Category: Pheathers

Pheathers – Winter Robins

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The woods that border my neighborhood is a cherished retreat for me in all seasons. Of course, today’s first frosting of snowfall prompted me to grab my camera and head outdoors. I managed to zoom in and get a close-up for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge.

On the path before me a robin rustled among the leaves for insects. As I captured his image, I realized the woods was alive with a large flock of robins.

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The robins are drawn to our woods by the native holly trees growing tall beneath the canopy of larger oaks, tulip trees, and sweetgums. I stood for quite a while, taking photos, an easier task than usual as there were dozens of birds all around. I stayed in one spot, and they soon perceived I was no threat. One few so close overhead, I was sure his wing must have grazed me as he swooped by.

It was a curious morning; the wintry frosting of snow belied the springtime sparkle of the sun. Half of the surrounding view shouted, ‘Spring,’ but the cold air and flurries adorning the foliage sagely disagreed and whispered, ‘Winter.” I felt myself in a natural sanctuary, blessed by the song of the birds, the brilliance of the sun. The atmosphere around me was aglow with one of my favorite colors, a light-infused ethereal green. I added my voice to the praise and thanksgiving, “Thank you Lord, this is one of my best days.”

A few of the friendly flock of robins. Amazing to see so many on the first day of February, 2023.

Though my orientation hadn’t changed, my feet exactly on the same stretch of ground from where I photographed the robins, I somehow captured the image of a new bird with my lens. This photo is part of Skywatch.

Pheathers – Cornell Lab Live Bird Cams

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Bermuda Petrels Begin Breeding Season With An Egg In Cahow Cam 1 Burrow

The joy of this pair of Bermuda Petrels, as they met up in their burrow, and welcomed an egg, gave me joy this morning too. Throughout the cold Northeast Winter, and sometimes chill Spring, watching these cams several times a week, if not daily, brings me joy. Take a look at all the amazing feeders, nesting live cameras, and other highlight videos on this amazing site.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Live Bird Cams

The Panama Fruit Feeders is one of my favorites. I enjoy viewing the unique birds and other wildlife that visit.
The Giant Albatross Cam is interesting.

If you don’t have a bird feeder in your yard this one is fun to watch and usually very lively!

Pheathers & Perspective – One Liner Wednesday/Never Give Up!

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective, Pheathers10 Comments

Last week, here in Southern New Jersey, our temperatures were in the single digits. Thankfully, this plummeting into frigidity occurred after the heavy rains, and although we had a coating of ice for a few days, we did not have the mountains of snow that northern areas experienced.

Today, the sunlight warmed the air, and I grabbed my coat and camera hoping to find an area in the woods near me to photograph once a week in 2023. I found this sweet spot, a trail created by a thoughtful, though unknown person, bordered with fallen limbs. Ground pine and holly trees give the scene some winter color. I think this is the perfect place to photograph weekly to watch the changes occur in what is growing and changing.

My next thought was to capture several photos of local birds, perhaps I’d come upon some blue jays, juncos, cardinals, finches, sparrows, titmice, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, all the lovely wintertime birds who visit my feeders. A few images of them in their more natural habitat would be perfect. I wasn’t having any luck until I turned a corner at the edge of the woods and spied a flock of what I thought were sparrows or juncos. A flash of blue feathers confused me for a moment. No, could it be? Yes! For the first time in my life, I gazed on a flock of bluebirds.

I didn’t have my ‘readers’ on, inexpensive glasses that help me see up close. I didn’t know if my viewfinder was locating the birds. I kept on trying, click after click after click. I had no idea until I was back home and downloaded them if even one image had a bluebird in it. Most of my photos were blurry or missed my subjects completely, but some captured the beautiful bluebirds. Oh, Happy Day! I had a few good photographs.

I’m so glad I followed the advice of, “Never Give Up!” My motto for One-Liner Wednesday.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

Product and Pheathers – Birdfeeder

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I love birdwatching of all types, seabirds, raptors, backyard birds, all fascinate me. We live in an area where I can seek out all three. Years ago, I had a secondhand platform feeder I enjoyed filling and watching. This year, my husband bought me a new one for my birthday. I love this view of the inner roof with the Sapphire blue sky above it. Somehow, it reminds me of the ceiling in my grandmother’s church, the memory is decades old, but still so sweet. I hope the birds feel a sense of ‘sanctuary’ here too.

It took a day or two, but the birds have found the feeder. Typical of brash birdy personalities, the first to hover and land were the blue jays. Yesterday, I saw a couple small birds, a redpoll finch, and a junco. The same afternoon, a curious squirrel dug beneath the feeder, but thankfully didn’t climb up.

We are so pleased with this beautiful hand-crafted birdfeeder. You can read the link on the tag if you want to visit the builder: great product, prompt delivery, wrapped/shipped safely.

This post is part of Skywatch.

Pheathers & Phlowers – Hummingbird Plants

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers, Phlowers13 Comments

If the tomato cage and bell didn’t give you a clue to actual size, this bird would appear to be just a common bird perching on a wire. Not so, the hummingbird in the photo was very annoyed with me. I disturbed its meal of delicious nectar.

Hummingbirds have visited our yard since Spring. I had a nectar feeder, but when it gets hot, and my flowers begin to bloom, I take it down. The feeder is glass, the liquid inside becomes quite hot. Besides being a possible burn problem, the heat contributes to the nectar going bad. I change the contents every 48 hours, but I don’t trust it to stay pure when the temperatures rise.

Firecracker flowers are a perfect shape for a hummingbird’s tongue.

The inner disk florets are where the hummingbird finds the nectar on a zinnia plant. This zinnia is part of Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge/Macro.

The cardinal vine flower is trumpet-shaped, another perfect feeding blossom for the hummingbird.

Cardinal vines are climbers, they wrap their quickly growing stems around anything within reach. I usually have to cut, rather than pull, them away from their support. The vines have the strength of steel filaments before the growing season is over. The vines against the sky are part of this week’s Skywatch.

Blue Salvia is another flower that draws the hummingbirds to our garden. I know, in a few weeks, they will have their last sip of nectar in my gardens, but I am already thinking of what to plant next year to bring them back again.

Pheathers – Osprey

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Osprey Nest in Fortescue, New Jersey.

I was delighted when I bicycled past this beautiful home built alongside the Delaware Bay. I wonder if the ospreys and their chicks are noisy. I saw at least one chick, and most likely there is another inside the protective barrier of sticks. We also saw a Bald Eagle flying over the bay on the day I took the photograph.

Althought I’m a bit late, this post is part of the Skywatch Friday Challenge.

Phlowers & Pheathers – April 30th, Growing in the Garden/The Hummingbirds Return

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers, Phlowers11 Comments

We have been seeing a small ruby-throated hummingbird for two weeks. It has been visiting the feeder of nectar I have outside the kitchen window. Every other day, I bring the feeder in, soak it in hot, sudsy water, and refill with newly boiled sugar water. (2 Cups water, 1/2 Cup sugar) Hummingbird feeders can spread disease or become contaminated with mold. A great article on feeding hummingbirds can be found at EcoSystem Gardening.

NOTE: Thanks to a reader for the great comment about cleaning with vinegar. I did a bit of research on it and this is a good choice for cleaning the feeder. Also, another good idea is to use a brush to thoroughly clean all the nooks around the feeder openings. Here’s a link to more ideas for cleaning a hummingbird feeder. How to Clean a Hummingbird Feeder.

Mandevilla Vines come in a variety of colors. I chose to grow the pink flowers this year. These vines are beloved by hummingbirds. The vines bloom from Spring until Autumn, they do well in full sun, but also need to be shaded from the hottest late afternoon rays. I am growing the Mandevilla in a pot so that when summer is over I can bring it indoors for the colder months.

My mandevilla flowers are part of Cee’s Flower of the Day and also an entry in this week’s Skywatch Friday.

I have three hanging baskets a yard or two away from the hummingbird feeder. These are filled with plants I know hummingbirds adore. Blue Suede Salvia and Vista Red Salvia, also called sages, have the trumpet-shaped flowers that perfectly fit a hummingbird’s beak and tongue. These plants do great in full sun, but also can take a bit of shade too.

My beautiful Vermillion Cuphea, also known as Firecracker plants, are always a favorite with the hummingbirds. I grow them in the ground and also planted in pots. Last Autumn, the Firecracker plant I grew in a pot easily transferred to the house. It grew well all winter, and this week I placed it outdoors on the patio again. It is doing well, although some of the uppermost leaves, after growing in the lower light of the house, promptly became sunburned. Since I pinched the tops of these stems, new branching will soon leaf out and cover up the scorched top leaves.

Cuphea plants in a row will make a nice seasonal hedge. This plant is perennial in warmer climates.

Pheathers – Robins in Snow

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers13 Comments

It snowed again this week. February has lived up to it’s cold reputation in southern New Jersey. For two years in a row we had little snow; we are wishing for those days back again as more icy rain is on the way tomorrow, and then another storm could arrive a few days later.

Recently, at the start of another bout of snowy weather, I looked out the window and spotted a flock of birds. I couldn’t tell by their silhouettes what type of bird they were, but thought I saw a flash of orange breast.

Sure enough, they were robins. Poor things, they looked miserable hunched against the snowflakes and wind. When I took a close-up photograph I chuckled, but also felt some sympathy, one robin had an icicle beard. Brrrr…I’m with the robins, I want Spring to come and Winter to quickly end.

This photograph is part of Skywatch.

Pheathers – Timely Tip

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers17 Comments

Fresh water is essential for the health of backyard birds in the winter. In cold weather my usual birdbaths are retired to prevent ice damage. To offer the birds water I spent two dollars at the local dollar store. I use an oil drip pan, on top of a deli tray for stability, and place this set-up on my bird bath fixture. It works great. To keep the water flowing through icy temperatures and snow I pour a pitcher of water on top about three times a day. Even in heavy winds the plastic birdbath holds firm.

Here’s a dove during yesterday’s snowstorm, getting a drink from the makeshift birdbath. I hope you can see through my window screen. No matter how quietly I try to sneak that window and screen up to photograph the birds, they are always wise to me, and quickly fly away.

*Added this tip after posting: My water pan (oil drip pan) is a 5. This plastic is considered safe for food storage. More info can be found here: Which Plastics are Safe for Food?

Quote & Pheathers -The Hummer

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers, Quote5 Comments

Saturday evening, we watched two hummingbirds battling for rights over a firecracker plant. We were amazed at how long they dove and swooped at each other in the air. Finally, only one remained, and exhausted, he took some respite in the back yard pine tree. After the big battle with another wondrous flyer, an earthbound human didn’t seem very threatening to him, and he let me take at least a dozen or more photographs of him. What a wondrous little bird God fashioned when he created the hummingbird.

O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
~ Psalm 104:24

This photograph is part of Skywatch.

Pheathers – Beauty & Rest

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“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:28-30

Even in the midst of all the upheaval in 2020, there is beauty to be found, there is rest. May God bless you this day.

This photo is part of Skywatch.

Pheathers – Birdwatching

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I saw so many beautiful birds this weekend. On the drive to Fortescue and the Delaware Bay an eagle flew over our car. Alongside the road, beside a small pond, we glimpsed a large heron with raggedy feathers on it’s chest. I looked up ‘heron with a feathery chest,’ and realized we saw a Great Blue Heron. While we were fishing I watched an osprey dive into the bay and come up with a fish, easily flying while clutching the meal in it’s talons. I also spotted a small sparrow, picking among the grains of sand for food. He was the only bird I managed to capture with my camera. I enjoyed seeing the large birds, but it was the small bird that reminded me of a favorite Bible verse, and although I have used it before in blog post, considering our crazy world right now, it’s a good reminder of how God watches over us, cares for us, loves us, protects us, and even though we aren’t always aware of it, intercedes for us. May God watch over you and bless you this day.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.” ~Luke 12:6

Pheathers & Phlutters – On the Wing

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I was able to photograph a few favorites this past weekend. The butterfly with the beautiful orange wings is an Eastern Comma Butterfly. I don’t see many of these and was pleased to find it posing prettily in my front yard.

Cabbage White butterflies are plentiful, but not easy to photograph with wings outstretched.

I saw the first Monarch Butterfly of the season at Fortescue Beach. I didn’t know I had captured it in flight until I downloaded the files. This photo is part of Skywatch.

I love the seagulls in Fortescue. They haven’t learned the bad habits of raiding picnic hampers and snack bags. In neighboring beach towns the gulls are formidable. Never walk across the boardwalk with uncovered French Fries. You will be dive-bombed and might lose them.

The funnel on top of the piling is there to keep the gulls off. The pilings without funnels are usually occupied by a gull.

I watched this Osprey fly over the bay, descend, and come up with a fish in its talons. They are excellent at fishing.

I enjoyed my weekend full of flyers of all types…except maybe the Greenhead Fly who bit my ankle. That flyer is now lying beneath the sand I kicked over it after I swatted it. Happily, the Greenhead was a solo flyer, and no others visited me while I fished off the beach.

Pheathers – Cornell Lab Live Bird Cams

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Every year I like to include links to these amazing bird cams courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Nesting birds, feeders with frequent visitors, exotic locations, bird lovers will find these sites addictive. Enjoy.

If you have Youtube through Amazon Fire TV, or another means, you can watch the Bird Cams in large-sized format. My cat watches quite often and is so content if he finds a patch of sun to lay in while the bird feeder cams are on the television. Fun!

There are many more bird cams available on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.

 

 

 

Pheathers – Shore Birds

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Sea Gulls

We were able to do a little weekend fishing at the Delaware Bay in Fortescue. There were hundreds of shore birds on the beaches eating the eggs of the horseshoe crabs. We saw many varieties, and I hope I have the identification correct. Horseshoe crabs, once endangered, are a major source of food for migrating birds. “The fate of some species is tied to these horseshoe crabs.” ~Sea Around You

Ruddy Turnstone and Sandpiper

This was the first time I’ve photographed the Ruddy Turnstone wearing it’s breeding colors. The birds almost resemble calico cats. Their colors are bright and beautiful.

Ruddy Turnstone

 

Sanderling

 

Sandpiper

This cormorant seemed to be craning his long neck to search for food in the water beneath him.

Cormorant

An informative article on shore birds can found at New Jersey Shorebirds.

Pheathers – Moth

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One bonus of spring and summertime are the moths I find on my front door screen in the morning. Drawn by the porch light, they seem to be at rest in the early hours before moving on. The moths are usually at eye level giving me a good look at the complexities of their feathered antennae and the scales that mimic fuzzy fur when seen with the naked eye.

This moth on my front door is part of Norm’s Thursday Doors.