Good bye October....

The sun peeked out in the middle of the afternoon...calling to all of us to enjoy its warmth. I headed to the park and as I was parking the car I noticed this bald cypress tree just bursting with color! In the Spring and Summer these trees always look like evergreens to me but they are actually deciduous and after exhibiting these gorgeous colors, they, too, will eventually drop their leaves.


We are not seeing the usual autumn colors we normally see but there isn't a shortage of food. The trees and bushes are laden with fruit.

The milkweed are gracefully allowing the winds to carry its spider-like seeds into the air...

..while these orange and black beetles (milkweed bugs) feed on the juices of the seeds of the plants..

From bugs to bucks grazing in this field. I don't usually see male deer grazing together..and so I WAS very surprised when they picked up their heads to look my way!! Aren't they just striking to look at? Such handsome faces!!

I decided to sit a while on one of the many stone benches in the park. Many of the benches were made to exhibit tiles made at the Mercer Tiles Works, in Doylestown, Pa. Henry Chapman Mercer was a famous historian, archaeologist, collector and ceramist--a Renaissance man of the early 20th Century. Born and raised in Bucks County, his famous castle, tile works and museum are just a few miles away from where I live.

The late afternoon sun was showing all the colors of a fading October...and as I got up to leave I noticed that I had been in the company of one of my favorite birds. I guess he was also enjoying the last of the afternoon rays. As I drove home the sun lost its battle with the clouds. Rain again is in the forecast..tomorrow bringing a change in our clocks..but for now I guess, it's time to gather in front of the TV and hope our Phils win tonight!

Finding those posed birds!!

I was out looking for something different, something I haven't seen before, something that was easy to take a picture of... A little Ruby-crowned Kinglet landed not far from where I was walking. I know for a fact that fast and furious is a good way to describe these little birds when they are hungry. zoom zoom zoom....


...and I've learned that you always collect a huge file of bird butt shots...even if you don't try to!

I saw Eastern Phoebes, who unlike the RC Kinglets, strike a nice perched pose ONCE in a while..

and this Osprey who is a local resident at our nearest lake...seeing him WAY up there perched on his throne..is always a real treat!!




but it was this couple who caught my eye, as I made my way home. I've been looking for a small little fountain that would compliment my rather small backyard during the warmer months. I knew the moment I saw it that this was what I was looking for..the forever permanently-posed bird!! Picture ready...
Now, how far away is Spring, I'm ready!! ;-)

We are all watching...

Yes, they have returned. Our woods are full of White-Throated Sparrows!!I was happy to see them all fluttering among the bushes and scrubs foraging for food.


but I when I saw this deer peeking out over that fallen tree...

and this beautiful cardinal looking out over a small pond....sigh.. I knew they, like me, are looking for the return of those Dark-Eyed Juncos...that one bird who really says, "you know what is coming!" ;-0

Hey, is anybody out there?

...a lone visitor, outside my window. He sits and he calls...over and over and over...definitely not much happening for him or me when it comes to backyard bird visits!

Not a hawk!!

Recently, I visited Cape May, New Jersey. I spent one day bird watching and lucky for me.. this little Cape May Warbler was visiting too!! We were near the Hawk Watch station and this little guy grabbed every one's attention when he and the Mrs. landed near the Hawk Watch platform.. (sorry I wasn't fast enough to catch her!) I barely had time to focus on getting a few shots of him!! I don't think I've ever seen so many binoculars all pointed in one direction before..I kept thinking THAT would make a neat picture ..but these little birds were moving too fast to stop and take a shot of all the bird watchers!He was like a little jet plane zooming among the branches and leaves...but here he is picking some kind of worm off of a branch.. his head and bill are bent forward.. toward his tummy!
It's amazing to me that he will eventually fly to the West Indies where he will spend his winter ...such a long distance for such a tiny bird! I get tired just thinking about it! ;-0

Tumbling into Fall

There's not much to see and photograph these days as far as migrating song birds go...the weather has been very windy and cool...but it's still nice to get out and walk. We are quickly tumbling into fall-like weather and temps. and everyone is digging out their favorite sweaters and coats. During my walk this morning I found this Lesser Yellowlegs foraging the shallow waters near a wooded swamp. Lesser Yellowlegs are frequent visitors to this area. A very pretty wader..with a long and pointed bill...his marking were very pretty but it was those yellow legs reflecting in the water that made me take his picture.

Another lone visitor who allowed me to capture a couple photos of her was this Black-Throated Green Warbler. Fast and furious was a better description of her flying abilities. She was hungry and apparently saw something that caught her eye!

Thank goodness she decided to stop and enjoy her catch..or I would have only seen a glimpse of her as she flitted away! Oh well, it was a nice walk. Good for the heart as well as the soul.
Tomorrow the winds are suppose to calm down a bit..hopefully I can get back out to see what other nature treats October will bring.

Top Billing!

Look what I found a few days ago!! A Magnolia Warbler. My first! Yea!!
It's always amazing to me to see how Mother Nature helps it creatures blend with the colors of the fall season. After having heard from many experienced birders about all the markings one has to be aware of to identify fall warblers..and there are so many variations..whew!! It's my opinion that this little warbler should get top billing for "having the most"! A nice, bright eye ring, striking wing bars, some streaking on it's yellow underparts...and a tail that shows a large white patch in front of that black tip! Lucky for me that I got a photo of it to study...as I probably wouldn't have remembered any of those field markings two seconds after it flew away! ;0