Winter Solstice Approaching...

We had a sweet visitor early this morning before I made coffee I was at the window snapping this photo, its not Tulip but one of her friends 

She was so close to the fence 

This morning it's a little hazy as we have rain arriving on the weekend so the clouds are 

forming. 

earlier in the week it was very sunny and cold...

The crisp air makes for better photos with highlights and sparkle..

And some wonderful blue sky...

I actually sneaked up on this guy...when I first approached he was enjoying the view....

Then he heard me, 

And I guess he thought WHAT the heck...can't a bird get some peace n quiet anymore?

Then in true Mockingbird form he put his tail up and looked me right in the eye...

This is something I really enjoy interaction between myself and a wild creature who responds!  He stuck around only a couple minutes then off into the Brambles...

I stopped at Goodale park, it was soooo  dead but one Song Sparrow answered my phishing

Since they cut the trees  away from the one area by the lakeshore more of the Pitcher Plants have grown in, I guess that is a good thing, unless  you're a bug...
they are a pretty red color then they die back for the winter...

I made a stop at Quaker Cemetery A very old burying ground...

 it's been a long time since I stopped by here I knew they were building something behind it BUT why did they clear off so many trees?? LAZY contractors, they built cookie cutter housing right where it used to be  woods,  that area was part of Bramblewood...a very special place. 

I did find some seasonal  color and some birds...

At least the cemetery is securing  some green space 

Hope it stays that way...

 there's so many different types of trees all mature and providing food for birds...like this Cedar 

Over in the thick stuff near the edges of the cemetery I saw White Throated Sparrow and Easter Towhee, Dark Eyed Junco...

 ...but then I heard a crisp call from the Crepe Myrtle 

A Blue Headed Vireo, 

There has been a lot of growth in our town the past couple of years not sure I'm onboard with it..

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Just another week

Today I cut wood in order to keep my  stack as high as it can be.  My yard birds were happy Sunday as it was so warm...I had the windows open.

                              I said BIRDS!!  Everybody in the yard was eating..

OR waiting their turn to eat.

The Winter crops are hanging, not growing much tho.,I have a couple tiny cabbages in there and one broccoli forming,,,

brown headed nuthatch 

red breasted nuthatch

And some sunning was going on,.

Floss

GULP toss it up catch it

  I could  hear Pine Warblers all around me, and was able to find a couple...at the state park where I went to de-stress..

Yellow rump warblers also in the same tree, down in this  picnic area.  I had Red breasted Nuthatch, Brown Headed Nuthatch, Ruby Crowned, and Golden Crowned Kinglets,,,,

I checked the water and no waterfowl or waders present, it was cold on this day it may not look it but it sure was.

Eastern Bluebird

I had all these little guys chirping  at once,  So my head was turning around like the girl in the Exorcists.  I was making a mental list as I went. So then in came a Downy Woodpecker and he would not come out in the open so while I phished and hoped he would, out came a Blue Headed Vireo,  That was fine with me.,

None of them wanted to stand still so no sharp crisp photo...still I was happy to put my eyes on them.

the rest of the world seems so far away...

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

A Cold for Christmas

I caught a Christmas Cold.  So that gave me time to get a blog off early and this will give me time for one more post to finish out the year! Happy Winter Season to you All!

Back to the cold...it's the first one I recall having in many a year, just hope I can overcome it quickly.  I thought something was wrong when I went to bed at 9:15 night before last...I felt so tired and exhausted.  Yesterday another deluge 4 inches of rain it came down all day long.  Today is sunny but I  feel cloudy. :o(

I went out one day this week toured around my 5 mile.  I have not been participating much lately.  I have no hopes of adding a new species to the list.  However I was happy to add River Otters to my hotspot, Goodale Park, 

 

One with his tail up and the other just barely has his head out of the water...they are full grown adults by the look of them.  I was thrilled to find this!  I can't wait to tell the park staff next time I see them.  There was trimming of trees on one section of the lakeshore, it has thrown some birds off their normal hangouts so it may take a while for them to find new perches.

 

Yellow Rumped Warbler

the cut reveals another patch of pitcher plants 

I had a couple of surprises, not new but the Fox Sparrow was there 

He was pretty bashful and not showing his face...this guy showed his face  had some pine needles in the way, the Blue Headed Vireo.  

And if not for Ruby Crowned Kinglets this time of year would be quite boring...

Did not show his Ruby Crown!  I drove over to my favorite AG fields and checked those out...had 100's of Brown Headed Cowbird joined by some Red-Winged Blackbird.  

There were other trees full also...

Lots of sparrow present, the Field, the Chipping, the Dark Eyed Junco, the Eastern Towhee, White Throated, and Song were all accounted for.  

The coloration of Song Sparrow here locally vary, some are dark and more chocolate brown while these red ones with warm grey tones can fool you into thinking they are something else.

An alert Eastern Phoebe holds on and looks over his shoulder at me...

Midweek we were shooting a cemetery in Fairfield County and it was about another 10 miles to the Lake Wateree State Park not in my radius...but it was fun to see lots of Ring Billed and Bonaparte's Gull around.  

There's a pedestrian bridge that is fun to walk over...Allowed me to get close to this colorful female Northern Cardinal 

Hope your Holiday  is festive, can you imagine trying to remember it's 2020?

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My Mom Memory for this Christmas day: Mom we cherish our memories of all those delicious Magik Cookies!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.