Happy ChickadeeThe weather up in the mountains has been very cold. This day the temp went up to 35 degrees and the chicadees were very happy!
Visit from a WoodpeckerI had a woodpecker visit me today. (2-11-2005) We have and are still going through a blizzard that has dropped roughly 15 inches of snow. The birds are coming out of every where to eat the seeds and suet.
By kate
Pileated Woodpecker and Bird Feeder PoleWe built our own bird feeder pole from a piece of treated wood and iron planter hangers. As you can see from the picture, our feeders attract interesting birds. This Pileated Woodpecker has visited us twice.
By dkhorse
Wild Turkeys - Backyard WildlifeI am a very lucky woman. This picture was taken this morning as I looked out my kitchen window. It is such fun to stand there doing my dishes and never knowing what is going to turn up to eat out in our backyard. These turkeys show up on a regular basis to dine on the corn we put out for them.
Home Decorating - Bird StyleThis isn't really a tip, but I really wanted to share this picture. Apparently these birds took extra care when decorating their nest for their new baby. See the flowers that are woven into the nest!
Bird Nesting in the Water - Building TrustThis is the picture of a bird trying to find twigs and build a nest in the water. She manages to find the twig and is struggling to get it... and all this is happening with about hundreds of people looking around the bird and she does not care as she is sure of not being hurt by anyone.
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!
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!
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.
Chickadee In FlightChickadee In Flight
Skink Lizard on the WallOn Mother's Day, this "Skink" lizard was discovered on our living room wall. Of course, it is a "good" lizard as it eats bugs! My family chased it around the living room until they caught it in a box and released it outdoors.
Bird's Nest in a Motorcycle HelmetThis motorcycle helmet was found in our garage with a bird nest and baby eggs in it. We hung it in a tree!
Dolphin Following a BoatDolphin following the boat in Costa Rica...
Local Gang in the AlleyA local gang congregating in my alley. Picture of butterlies.
Goldfinches!I just love my goldfinches! I keep food out year round for them They are a wonder the way they change colors with the seasons!
Yellow Finch and Her NestWe watched a yellow finch build a nest inside this birdhouse on our backyard deck; it was a beautiful sight seeing this yellow finch go back and forth building the nest then watching her nurture the baby birds;
Rufus (Ruby-throated Hummingbird)Rufus (Ruby-throated Hummingbird) Photo. He comes and goes. He likes to fly and drink sweets. . .
Beauty of a SpiderwebBeauty of a Spiderweb Photo. Beautiful sign of Fall. . .
Local Blue JaysThese two local blue jay's visit my picnic table bird feeder daily. I took an old picnic table and turned it into a feast table for the birds. I only lay a few handfuls a day for the local birds to eat.
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.
Lizard in Arches National ParkThis is a picture I took while visiting Arches National Park on our trip out west last year. He just turned and made the perfect pose while I took the picture then ran off.
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.
Rose Breasted GrosbeakA new bird in the neighborhood: Rose Breasted Grosbeak.
If Fish Could Fly?Catfish in our tree: Living on a lake I see a lot of weird things but this takes the cake. I saw something but couldn't make it out until I got out the zoom on my camera.
Hatching Monarch ButterflyHere is a view of the Butterfly worm I found. It was attached to the back of a Milkpod leaf. I brought it home and it ate the leaves, then attached itself upside down on the container.
Crane at Cheyenne Zoo (Colorado Springs, CO)Taken at Cheyenne Zoo in Colorado Springs on 9/07.
Saying Goodbye (Bald Eagle)Saying good-bye to a good friend
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.
Wild Canadian DucksHello from Canada! Every summer I bicycle to our local river to see the wild ducks. These ducks have learned to trust the citizens of Laval West and vice versa, especially if we bring bread crumbs.
Wildlife: Little Egrets(?) at Key WestI took this one in Key West! I was walking around site seeing as I stumbled across these two white birds. They were resting by a pond behind our resort. I had to creep down on the grass and keep quiet. But I think it turned out really nice.
Backyard Birds And SceneryScenes from my backyard.
Garden: Spiderweb With DewA beautiful spider's web on the hedge by my daughter's school bus stop. Had to run to the house for my camera! We were all trying to get pictures, and everyone was saying how the light was wrong, you couldn't see the droplets and so forth.
Garden: Butterflies To BeI plant tons of milkweed which is my host plant and it attracts many butterflies to my yard here in Florida.
Blue Jay in the SnowA Bluejay about to take flight after snatching a peanut I put out for the squirrels.
Garden: Blue JayDon't forget that even if it's cold, beauty will be there...
Crane Visits The YardThis beautiful sand crane was wandering around my front yard on Monday looking for his breakfast of tasty bugs and worms.
Woodpecker From The WindowMy daily visitor the woodpecker. I love watching him play with believe it or not, 1 or 2 others woodpeckers. They fly around chasing each other. This was taken from my bedroom window
Purple MartinThis glass bird house was supposed to be a decoration, but this purple martin thought it looked good enough for a home.
Baby Birds Just HatchedLast year a bird built a nest on top of the electrical box, which is just under the gutters. This year another bird claimed it as her home and today I found the new babies just hatched, how cute.
Rose Breasted GrosbeakI was standing at my patio door trying to get a picture of a Baltimore Oriole that I could hear in my backyard when this little guy landed on the back of one of my patio chairs. This is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak.
Wildlife: GoldfinchesGoldfinches at the front feeder! I just love watching the birds at the feeder.
Wildlife: Birds Nest BasketHere is a photo of a grapevine basket that I had placed in our garage. I was going to use it for something else. What a surprise to find that a mother bird decided to use it to build her nest!
Wildlife: Cat PhotosI love watching and feeding the critters in the courtyard (which also has a creek) from my apartment balcony. Along with the squirrels and a huge variety of birds there is a neighbor kitty cat that hangs out there sometimes.
Scenery: Alaskan RookeryThis was a treat for me. I live in Missouri and am visiting my mom in Alaska. I went out on Prince William Sound and saw this "rookery".
Wildlife: Unknown BugThis bug decided to hitch a ride with me, I don't know how long it was there before it was brought to my attention, could it be some type of grasshopper.
Wildlife: Pileated WoodieThis is our resident pileated woodie who comes once a day to the feeder. A young one is also coming now.
Wildlife: Baby EaglesMore delightful photos from my sister. There were two baby eagles in the nest, and as they grew, both seemed quite healthy. One day my sister went to check on them and there was only one. They were nearing, but not near ready to fly.
Eastern Tiger SalamanderMy husband found this outside our front door, and had to bring it in to show the boys. It is an eastern tiger salamander. The white milky spots on the tail is toxin that is secreted as a means of protection from possible predators.
Eagle in Utah's Hogle ZooMy husband and I took our little baby girl to the zoo one afternoon and we went to the bird show, where I got this picture of an eagle in front of a hanging flag. I love how it turned out!
Elk in Elk Country, PAWe planned a trip to Elk County, PA this year. It was awesome to see the clusters of the doe with usually one bull elk. They seem to have no fear of us.
Wildlife: FoxesI am thrilled to send these photos that my sister sent to me recently. These foxes were not rabid, but were not tame either. They seemed to be used to humans being close, and she was able to take three or four pictures of them.
Scenery: Swan River, ManitobaWe saw this giant swan while passing through Swan River, Manitoba.
Wildlife: PheasantThis is a picture of "Gorgeous Gussy" who visits our garden and taps on the window for us to feed him! He is a beautiful cock pheasant. I hope you agree!
Wildlife: Horned OwlGreat Horned Owl (Autumn 09)
Garden: Bird BathIt's a thrill to have more than 2 birds at our birdbath at the same time. Today I saw 4 Robins and grabbed the camera. In a matter of minutes the birdbath was overcome with all these birds!
Wildlife: Iguana (FL)It's a dragon! It's a beast! It's awful! It's fantastic! It's so ugly! It's spectacular! I can't decide. But I sure am impressed! This is an iguana that my sister sees every day outside her condo in Miami.
Pennsylvania BluebirdThis is a Pennsylvania Bluebird. He looks so smart and independent way high on top of my Apricot tree. A quick grabbing of my camera caught the great photo. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Bird's Nest In GrillI was dog sitting the house across the street. When I took their dog out the first morning, at their huge gas grill I heard a thumping noise. A bird flew out and sat nearby as I opened the grill. This is such a beautiful sign of spring.
Wildlife: Mourning DoveThis beautiful Mourning Dove sat on the trellis preening for us as though he were alone in the world. He put on quite a show for over 15 minutes, carefully cleaning each feather, smoothing and arranging them just right. He looked so dapper when he was finally done.
European RobinThis beautiful robin has adopted us for the breeding season and he and his hen have raised a brood just yards from our back door. We have robins in the garden every winter, and some become tame enough to eat from a dish in my wife's hand.
Wildlife: JavelinaWe have been visited by Javalina quite regularly in the middle of the night. They kept eating our flowers, so we stopped planting them. Then we discovered they eat birdseed that has fallen to the ground.
Garden: Dwarf ChameleonWe can go for months without seeing any chameleons in our garden. This little guy was walking across the grass when our dogs spotted him. He stood his ground and hissed at them. You can see just how small he is compared to my husband's finger.
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.
Wildlife: Mynah Bird in MauiWhile taking a drive and looking at the beautiful scenery in Maui, we stopped at a beach and saw a Mynah Bird sitting in a tree. What a chance for a photo op.
Wildlife: Backyard BirdhouseMy Dad was very handy and the house and yard had lots of his handiwork. He passed away in 2008, so all of these things hold even more special meaning to us. We brought this birdhouse to our new home when we moved my mother last year.
Blue Jay and Evening GrosbeakBlue versus Gold! I had just put out some bird seed and this is the rush to get to it! Blue Jay verses Evening Grosbeak couple.
Black Rat SnakeI took this while on a hiking trail in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was ready to strike but is not poisonous so I seized the opportunity to snap this shot.
Wildlife: Kittens (Mexico)While I was in traveling through Mexico, I visited a Blue Agave Plantation, Los Osuna Plantation and I heard a faint meow. I turned around and found two little kittens hiding in a machine.
RobinRobin and her offspring in their nest in our lilac tree. Such a beautiful site to see and I had to show you!
Wildlife: Snapping TurtleMy husband was showing our 2 year old son what a "mean" turtle will do. He got it to snap at his boot a couple of times. I jumped every time it snapped, so this is the best picture I got. It's now our screen saver.
Wildlife: ChipmunkI was very still to be able to catch a photo of these skittish and quick cuties.
Garden: Preying MantisI was out in our yard photographing our flowers and came across this preying mantis on our rose bush. I love this picture because he was looking directly at me when I snapped the shot.
Wildlife: Fish (Mud-Puppy?)This is a photo of a very strange fish that one of my son's buddies caught. I'm not completely sure, but I think that this fish may be called a mud-puppy. It was caught in an Alabama river.
Robin's NestThis nest was built in our mulberry tree by our front walkway. We took pictures from beginning to end. What an experience for my 9 year old!
Wildlife: ParrotsWe have a constant variety of parrots and other birds each day in our trees, but when two different types of parrots occupy the same tree-at once, they are easily spooked
Wildlife: Deer (Yosemite)This beautiful deer was standing near a meadow in the Yosimite Park.
Baby BirdsEvery year, we have a new family of baby robins nested atop our front door, this year was a new surprise! We are not sure what type these sweet little baby birds are, anyone? We were thinking English Sparrows?
Wildlife: Blue HeronI was out at a park in and was trying to photograph other birds when this heron wandered out from behind some tall grass. I hoped to snap a shot of the bird catching a fish, but no luck!
Travel: Birds (Mexico)Caught this pelican landing on the beach!
Wildlife: Sea Lions (Monterey, CA)This is a picture that I took on a recent trip to Monterey, California. The sea lions looked so comfortable, and I cannot resist a good photo opportunity. They perch on these rocks everyday.
Wildlife: Ruby Throated HummingbirdsThese 2 ladies weren't feeding, just hanging out in their trellis garden, later in the afternoon. I used a tele lens at high speed to capure the details.
Wildlife: RaccoonsMama raccoon and 4 baby raccoons living in the vicinity of the parking lot where I work. Mama brings her babies out almost daily to cross the parking lot and look for food.
Canada GeeseHubby, Gary, took this at the little pond near our house! Exercise anyone?!
Wildlife: Butterflies and Chihuly (Columbus, OH)I recently visited the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio to see the Chihuly exhibit showing there. A butterfly was sitting on one of the brightly colored sculptures. I thought it was beautiful!
Butterfly Pavilion (Phoenix, AZ)One of the many beautiful butterflies at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens, Butterfly Pavilion.
Wildlife: Ground Squirrel (OR)How adorable! I took this photo at Crater Lake, Oregon.
Baby RobinsA robin built a nest in a little tree right outside my window. There was a total of three hatchlings, but this one seemed the most demanding!
Cicadas (Ohio)Sitting on the porch and enjoying a cup of coffee, I spotted a cicada on the leaf of a sunflower that is getting ready to bloom. I couldn't resist capturing a picture.
Wildlife: Twin FawnsMy daughter yelled "Mom, there's a deer in the yard!" So I look and there are twins there. Of course they are not looking at me, but they are still so cute!
Wildlife: Alligator And Lizard (FL)That big old alligator probably doesn't even know this little guy is sitting on his back. It was taken in the Florida Everglades in Feb. 2010.What a great place!
Wildlife: GrasshopperI was just finishing my lunch when I saw this big grasshopper on a wooden chair next to my fridge. I guess he didn't like it outside, it was quiet hot for our country Slovenia, 37 degrees.
Wildlife: VultureI was standing at my rear door when I saw this turkey vulture swoop in, alighting himself on a branch. I grabbed my camera, attached the telephoto lens and stepped outside, taking as many as I could before he flew away.
Wildlife: Blanding's Turtle (MN)Blanding's Turtle is a threatened species in MN. These type of turtles primary cause of death is getting run over.
Wildlife: AntelopeWe live in a rural area with antelope. This is one of a set of twins. We went over to look at them and this little one came right towards us.
Wildlife: Blue Heron (FL)When the every day situational stress builds up one of my favorite stress reducers is to go observe wildlife. It always amazes me to see how such beauty exists all around when we take time to look.
