The Cardinal’s Strange Offspring

Posted: May 31, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, Camera Critters, Rural Thursday, spring | Tags: bird, cardinal, cowbird, juvenile, nature | 33 Comments

Junior wants food!

Doting dad appears, offering what looks like a nice juicy berry. Junior checks it out, but refuses it.

Junior decides he’d rather splash around in his wading pool.

Still hungry, he calls out to dad.

Doting dad responds, still offering the nice, juicy berry…

…and gets splashed by Junior for all his devoted effort!

Junior is a young Brown-headed Cowbird. The female cowbird lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species, where they are hatched and cared for by the host parents at the expense of their own young.

Linking to Rural Thursday
and Camera Critters

A Bug’s Eye View

Posted: May 7, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: Macro Monday, Nature Notes, spring | Tags: grass, nature, spring, view | 18 Comments

Linking to Macro Monday
and Nature Notes

Perky!

Posted: May 3, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, Rural Thursday, spring | Tags: bird, nature, spring, texture, tufted titmouse | 24 Comments

Tufted Titmouse

Linking to Rural Thursday

Nice Birdie!

Posted: April 22, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, grackle, spring, Your Sunday Best | Tags: bird, grackle, nature | 29 Comments

Linking to Your Sunday Best

Working For Peanuts

Posted: April 20, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, Photoart Friday, spring, World Bird Wednesday | Tags: bird, blue jay, nature, spring | 61 Comments

pdpa vellum texture

Linking to
Photo Art Friday
and Camera Critters
and World Bird Wednesday

Blue Jay

Posted: April 16, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, Macro Monday, spring | Tags: bird, blue jay, nature, spring | 32 Comments

Linking to Macro Monday

Song Sparrow

Posted: April 15, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, songsparrow, spring, Your Sunday Best | Tags: bird, nature, song sparrow, spring | 26 Comments

Oh, were you talking to me?

Linking to Your Sunday Best

What I Saw

Posted: April 12, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: A Rural Journal, birds, cardinal, songsparrow, spring, squirrel | Tags: birds, dandelions, nature, spring, squirrel | 24 Comments

As I sat on the deck one afternoon, I saw dandelions dancing in the sunshine,

tiny purple flowers,

a shy Song sparrow,

a squirrel having a snack,

a Red-winged Blackbird

and a singing Cardinal.

What have you been seeing this spring?

Linking to Rural Thursday

Texture Tuesday – The Little Things Edition

Posted: April 10, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: birds, spring, Texture Tuesday, tufted titmouse | Tags: nature, texture, titmouse | 29 Comments

Tufted Titmouse

KK texture used – littlethings

Linking to Texture Tuesday

Helicopters

Posted: April 9, 2012 | Author: Pat | Filed under: Macro Monday, spring | Tags: maple, nature, seeds, tree | 15 Comments

This year, there seems to be a bumper crop of maple seeds. I have always loved to watch them spiraling through the air. You’ve got to admire the way they imbed themselves into the ground. One of nature’s perfect designs.