Wild violets
I don't know about you all, but I'm quite gleeful to be having a nice long holiday weekend for four days, and kick off to the summer months. The Lad has arrived and we had a nice long sleep in today since we hadn't seen each other for a couple months. Pressing matters don't you know. Yesterday we had a great walk up at the lake. The abortorium around here is going full scale and I suspect babies are on the verge. Also in a coming post I have some snaps to share of Foxy, our grounds fox here, who has had four pups this year!!! And they are very visible. I am trying to capture some video to hopefully share. The cormorants up at the lake are nesting , and even though they are supporting me with my world domination plan, I did talk to them and sent some back to the beautiful UK for Mr . DeVice and Scarlet, since they were missing them so. I hope you all have checked out Mr. Device. His bird post are stunning as are his beach and groyne snaps. He often shows his spume a lot too. He himself is a cute tall, glass of water with more legs than a bucket of chicken. And we had a special sighting yesterday.
A large flock drying off. Their feathers don't dry off like other birds, so they must hold open their feathers for drying.
I think it's interesting that cormorants are usually on the ground, but their nest are so high up and in such large groups.
We saw both heron yesterday.
Love these Red winged blackbirds.
What are you looking at?
But the biggest shock, and might be my most amazing sighting to date was a bald eagle!!!! I had no idea they were even in the area. Not sure if it was in transit or a new resident.
Meanwhile at the Casa, Ozzie and Harriet have been very active. I wonder if there eggs have hatched yet?
And I'm not sure what's going on with this mallard following them around, but he's been with them for about two weeks now.
Harriet nesting in the woods at the property line.
A Golden finch.
A bird house my neighbor Brison put up. It's new resident is a wren. They are so small.
The most spectacular moment in the woods was this.....
I have never seen so many blue jays together at one moment, and have no idea what in the world was in that spot to attract them. It was cool as hell to see it though. I don't even know how many there was. The jays around here are very much in abundance this year. I have several at the window, and is it ever noisy. The Lad this morning was awoken to the noise of the birds. Around 4:30 it sounded like we were in a bird arboretum with hundreds of birds. At this time of year it is definitely the loudest with all varieties chirping at once. But it didn't take much to get the Lad to sleep once again.
Phenomenal pictures!!!! Your getting good.
ReplyDeleteBut Im surprised you and the Lad have left the house yet.
I love the selection of wildlife you have. Those are some great pictures Mistress. I'm also very excited to be coming to New Hope. Can't wait to see you and the show and the pool antics. It's was a long winter.
ReplyDeleteIf Terri is back, summer must be here. You can also meet Tim, who will be here visiting for the first time, so watch those stories of me!!!!
DeleteBeautiful birds, I have seen, cormorants, recently, in my area of Ann Arbor. I don't recall seeing them before this. But those Blue Jays...that has taken my breath away. A beautiful Saturday post.
ReplyDeleteMY GOODNESS! A bald eagle!!!!! I have only ever seen one in the area. What a treat! The deer, jays and the little wren are so sweet. This post was good for the soul.
ReplyDeletePhotos to inspire awe, as usual. Love the gang of blue jays.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! You live in such a magical place. Have happy, long weekend. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI love all the wildlife around here. But what I need is more men!!!!
DeleteThese photos are all extraordinary - but I particularly love the lone golden finch, the wren at the birdhouse, and those incredible blue jays.
ReplyDeleteI love when I get the gold finch cardinal and jay together feeding...such color!
DeleteWith so much color and dramatics' it's like watching a drag show gurl. Well the grueling summer schedule has started...wish me luck.
ReplyDeleteSo enjoyed all the pictures. Yes, odd about the
ReplyDeleteblue jays!
Great pictures Mistress. I have only ever seen one cormorant, and I grab a carp out of the water and ate it whole. Nice to share with your brit friends!! The bald eagle is a great surprise. Let us know if you spot it again. The doe is so sweet looking.
ReplyDeleteYou had me with this post from the opening violets. I love your love of animals and wildlife. Do you think the fox will bother the geese? And the lobe mallard is cracking me up. Could they have raised him?
ReplyDeleteThe geese last year held there own. As far as the geese adopting the mallard, anything is possible. Geese will adopt other goslings that accidently get lost from their original family, and since geese have a strong parental urge they just might have adopted this duck. I have read stories of them adopting ducklings.
Deleteno wonder I heard screaming coming from the casa; the lad's in town!
ReplyDeletetodd and I went to a gay wedding today; his cousin jim married michael. the wedding was at their house; plenty of delicious potluck food and a rainbow wedding cake and glitter.
What a way to welcome in next months gay pride!!!!
DeleteLovely photos. We occasionally get buzzards, and I did once see a red kite, flying high above our area (usually being mobbed by smaller birds such as crows) - but an eagle would be a most dramatic thing to see! I love the blue jays, too - we have a camp pink variety over here, but one is unlikely to see them in a flock like that; they're quite solitary. Presumably that log they appear to be fighting over has a lot of grubs or some other foodstuff in it. Jx
ReplyDeleteYou may be right about the grubs. Blue Jays here , usually only stick to there family, so it was quite a sight to see.
DeleteWhat an abundance of birds! Thanks for sharing all the pictures. I’d be careful when the birds start to gather. Remember the Hitchcock classic.
ReplyDelete"I hardly think a few birds is going to bring about the end of the world."
DeleteOr will it? Bwhahahahaha haha ha.
Very cool picture Mistress. I have never seen a bald eagle in the wild!!! Me and my peeps are ready to come to raven for the pool. They are excited about meeting a adorable birder!!!!
ReplyDeleteEspecially after seeing that new header I bet?!?!?!?!
DeleteHappy Weekend Mistress!!! Im in awe of those pictures. I need to come for a visit soon to your neck of the woods. Be careful around that fox.
ReplyDeleteMy back door is always open.
DeleteWe have bald eagles here in late winter and spring, so you definitely would have some around. The blue jays picture was very cool, I've never seen them gather like that either, even when you put food out.
ReplyDeleteOnce married, maybe we can be cute bird watchers, and run a home for wayward birds....you know between playing on the internet and having nookie.
DeleteI must try my hand at this bird photography, but I worry that I'd end up with pictures of blurry sky and the occasional bush. I once saw a raven in Devon - I'd never seen one outside the Tower of London before - now they really do nest high! I'd love to see one again as I was beside myself.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, THANK YOU for sending a few cormorants our way!
Sx
I still have no idea if Nocturne is a raven or very large crow...but it must be exciting to see them at the tower of London. A blog friend just featured on her a book written by the Christophe Skaife called The Raven Master. It's written about him being the one who takes care of the ravens at the tower. I'm looking to get a copy.
DeleteI hope you see your comorants soon!!!!
I have jotted down 'The Raven Master' on my pad - I will definitely look out for it!
DeleteSx
Yes, thank you, Maddie for the Cormorants. The groynes around here had been looking so underdressed without them!
DeleteI can scarcely believe the array of different birds in your photos - you really are fortunate to have so many around.
What is amazing is how different the variety of birds from my house to up at the lake, which is only about an 8 minute drive in the car. For example I have tried to lure bluebirds here to no avail, but are all over the lake.
DeleteAnd the one trail we walked down, had the tree with all the cormorants nesting. You wouldn't believe the noise.
Oh the blue jAys! How wonderful. I feel privileged to see these pictures.
ReplyDeleteWe had a wrench build a nest a few weeks ago in a shrub, right outside the window. He worked tirelessly for days flying into the shrub with breakups of moss. I was so excited of seeing fledgling wrens right outside the window and worrying too about their safety but alas, it wasn't to be. The female must have rejected this particular nest.
Apparently the males building two or even three nests and the female chooses the one she wants.
Thank you for the photographs. I am looking forward to the foxes!
This is the first wren I have seen here. My mother has them, and they have such a wonderful song. Maybe another wren will claim that nest Christina. It would be fun watch a brood of lively wrens.
DeleteThat place has gone to the birds!
ReplyDeleteOh how great. I've never seen so many blue jays, either! What a sight!
ReplyDeleteLove the photos! The wildlife selection there is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a fun long weekend! Tell the Lad he needs to cater to ALL of your needs. Including getting in touch with nature!
XoXo
We'll be lucky if we remember to put on clothes when leaving the house!!!!
DeleteThese are all such great photos! I think Ozzie and Harriet are in a throuple with that mallard.
ReplyDeleteBrwahahahahaha
DeleteNature...what a simply amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteI would be hard pressed to select just one picture I like. They are all so stunning and really capture the feeling of that bird. I am also learning by just reading from the comments too.
ReplyDeleteHope your weekend is going well. Four days? Im jealous.
So beautiful. So Peaceful.
ReplyDeleteWOW What a post!!! It is quite amazing to see so many birds. Do you par take in the backyard challenge I read about? To see how many bird and variety visit your yard? I like those red winged black birds. The eagle!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! I love birds too but never seemed to really know what the different types were. So your educating me on this. We have two red winged black birds that act like my alarm clock. Every morning two fly into the trees around our home and let me and our pups that it is time to get up .
ReplyDelete