male woodpecker feeding for Ruby Tuesday

Obviously a male ( red marking on the back of its head) Woodpecker but which species? Hairy or Downy? We have both visiting, almost daily and I think this is a little Downy!
A woodpecker bonus picture! This I call a swirl of feathers , of a Hairy Woodpecker ( no sign of red so perhaps this is a female Hairy, as I was focusing my camera on a feeding woodpecker, it abruptly flew away.


Got photos with red want to share them?To check out other postings on Ruby Tuesday just click on the Ruby logo on the side bar or here:http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this meme

Bringing Outdoors Indoors for Outdoor Wednesday

My fvourite pond for finding ducks and geese is now almost all iced over! I shall eagerly await to see what feathered treasures it invites in the spring

snow covered roads can create adventurous
(dangerous) driving conditions. Be prepared for winter driving.!!

SEWING WHILE ITS SNOWING
Actually its not snowing today and we have only had what might be termed a dusting so far, but I 've already experienced some tricky winter driving on the past weekend. It was at night, after dark and I couldn't figure out( see) where the middle of the road was and I kept wandering from side to side, the snow in my headlights was blinding as I tried to orientate myself on the snow covered highway. I ran out of snowstorm and finally found myself on dark, wet pavement! Thankfully! Our winter tires go on on Thursday and I am eager to get them on.

I have settled into an indoor routine of sewing, a wonderful winter pastime. I finished a quilt last week and now it is at a longarm quilters being quilted. I am eagerly looking forward to its completion. This morning I finished a pillowcase for a little grandson using two different moose fabrics. I don't know the fabric name or source, there were no printed selvages on it., but there is some beautiful nature themed fabric out there to buy! I love shopping for fabric.

Outdoor Wednesday found at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme that invites you to share the outdoors with others. The theme encompasses the outdoors, a topic within the theme of your choosing. to learn more of this meme or to share your view of the outdoors please click on the 'outdoor Wednesday' logo on the right of this page. Happy Wednesday outoor gathering to all

featuring'red 'in Bird Alley for Ruby Tuesday

AS these pictures will show, "Yes, We have snow on the ground!"Not enough to have to clear away, but a sufficient amount for a ground covering.This little Red-breasted Nuthatch is easily finding the bird seed under the layer of snow./
Another reddish creature in Bird Alley searching for food under the snow, a Red Squirrel. If you click on the picture to enlarge you can view its beauty and glossy fur much easier.
And these red crabapples are a daily background feature of our outdoors nature photo studio! in Bird Alley. Yesterday they attracted a small group of Starlings in their winter white-flecked feathers. Notice that in the picture above the Starling has a pure white feather! Unusual I would think. Perhaps I'll look for this white feathered feature when Starlings visit Bird Alley again.
The Starlings did not feed on the crabapples that I could see.

Got photos with red want to share them?To check out other postings on Ruby Tuesday just click on the Ruby logo on the side bar or here:http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this meme

yellow lower mandible of Tree Sparrow for mellow yellow monday

The distinguishing characteristic of its bi-coloured bill of this Tree Sparrow is very noticeable in this photo showing the sparrow's yellow lower mandible.
This little sparrow was in Bird Alley this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. I hope it returns daily and brings along a few of its little sparrow buddies. Next I am hoping for some Common Redpolls to show up soon.

Happy Monday to all. To view a wonderful variety of yellow-themed photos from other bloggers around the world, just click on the link below
mellow yellow

Tree Sparrow for Camera Critters

Oh my! I see a little sparrow in Bird Alley! Who could it be? I think its too late for a Chipping Sparrow. I can tell that its not a Song Sparrow. Could it be my first Tree Sparrow visitation for the season??
Yes!!! It is a Tree Sparrow in Bird Alley! Oh Happy Day! They're back for another season. Can you see its bi-coloured bill that is yellow on the bottom? And yes, there is a central dark spot on its breast. Both features strong identifying marks characteristic of a Tree Sparrow.
Oops! Excuse me, Be right back.My husband just called to me that we now have Evening Grosbeaks eating at the sunflower seed I have recently put out. I didn't see the Grosbeaks but saw instead Cedar Waxwings in our crabapple tree and a Gray Squirrel in Bird Alley also, I haven't see one of those for a while. I also spied a female full bellied Hairy Woodpecker going up a tree. We have lots of Blue Jays coming and going today and also a few Mourning doves. We have lots of camera critters out and about today, much to the delight of our window watching cat.


Camera Critters is a meme that features critters, any kind, any size. To see more of this meme please click on the CC logo which can be found on the right sidebar on this page or please click here.http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

eating red berries for photo hunter

Juicy? But cranberry juice is made from cranberries! maybe not but at least moist, as these cranberries are sticking to the beak of this female Pine Grosbeak, who appears to find these berries yummy! , the Waxwings seem to enjoy them as well.Not so other birds The cranberries also attract Robins, but it must be the colour, not the taste., one bite of these berries and the Robins are gone. This is a picture from my photo archives. We do not get Pine Grosbeaks every year but I hope we are lucky to see a few this winter.
For more photos on this weeks theme of 'juicy' just click on Photo Hunter or you many click on the icon in the side bar. My thanks to tnchick for hosting this site. Happy Photo Hunting to all!

red flower reflections in my window for weekend reflections

The other day I was most pleasantly surprised at seeing red spots reflected in my window that looks out ontoBird Alley.
Upon checking the reflections closely I realized the red spots were reflections of my potted red geranium which I have at the window! What a lovely cherry glow they gave!

Weekend Reflectionshttp://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/:is a meme where you can view beautiful reflections captured by others. Just click on the logo on the right to see what others have captured with their cameras

Foggy day in the valley for Outdoor Wednesday

An early rainy morning drive to Woodstock yesterday morning was damp, misty and foggy
The rain and early morning temperatures created much fog in the river valley and along the highway.
Outdoor Wednesday found at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme that invites you to share the outdoors with others. The theme encompasses the outdoors, a topic within the theme of your choosing. to learn more of this meme or to share your view of the outdoors please click on the 'outdoor Wednesday' logo on the right of this page. Happy Wednesday outoor gathering to all

Mallards in the Meduxenkeag for Watery Wednesday

Yesterday morning while making an early morning visit to the dentist we saw lots of ducks in the Meduxenkeag river from a distance as we drove by. When leaving the dentist's office near noon we went in search of the flock that we had seen earlier and all that we could find in this lovely November landscape were three Mallards.

Waterty Wednesdayhttp://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme where you can enjoy almost any aspect of water scenes or activity. This meme offers a wide choice of topic. To view contributions of others or to post your own contribution, please click on the Watery Wednesday icon on the right sidebar on this page and enjoy. A Happy Wednesday wish to all!

Feasting on Ornamental crab apples for Ruby Tuesday

These Beautiful attractive little red crab apples ares the focus of my Ruby Tuesday post and also the focus of this Cedar Waxwing with a tasty delight in mind.

Got photos with red want to share them?To check out other postings on Ruby Tuesday just click on the Ruby logo on the side bar or here:http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this meme

Yellow tip of a Cedar Waxwing's tail for Mellow Yellow Monday

I always consider a Cedar Waxwing an outstanding bird and one of its outstanding identifying features is the yellow tip of its tail, which is easily seen in these three pictures. This morning our yard and cranberry tree and ornamental crab apple tree has been visited by quite a large flock of these waxwings. I hesitate to call them a swarm, but there seemed to be so many all over both of our crab apple trees. If I took a drive around our village I have no doubt that I would find many gobbling at all the red berries that they can find.Luckily for me my husband spied them in Bird Alley and circling our house for up until then I hadn't a picture to post for Mellow Yellow Monday.


Happy Monday to all. To view a wonderful variety of yellow-themed photos from other bloggers around the world, just click on the link below
mellow yellow

Deer for scenic sunday

They are always a scenic sighting but not so easily sighted during hunting season. There were about 4 or 5 white-tailed deer feeding on a lawn in our community as I drove bt. The sun was shining directly in my eyes so I did not get many shots. Stay in town deer, Be safe!


Scenic Sunday:a meme of beautiful scenery. To learn more about scenic Sunday please go to:http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/ or to post your own contribution, please click on the link within this post

Porcupine for photo hunter

The theme for this week's photo hunter is a tough one; itchy. I looked through my mammal photo archives hoping to find a pic of some animal acratching, but I had no luck there. But I did come across this picture of a porcupine and he represented the idea of itchy to me. It looks scruffy and rough. Would you feel itchy if you were covered with spines like it is? Don't you feel itchy just looking at it?

Thisweek's theme for photo hunter http://tnchick.com/this week is itchyand it is open to your own interpretation. To see what others have contributed or to add your own please click on the photohunter badge at the top of the right side bar

A Fallen tree branch

Looking out our window yesterday morning we saw this raw end of a huge branch of a neighboring pine tree. We had been experiencing heavy rains and strong winds a few days previous and the branch was very lengthy and heavy and it just broke off!
Sometimes this branch would reach out over our property. We are thankful that it did'nt fall on our fence, rather than being stretched out alongside it. Oh well, one less perching branch for visiting birds in Bird Alley.

Canadas on the move for Outdoor Wewdnesday

Its not to difficult these days to find a group of Canada Geese. Stopping off to feed on their annual journey south, their periodic stops creates some beautiful viewing and a photographic feast for my camera when I chance upon a flock.

Outdoor Wednesday found at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme that invites you to share the outdoors with others. The theme encompasses the outdoors, a topic within the theme of your choosing. to learn more of this meme or to share your view of the outdoors please click on the 'outdoor Wednesday' logo on the right of this page. Happy Wednesday outoor gathering to all

red geranium blossoms and memories for Ruby Tuesday

Binging summer inside is always part of my plan when digging up the geranium plants from our summer flower bed. I rescued two of them but left a third in our garden, for no particular reason. When our rains have stopped and it starts to dry a bit I will check to see if the third one is still surving in our flower bed. They are quite hardy plants and so I will not be surprised at how it is faring, although we have had some pretty heavy frosts last month. I transplanted this geranium in an old bean crock, although I would have preferred a large size stewed tomatoes can with the wrapper still on it. Maybe if the remaining plant is still surviving in the garden I will pot it in a tomato can. Why a tomato can? Early memories of my grandmother include seeing geraniums potted in tomato cans sitting on her kitchen window sill.The heat from her kitchen wood stove accompanied the setting for comfort on those long ago winter days when I would spend much time visiting with her in her home. The geraniums would become very tall and gangley at her windows, their beauty accented by the summer greens of Gram's wall paper of intertwining ivy wallpaper. I think that wallpaper pattern was always on Gram's kitchen wall. When the paper needed replacing, Gram always seemed to choose that same pattern over and over again.
Placing my potted geraniums at my window brings about constant memories of my Gram. (Myrtle Alice Nason)

editing note: I have checked on the third geranium in my flower bed. It is still thriving. tomorrow we will dig it up and pot it and set it at our window indoors where it will stay for the winter. Next summer it will be in our outdoors flower bed again.

Got photos with red want to share them?To check out other postings on Ruby Tuesday just click on the Ruby logo on the side bar or here:http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this meme

yellow rose buds for mellow yellow monday

Our yellow rose bush has several buds on it. Several weeks ago we had roses in bloom!. This seems late for our growing season. Roses in bloom in November?! Although it hasn't landed on the ground yet to stay we have had snow flurries in the air and some very heavy frosts. This rose bush is surprising us! It is quite new to us. We had bought and planted it just this summer. A picture of the buds in bloom, if and when they bloom is a promise for some other mellow, yellow Monday. At least it won't get thirsty as a heavy rainfall warning for today has been issued.

Happy Monday to all. To view a wonderful variety of yellow-themed photos from other bloggers around the world, just click on the link below
mellow yellow

Bird Alley Update #2

This little Song Sparrow is a daily regular and a bit of a favourite of mine. It was the first sparrow species that I learned to recognize. All is well, the day gets off to a good start if I see Song Sparrow from my window. Welcome little Bird Buddy!Another constant, regular visitor species are Black-capped Chickadees. I had forgotten to include this species on yesterday's Bird Alley roll call Update.
Thuis little Pine Siskin was a lovely unexpected surprise Thursday morning whn I saw it feeding with some American Goldfinch. The little yellow stripes on its wings signaled its id to me.
There was no problem identifying this female American Goldfinch, but its white rump and undertail was a bit of a surprise. I'm not sure what it regularly looks like, but the white feature on this bird seemed to be outstanding! There were many Goldfinch feeding in Bird Alley today,


This little Red-breasted Nuthatch has become somewhat of a regular outside our windows. It appears to have found a favourite feeding place at this bell suet feeder which is covered with black oiled sunflower seeds. Its a pretty cute little bird I think. Each day this the seasonal changes have brought new returning visitors to our feeders. We expect very heavy rains and winds for the next few days, so I wonder what changes or new visitors will present themselves. If you are a maritime viewer, keep dry and a good weekend to everyone.

Bird Alley Update

Bird Visitors are surprising me daily with their presence in Bird Alley. Yesterday was the sighting of s female Northern Cardinal! That was a surprise. for pictures please scroll down to yesterday's post or look up at the header of this blog for the female Cardinal's picture.. Also yesterday in the late afternoon we saw a White-throat ed Sparrow, it was too frisky scrstching in snd scattering leaves to get a good picture of it; We also have a Song Sparrow daily. I am eagerly awaitaing a Tree Sparrow to join in with its sparrow cousins. also in on the feeding action was a Red-breasted Nuthatch, They are always so delightful to see!. A big surprise yesterday afternoon was this female Evening Grosbeak!( see below) feeding on the ground below my viewing window. This grosbeak wasn't a total surprise as earlier in rhe week, on Tuesday we had a visit from three or more male Evening Grosbeaks.The males are the more colourful of the species with vibrant yellow colouring on their wings and their yellow forehead.
Continuing on a more colourful theme, this little male Downy Woodpecker drew in the red hues of its background and the red netting on the suet/ seed bell that it was getting such enjoyment feeding upon, creating a soft reddish hush to the lovely scene. show below.And in my bird alley roll call I can't forget the frequent presence of the little slate-coloured dark-eyed Juncos which are so prevalent every day. And of course I must make mention of the presence of the many BlueJays and Mourning Doves that drop by.
I am not sure what surprises Bird Alley will present to me today? I hope it is something spectacular. I must post this and hurry to my viewing window. Have a great day everyone.