, and he sniffed. It was a leaf...so he lifted his leg and let it know what he thought of its deception.
Thanks, Dianne. You're almost too kind. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa! Thanks Ethel, for the visit, kind words, and fun story.