WISE WORDS

I think you are beautiful Sweetie, just the way you are. 


I am also including one of those stories that encompasses kindness and compassion, with a link across time that is incredible.  You may have heard of this already, but I am going to include it just in case you haven't.  It is an amazing story and one I want to remember as I look back and read this again. It is a story about a connection between the Choctaw Nation here in the US, and the people of Ireland. 

You can read about it here. 


Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for visiting. 

OLD DECK CAMERA PHOTOS OF THE BIRDS

I will be setting up the deck camera soon but in the meantime here are three from last year.

Today we have a Mourning Dove, a Cardinal, maybe a juvenile, and a Red-headed Woodpecker with a Blue Jay at the back.

I hope you are having a good start to the week.  Thanks for stopping by.

A WEEK OF QUOTES - PART 3 - SOMETIMES........

"Being alone doesn't necessarily mean loneliness.  People are great but being alone is wonderful!  I prefer the silence of alone, and the sounds of nature.

~Jayson Zabate~

I love nothing better than to get up early and hear the first bird song, you could say being one with nature.  It is one of the most relaxing experiences, that and being out in the woods walking along one of the trails.  However...

there has been a bear sighting in our area, and the local nature people have asked us not to feed our birds right now.  I had actually stopped as I noticed a very large hawk flying through the trees recently, as if he had spotted something and was on the hunt.  Yes, he has to live too but oh my goodness, I don't think I want him to catch his meal right under my nose.  So, no filling up the bird feeder for a while.  The deck has been a very quiet place and I do miss seeing them.

After the sighting of the bear they conclude that it is a young one who has recently been sent on its way by its mother.  They also said it is probably trying to find its own territory.  I do hope it is well away from people for everyone's sake, including our bear.  

Every now and again when we have planned on going into bear territory, we have read about what you should do if you encounter a bear, and I'm sure this changes depending on which species you meet.  Half of all bear attacks on people involve a dog.  Dogs will go after a bear and it will attack the dog and consequently the dog's humans.  With our local bears it was advised to talk firmly to the bear ???? and walk away slowly, never run because then you become the prey.  I hope I never have to put these tips to the test.

Fortunately any experiences we have had with this amazing animal have been at a safe distance, with guides in attendance, to make sure no one does anything silly.   If you haven't read the poem I shared from the Shenandoah National Park Service, you can read it in my post here, which I put together not so long ago.

Gregg came across something recently, a photo by Canadian photographer Jim Lawrence, who shared a most amazing bear photo.  You can see it if you click on this link.   I won't tell you what it is about, that would spoil the surprise.  Let's just say I laughed with delight when I saw it.  There is a website address imprinted on the photo also, which will take you to Mr. Lawrence's home page.  His photos are stunning and you can see those here.

I might be a bit scarce returning visits this week, but thank you for stopping by.  I will be catching up in a day or so.

A WEEK OF QUOTES - PART 1 - ONCE UPON A TIME...

"Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy.  The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated."

~Terry Tempest Williams~

"When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice."

DECK CAMERA - TODAY THE VIDEOS

Daily life in the lives of our backyard friends, in short ten second videos.  If you click on any of the red lettering, it will take you to a website where there is more information.  (As I don't subscribe to YouTube I don't have any control of the advertisements/videos that they show at the end but otherwise, enjoy the main part and ignore the rest if need be.)

~Blue Jay~

 

~Chipping Sparrows~

      

~Red-bellied Woodpecker~

~White-breasted Nuthatch~ 

~Chipping Sparrows~

~Eastern Grey Squirrel~

Have a great day and thank you for looking at my videos.

DECK CAMERA PHOTOS

~Chipping Sparrows~

~female Brown-headed Cowbird~

~Mourning Dove and male Northern Cardinal~

~Female Northern Cardinal~

This link is a little different, in that it explains why the cardinal got on the uniforms of the St. Louis Cardinals, the baseball team.

~Mourning Dove~

~Red-bellied Woodpecker~

~Blue Jay~

~Eastern Grey Squirrel~

Always love checking the deck camera to see what it turns up.  I hope you have enjoyed my backyard critters today, and thanks for looking.

MY TRAIL CAMERA INFORMATION, OTHERWISE NICKNAMED DECK CAM

Dorothy, aka Beatrice at The Frog and The Penquin, asked if I would give some information about the motion censor camera.  I use it on the deck to photograph our backyard birds, squirrels, and sometimes racoons. 

I don't know why I picked this one in particular, as there are many available.  I bought it with an Amazon gift card and you can see it here.  Maybe you have one that you can also recommend.  I intend to add another sometime, to put it in another part of our garden.

It is described as:

"FLAGPOWER Trail Camera 16MP 1080P Hunting Game Camera with Night Vision Motion Activated IP66 Waterproof 120 Detecting Range Motion Activated Night Vision 2.4" LCD IR LEDs 32 GB Memory Card

This was a gift from my family in Germany last Christmas, for which I am still thanking them for.  I get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and now we have started taking it with us on trips.  

I use the strap and not the attachment, to attach it to a post in front of the bird feeding area, or you can tie it to a tree as I did when we went away recently. It is left out for about 24 hours, sometimes longer, and I download it from the camera to my laptop.  

It is rainproof but I have noticed that the lens fogs up a bit when it rains.  It can also bring some neat effects at such times. This is not a deterrent for me as the lens always clears before it is retrieved.

You may have also seen in my deck cam posts that it takes a video. This can be done when you do the settings.  I time them for 10 seconds but you can make them longer. You can do without the video if you prefer. 

The batteries last about five days, depending on how many visitors you get.  We get a lot.  They take AA batteries and we get them in bulk from Costco.

I hope those of you who have one can offer more information as I would be very interested in any tips and tricks you can pass on.

Hopefully you have found this useful.  Thanks for looking and have a great day.

I TOOK OUR DECK CAMERA ALONG....

on a trip this past weekend.  We were with family and we all attended a dear friend's wedding of her daughter.  I'm sorry I can't share any of those as I want to maintain their anonymity, but it was a wonderful wedding, one we truly enjoyed.  What a blessing it is to be with people you like, love and admire.

 I decided to take the motion camera we use on our deck for the birds, thinking you never know.  When we pulled up to the house where we were staying, the yard had several trees.  Under two of the trees resting from the sun, there was a small herd of deer.  Our welcome party got up and left shortly afterwards, but the very next day we hooked up the camera on one of the trees.  The trunk was very thick and our strap barely made it around (the camera could have done with being a foot lower but it was impossible to do that).  However, we got some interesting sights.  Not as sharp as we would like in some, but at least it was something, and fun to download on our return.

 The deer definitely noticed that something was up.  A spider came along and spun a web which made for an interesting set of photos.

 The web disappeared and in the shot below we saw the unmistable design of rings on the tail, identifying a racoon running by, mostly out of frame unfortunately.

Morning breaks and they scurry away.

The camera took numerous shots as there was a lot of coming and going over the weekend, with cars going back and forth along the driveway that leads up to the house.  Also there was a strong breeze and the leaves did their part.  In the photo below you will be able to see a deer in the bottom right-hand corner.

 Who knows what else the camera could have given us if we had stayed longer, but for a first time taking it away from home, I was delighted with what it picked up.

 A practice session for future trips.

We just had to keep reminding ourselves to pick up the deck cam before we left for home.

Now for the videos.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your week.

JUST CHILLIN'

DECK CAMERA PHOTOS

The Dark-eyed Junco's disappeared at the beginning of April, no doubt flying north for the summer.  I miss seeing them and they are always a welcome visitor. It is a sign that the cold weather is on the way when they return towards the end of the year.  In their place the Chipping Sparrows have arrived.  They are a very small bird.  The Mourning Dove is keeping an eye on them.  My photos today were taken on April 27th and April 28th (2019). 

An early visitor arrives on the deck rail the next morning at 5.14 a.m.  Each photo is time-stamped on the bottom, but I normally crop for a closer look.  Just a little light in the sky.  He looks like a male Cardinal.

There is more light for the Chipping Sparrow.  It is now 5.45 a.m.  Slim pickings as I am still asleep and there is no birdseed, just a few tiny leftovers.

At 7.26 a.m. the female Cardinal discovers the person inside the house is apparently having a slow start to the day. The dawn chorus is in full swing, and a favorite sound in the morning.  Some days, however, you just don't feel like hurrying to start the day, even if they do.

A welcome sight when I checked the photos.  I don't usually do that until the evening when all those feathered friends have gone to bed.  A Gray Catbird turned up at 7.52 a.m.  No seed to be found.  I do hope he will be back as I haven't seen one out there in a long time.

A female Cardinal leaves in disgust at 11.05 a.m.  There is still no food at this deck-side restaurant.

The Chipping Sparrow is back at 11.13 a.m.  Hungry birds have sent him to find out what is happening.  Where is she?

At 1.37 p.m. Big Bird has arrived.  "Sorry about the late start little dudes.  I had to go to the store to get more birdseed."  

And all's well in bird world, for now.

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for stopping by.