Dirt and Fences

I was looking for my most recent mountain laurel photos (my main long term dirt efforts), but I can't find them. Instead, here are some birds from May:


And since it took so long to get my "Dirty" post together for Carmi's Thematic Photographic 301, this is also my contribution to TexWisGirl's Good Fences 17:

Just for the halibut, here is an Ashburn crab spider:

Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
~

Lakescapes

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 294 is Landscapes

Here is Lake Siri on a foggy morning, and on a sunny afternoon:


Other Beesness:



Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
~

Baltimore Oriole and More

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 293 is Pets.

Would you believe...Theda and the Dogwood?

The birds aren't technically pets...but they do yell at me in the morning to bring the food out. (I've been bringing the feeder in at night since the raccoon trashed it 2 out of the 3 evenings.)




Here is the first Baltimore Oriole I've ever seen:

Bambi and mom in the backyard a few mornings ago:

Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
~

Happy May Day 2014

Have some Eastern Redbud and Forsythia.

Would you believe a very large woodpecker on a small suet feeder?

How about some Billy Bragg:

You can sign a petition to reject "Fast Track" authority for the TPP.
And/Or you can read Avedon's links.

Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
~

Dryocopus pileatus

They're around here in Berkeley Springs all the time. But the Pileateds do try to avoid the paparazzi.

Here's one of my favorite local beetles:

Get your cameras ready, first in series of rare ‘blood moon’ eclipses begins April 15. This picture is from Saturday:

UPDATE: Carmi's Thematic Photographic 290 is Hungry? Here we have one of many local hungry birds, Mrs. Downy Woodpecker.
/>
Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
~

Pileated Woodpecker Monday

There were two groups of Pileated Woodpeckers visiting the feeder in the last week: a couple of smaller birds and a trio of larger ones. These are the smaller birds:





And here are the big ones. I've never seen three on one tree before.



The above three pictures were all taken through the window. Each time I'd try to sneak up to get another shot, they'd hear me right away. Finally I got this one when it was raining cats and dogs.



This video I took in April, 2011, was also shot during a rainstorm.



P.S. Here's a couple more shots of Pieris rapae on the Russian Sage.




~

Paws for alarm

In other news, here's a Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus.







(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
~

Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus

After many attempts, I finally got a picture (plus movie!) of the Pileated Woodpeckers around here. They've been going at the birdfeeder, too, but they're so shy they take off at even the hint of a picture being taken.







~