A Cardinal And His Flock

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #111.



P.S. Here is Mrs. Cardinal and company. I am also linking to Anni's I'd-Rather-B-Birdin'.

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Birdie Bush Update

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 365 is Lens. Here is a picture of my Canon G15 lens (along with the rest of it, the remote shutter, and my tripod).

Mr. and Mrs. Downy Woodpecker on the deck table, Thursday, January 21, 2016, 10:24:29 AM:

I'm also contributing to Michelle's Nature Notes (#348). We had no seed here in D.C., so I put out some whole wheat bread for the birds in the birdie bush.

I guessed the sparrows would like it the more, but I think the cardinals actually ate most of it. I put a slice on a branch, but they pecked it onto the ground and seemed more comfortable getting it there. I also put out some Granny Smith apple cores. They liked those, too.

Yesterday, I was able to get some birdseed:


I'm sticking with the birdie bush for TexWiscGirl's Good Fences 97. The bush is as full of birds as I've ever seen it. (By the way, this is my current guess at its identification.)

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On Top Of Lake Siri

All covered with cheese...

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #110.


Who let the d.a.w.g. out?

Last night in D.C.:

Here's the birdie bush yesterday afternoon:

Birdie bush at 10:29 A.M. this morning:

And a bit more table bird action from Cacapon Mountain, W.V. (I am also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'.):


P.S. The Thundermobile a few minutes ago (it's snowing harder now than it was around noon, and that's after the blizzard overnight):

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Table Birds

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #96.


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Hairy, Red-Bellied, Downy

Michelle's Nature Notes (#347)~Rambling Woods is Nine Years Old…. Happy B-Day, Rambling Woods! These three woodpeckers all showed up at the suet feeder within six minutes yesterday.



Carmi's Thematic Photographic 364 is Tires.
Here's the right rear tire of the Thundermobile right after someone scraped it and zoomed off without stopping:

All in all, not so bad for the only vehicle vs. vehicle violence I've had with the car (a 2006 Honda Civic I bought in March of 2008).
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A January Bee In D.C.

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #109. I can't remember ever seeing a bee buzzing around in D.C. in January:

Bold Nutkin takes a long look at Theda:

The birds in West Virginia are happy to see me:


UPDATE: I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. Most of the usual suspects showed up shortly after I put up the suet feeder...Chickadees, White-breasted Nutchatches, and Downy Woodpeckers. Missing in action so far are their feathered fellow travelers, the Tufted Titmice.

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Bare Trees

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 363 is Bare. I have to go with a bare tree:

Wintertime: you can see where the critters place their nests:

I'm also contributing to Michelle's Nature Notes (#346). This D.C. holly tree isn't bare:

A lot of birds were interested in that tree.


Ideally, I would have put this post up a couple days ago. But I didn't, and it's almost too late for Good Fences. I can't miss Good Fences #95!


After Bambi's last attack on the mountain laurels, I enhanced their fences with bits of a great big old TV antenna:

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Magical Mystery Birdie Bush

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critter's #108. Here are some sparrows in the Magical Mystery Birdie Bush.

And here's a full view of the mystery birdie bush. There are 3 Mr. Cardinals, along with assorted Mrs. Cardinals and sparrows.

Anni suggested crepe myrtle as a possibility. (And I'm linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'.) There are plenty of them in the neighborhood, but I've never seen one this large (and old) that didn't have at least some thicker trunks going into the ground. Here's one with branches that look somewhat similar:


Any thoughts, Theda?

P.S. Cooler weather arrived today after it rained cats and dogs all night. There's a full house out there now:

UPDATE: I took lots of pictures of forsythias in March and April, and I can see that by April 20th most of the blossoms were gone. Here's a picture of Theda next to that bush on April 24:

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Blue Post, Fences

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 362 is Blue. Would you consider this electric meter blue?

O.K. how about this flower? (I am also contributing to Michelle's Nature Notes (#345).)

That flower looks bluer in person. How about this fence? (My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #94.)

Good thing I have Theda to help me find fences. And blue things.

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Backyard Bambi

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #107. I was walking Theda the other day and I passed this fenced-in yard with Bambi in it. Being in the middle of a long block of houses with fenced-in yards, it was quite a surprise. "How did you get here?"

I went back for a better picture. They seemed quite at home!


We've finally got some cooler weather (down to the 30s). It's been so warm all the flowers are confused.


UPDATE: I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather Be Birdin'. I'm not sure what kind of bush this is, but it's very popular with the sparrows and cardinals.

It had small dark berries running along the branches, but they've mostly been eaten. Here's a pic of what remains:

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