Our New Neighbors (Doe and Fawn)Here are our new neighbors, mom and baby. This is just one of at least two pairs that live in and around our yard in rural Washington near the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Baby is about a week old now and follows mom very closely everywhere she goes.
The Hungry SquirrelNot sure if this qualifies for a pet, but I feed and water them just as I do my other pets. Only problem is the squirrels get up before I do. This is what I saw out my kitchen window this morning as I was pouring my first cup of coffee. The jar has popcorn in it and I usually spread it out on the blocks, but guess he was hungry and the blocks were bare.
Once I fed them, the other 10 or 12 showed up for breakfast buffet.
Raccoon BanditNot really a pet but I do feed this little guy and 3 others a bit bigger than him every night. They show up starting at dusk to get "their" dog food!
Protecting Backyard Wildlife From a Cat?I have a duck nesting in my backyard. There are about 7 eggs inside and they're due to hatch anytime now. The problem is the cat next door and the owners who refuse to do anything about it. We've patched the holes in the fences, bought cat repellent, set a cat trap loaned to us by our local animal control, and rigged some wire fencing along the top of some of the entry ways on the fence.
Baby Doves in NestMy husband climbed up in one of our backyard trees to hang some windchimes for me and discovered these precious baby doves. Aren't all of God's babies beautiful!
My Furry Friend - BraveheartThis is Braveheart. I've always enjoyed the birds, squirrels, and butterflies in my yard. I often sit on my front steps and toss peanuts (in the shell) to the squirrels. This one became a "friend" about three years ago when she began edging closer and closer to me.
Sunflower Seed Bird FeedersThis is a unique picture that you have to look closely to see the birds. I looked out our window a few weeks ago to see these birds eating sunflower seeds out of the flowers upside down!
Sunflowers From Bird SeedsI feed all birds and they always leave me a gift of Sunflowers. I have hundreds of sunflowers, just from birdseed.
The Giant PandaHere's a picture of a Giant Panda.
Burrowing Ventriloquist OwlsThese are burrowing ventriloquist owls. The male is looking a bit to the side and faking a rattlesnake rattle with his ventriloquist act.
Birds Eating on the PorchBirds eating on the porch
Zorro (Raccoon)Zorro is an 8 year old raccoon. We got her as a baby after her mother had been hit by a car.
Alligator SunningPicture of an alligator sunning on Blind River.
Chickadee In FlightChickadee In Flight
Bird on the PierI wanted to share this picture that I took of a bird that was sitting on the pier on our Florida vacation.
Fill Your Bird FeedersFill your bird feeders. Just a little reminder to fill your bird feeders this winter. Many birds may fly south, but those in the northern states have birds come in the winter, too.
The Easter Bunny and My VeggiesI wrote in awhile back regarding rabbits eating my veggies. I received a number of responses and I actually purchased a friendly trap so that I could catch and release it in the surrounding countryside.
Bald Eagle (Jackson Bottom Wetland...This isn't exactly a pet photo but so appropriate for the Fourth of July. This was taken at the Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve in Hillsboro, OR during the unveiling of the eagle's nest exhibit.
Baby OpossumA little visitor, he must have fallen off of his mommy's back, I just took the baby boy by the tail, put him in a little box and brought him to the wildlife rehab center.
Baby OwlThis is our baby owl. It was on our road and wouldn't move when I drove by it so my husband brought it to the house. We fed it then put it up in the woods so it's mother could take care of it. We have people around here that would have probably run over the poor thing.
Nest Made by Perfect Little EngineersMy boss found this Bee's nest (Hornet's?) in a high bush at my work yesterday. I went back on my day off hoping it was still there to take pictures. They were calling an exterminator to remove it.
Goslings (Baby Geese)My children and I saw these goslings by the river yesterday afternoon. I couldn't get an exact count, but there were about 25-30 of them. You could tell they were used to people being around, because they didn't run away while we were there.
"Can I Keep It?" Rescuing Wild AnimalsIn almost every case, it is illegal to keep a wild animal. If you find a baby animal, that you believe has been abandoned; leave it where it is, unless it is in clear danger. Keep a watch on it from a distance.
Hummingbird at FeederRecently I was helping a friend move and as we were taking a moment to chat on the front porch at dusk this little guy kept buzzing our heads on his way to the feeder.
Bee Making Cherries (Hillsboro, OR)The bees were out in full force pollenating our fruit trees. I swear they knew I was taking their picture and avoided me quite effectively. Somehow I managed to sneak up on this little guy.
Butterfly PhotosThis page contains butterfly photos. Seeing a beautiful butterfly gracefully fluttering in a garden is a joyous experience.
Sneaky Raccoon in the Cherry TreeWe were recently woken at dawn to our incessant barking. My husband, Jess and I ran out in our PJs and robes to discover this raccoon high up in our cherry tree.
Baby Bird in the GardenI noticed a baby bird that had just left the nest and was learning to fly. So cute!
Regal Visitor (Hawk)This hawk visited our back yard several times. What a treat! I was lucky to have gotten such a great photo.
Little ToadI found this little hopper while walking on a trail in the park. I am pretty sure it is a southern toad. It is hard to tell when they are this young. This little toad is a newly metamorphosed toadlet and will have to wait 2 to 3 years before it can reproduce and start the process over again.
A Nest Full of Sleeping BeautiesWhile checking my bluebird houses, to my surprise I found five little babies sleeping. I am sure Mommy and Daddy Bluebird will be busy keeping these little mouths full.
Squirrel Loving Homemade NectarI guess our homemade hummingbird nectar is so good, this squirrel wanted some for dessert. It was so funny to watch him latched on, swinging around like it was a tire swing!
The Ever Near RobinRobins follow me all day long. If I'm digging, they know I'll unearth worms. If I'm watering inground plants, they know the water will bring worms to the surface. With so many Robins around, one would think I had lots of opportunity to take some great shots. That's not the case.
Photos of RobinsThis is a page about photos of robins. Robins are a common visitor to many gardens.
Spring Peeper Frog RendezvousThese awesome little tree frogs are called "Spring Peepers" and have the prettiest little song. The male has been coming to my door for about a week in the evening, singing his little heart out looking for a mate. Within two days he had coaxed the female to join him for a lite meal courtesy of my porch light.
Hello There (Sparrow)I saw this bird sitting on my flower trellis and it was like he knew I was taking his photo and he posed for me.
Little HummingbirdThis little guy was at my dad's house. He loves to feed the birds.
RobinI was just outside playing around with my camera trying to catch a bird flying, but then I saw this red breasted robin on a limb, and he looked right at me. I think it is so cool.
Swinging SquirrelTippy the squirrel is enjoying treats in the front garden. She has brought a friend this summer and has a nest of babies in this tree.
Catbirds Like TomatoesCatbirds like tomatoes. They devour all I give them. Isn't that sweet?
Beautiful Spider in Her WebI went out on my patio to look around and found this beautiful web complete with the spider who created it. I was surprised how well the web reflected in this flash photo. I love catching moments like this!
Giant Silk Moth (Polyphemus)As I was making beer munchies in my kitchen, I heard a light thumping on the window. I opened the curtain and saw this gorgeous, huge freaking moth. I looked him (her, actually, I think) up and discovered she was part of the giant silkmoth family called Polyphemus, after the Greek cyclops.
Teheura (Tahiti'an Red Bird)Teheura means the royal red bird of Tahiti. In ancient times only royalty could wear the red feathers of this bird. The king of each village was the only one who could use the red feathers for their costumes. He wore a special headdress made from the Teheura feathers and black and white feathers of the cock.
Doe and FawnsThe doe raised her fawns in our grove next to the house and garden. We saw them all summer. We live next to a gravel road and they are standing on our front lawn about 150 feet from our house. They also helped themselves to some garden produce. They are beautiful animals.
Pair of Ruby-Throated HummingbirdsA male and female pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds at a feeder on our front porch.
Tennessee BunnyWhile strolling through the property at my father's vacation home, I came across this beautiful wild rabbit just sitting in the green grass having a snack. I zoomed in on him and discovered how beautiful he really is, healthy and alert.
Color Coordinated FrogPulling weeds is one way I like to relax, my moment of Zen, some would say. Every now and then I get a bonus. While reaching into a patch of day lilies, I discovered this little guy. Being so well-disguised by his coloring, I very nearly missed seeing him.
Hummingbird Takes a RestOur olive tree has become a "station" for Anna's hummingbirds in our garden to take a rest. It is a shady environment and the hummingbirds daily use it for a short break in their action. They "buzz" around the garden with great vigor and during their feeding times, they visit most blooming plants for a meal.
A Garden VisitorI've never seen this person, before. I think it terribly kind of him to grace my yellow hibiscus with his presence.
Bunnies in the GardenWe found an adorable nest of baby bunnies underneath the flower beds! There were 4 and they hopped about like it was nobody's business.
Fall is Leaping ForwardHere in Oklahoma, it seemed to switch from summer to fall practically over night. One day the heat seemed oppressive, while the next evening we needed long-sleeved shirts and warmer socks! Today this grasshopper landed right in front of me, with all of his orange and yellow finery.
Baby Box TurtleOnce again, young Box turtles are on the move, enjoying the nice fall weather! Soon they will be hibernating under logs and the thick blanket of leaves that have fallen. They eat a wide variety of insects and vegetation.
Who Is Watching Whom? (Moth)We had a severe drought in South Africa. During the drought, we hardly saw any insects. We also saw many birds in our garden that we don't normally expect to see in the city.
Mother GooseOne of my favorite sights of spring is seeing a mother goose protecting her babies under her wing on a cool morning. It's amazing how many babies she can fit under her body. The daddy goose is always standing right next to her, guarding them all.
Mourning Dove PhotosThis very common bird is found from southern Canada to central Mexico. They are recognizable from their soft prolonged cooing that has a distinctly mournful sound. This page contains mourning dove photos.
Backyard Bird Fountain FunWe had picked up an inexpensive fountain for our backyard feathered friends a few years ago, and I piled rocks on the top tier as it seems by watching them, they appear to like the naturalness of the rocks, maybe it makes it more realistic to them, and we just love seeing them enjoy it.
Goldfinches Feasting On Poa SeedLast fall, I sowed my front lawn in Falcon 4. That's the best and highest rated tall fescue grass I was telling you about. It's still in a juvenile state. Once it's mature, late summer or this fall, I do expect it to look like a putting green.
A Pair of Canadian GeeseI have a pond in my back yard which attracts wildlife. A pair of Canadian geese showed up. They were grazing on the green grass near the edge of the pond. Food is scarce right now with all the snow on the ground. The winter season just keeps lingering on making it a challenge for spring time arrivals in the area.
The Beautiful Female GoldfinchIn a lot of species, the male is more attractive. Eh hmm, at least from a human perspective. But then, who's to say our perspective isn't a bit warped. To say the least, it is very limited. All we can see is what humans see.
Out for a Swim (Canada Geese)It's that time of year again when we see the geese in our yard bring their new babies to show off. We live right on the river so we get a front row seat. They come up on our lawn and eat grass so they feel very protected here and we see the same families year after year, from babies to grownups.
Baby BirdsWe have a propane gas tank and I needed to check and see how much gas we had left in the tank. When I lifted the lid, I found a nest of newly hatched baby birds. They are practically naked and haven't opened their eyes. They thought I was their mama. I'm hoping these four little ones grow up to be blue birds.
Road Hogs (Wild Turkeys)These wild turkeys think they own the road, on my way home from my son's one night it took me ten minutes to get them out of the way so I could continue on. I opened the window and yelled at them; they just took their time.
Cute Little SquirrelNow there's a nice little rodent. He (?) really seems to be enjoying that apple core I tossed out. Golly, I didn't know squirrels liked apples so much.
June Bug on WatermelonMy mother and I put a wedge of ripe watermelon outside as an alternative for the hummingbirds to sip juice from. We went outside to tend to the garden and saw this massive June bug feasting on it, rolling around in its juices. The contrasting colours were so cool.
Geese EvacuatingUnfortunately many areas of the country this summer have experienced heavy smoke from wildfires. I live on a river where many geese live and for a while, I would see them every morning walking up the road in single file.
Baby Dove on NestA pair of doves made a nest under the roof of our veranda. It has been incredible, watching them from day 1 when they started to build the nest, seeing mom sitting on the eggs and eventually, the first time we saw her bringing food to feed the little ones. I took the photo this morning when the mom flew off to find food.
Elephant in the GardenI took this photo in the butterfly garden. There were so many lovely beautiful, colorful, quiet little beauties in that garden! I must have taken 100 pictures that day. Thru the camera lens I peered and snapped photos and all of a sudden I saw an elephant!
The Sideline Praying MantisAt a recent football game for my son, we got to enjoy the presence of this fun little guy. After getting some fun pictures of him cheering on the teams, we moved him to a safer location. Capturing his shadow in the photo was the best part!
Doves in a Log Rolling CompetitionWe always had a lot of doves sitting in the trees on our river bank. One day a log drifted down the river and parked itself in front of my yard. The doves found this very interesting and went to investigate.
They look like they are having fun!
Yearling Bear SightingsThis is a time we see yearling cubs wandering around our property in northeastern Pennsylvania. Mama bears birth their cubs (usually two) and nurse them in their dens their first winter. After a year old (thus the "yearling" term) in the fall the mom encourages them to leave her and forge out on their own.
Dove Having a BathWe feed all the birds year round and have many doves. They love to enjoy a bath too. That is our old water pump from years ago, just as added interest to our yard. The bath tub is a bottom of a hot water tank that we cut off. It works perfectly and is the right depth of water for birds and bees!
Backyard HummingbirdsWe call these two, the Bibs sisters, because they both have like a red bib on their necks, actually their throats, and it's adorable how they'll sit at a feeder together, and in this picture they'll even drink together from the same hanging feeder. They're female Anna's.
Butterflies Are Free (Spicebush Swallowtail)I wanted to share this photo of a butterfly with a pretty hot pink crepe myrtle flower. The butterfly is a spicebush swallowtail. The photo was taken very quickly as these butterflies do not light on anything very long; they are fluttering on by.
Morning Visitor (Rabbit)It is officially spring! He seems very happy in my backyard.
Incognito (Tiny Frog on Bird Bath)Look to the left of the bird bath on the rim. A little mini frog is perched there trying to look like the big ceramic frogs peering over the sides. Do you think he thought I might not notice? Such a little cutie.
"Gotcha" (Chipmunk)While at the botanical gardens in Tempe, Arizona, I saw the chipmunk along the trail having a little snack and striking a pose! Gotcha little guy!
Autumn Visit (Frog)Autumn took over our swimming area with fallen leaves, and this little guy, who showed up one sunny afternoon. He didn't seem to mind having his picture taken, at all!
Butterfly on a StickThis state park in Canada had pine trees, water falls, a large pond, and many other things to photograph. However, the most fun was chasing the butterflies and taking pictures of them. This one landed on the railing of the hiking bridge. The shadow from the butterfly on the railing makes a nice silhouette.
Hawaiian GeckoThis picture was taken on the last day of my trip to Hawaii at a unique Hawaiian botanical garden, home to this Hawaiian gecko.
Feeding Time (Egret)During an early morning hike along the trails of El Dorado Nature Reserve in Long Beach, California, I stumbled upon this little egret in the waters below. I stopped, found a place to hunker down, and spent my morning watching him hunt for breakfast.
Horse Lubber GrasshopperAt first glance, this grasshopper has a horse shape which is probably why it is called a horse lubber grasshopper. The colors are more profound against the bright green leaf background.
Mr. Red (Cardinal)It took about an hour to snap a picture of this red cardinal as I chased him around from bush to bush and from tree to tree. He finally gave in before I did.
Backyard Visitor (Fawn)This adorable baby showed up in our yard last week. Our backyard borders the gamelands, and we have seen adult deer walk down our driveway to graze in the fields across the street. We figured momma deer left the baby in our care, so she could feed and run errands.
Junco BabiesMy friends have a section of their yard that they leave unmowed in the spring and summer. This allows birds to nest there and pollinators to enjoy the flowers. They recently were able to enjoy their little "contribution to the animals" when a Junco chose it as their nesting spot. Look at this tiny, hungry babies!
Timing Is Everything (Spider and Fly)This is a colorful photo I took of a spider that just caught a fly. I don't know how the spider let me get so close to take this picture, and I don't know how I was lucky enough to get it at this perfect moment. I guess timing is everything (for me and the spider.. not so much for the fly though).
Mother Goose on Mother's DayWe went on a walk Sunday morning and then down to a nearby reservoir to look for driftwood. There we saw a goose suddenly rise up out of hiding in plain sight, hiss angrily, and flap her wings at us.
Baby BluebirdsI checked the blue bird house to see if there were any little ones in there. I assume these are blue birds. The nest is full and it looks like these babies will be taking flight soon. They know how to duck down and hide. They are all asleep except for one. I guess he's on watch duty.
Swans with Their New SignetsThis pair of swans I feed all year and when their babies are born they bring them to see us and then I keep on feeding them dog biscuits.
Rough Green SnakeAlthough the weather is hot, it is good to be able to get out in the early evening and go for a walk with our daughter. She is a nature lover and has been picking up snakes since she was a child. She knows which ones can be handled. As we were walking, suddenly she stopped and grabbed this green snake from the limb of a small pine tree.
