Pine Siskins

Today I want to show you a few pictures of the Pine Siskins.

I know that not every one appreciates them,but I love them.

                                                         Photo by Jake

WE do not have a lot of variety of birds in the winter,

so the Pine Siskins are a welcome addition to the feeders.

They are quick to come to an outstretched hand with food in it.

                                                           Photo by Jake

Even though these birds are not brightly colored,they are cute.

The males have more yellow on their wings,but even the females,like the one above,are pretty.

 

                                                                  Photo by Jake

Looks like this could be a very cold perch.

When the Siskins are around in large numbers,they will perch anywhere.

                                                              Photo by Ruth

They may even sit in line,waiting for a turn at the feed.

                                        Photo by Ruth

A lone Pine Siskin sitting on the Lilac stem.

These birds do sit still for very long at any time.

                                                               Photo by Ruth

The high pitched song of the Pine Siskin is quite uplifting on a cold winter day.

In my opinion,each bird has some beauty,even though I may not appreciate all of them at my feeders.

God's mighty hand

can be felt every minute,

for there is nothing on earth

that God isn't in it.

What a Day

Yesterday we were told by the weather man that a storm was on the way.

I woke up at 2:30 AM,and looked outside.

It was storming pretty hard,so I figured that I would have the day off.

This is what greeted us in the morning.

This above picture was taken from in our living room.

 If you look carefully you can see some vehicles stuck on the road.

Oh yes,school was cancelled and for good reason.

Here the wind has let up a little,so you can see the stuck vehicles better.

Throughout the day we had at least 8 vehicles stuck at this intersection.

Looking out of the dining room window,the poor birds were having  hard time,

but at least they had plenty of food.

Jake went outside to get a few pictures,I on the other hand was content to shoot through the windows.

Just another view of the PIne Siskins feeding.

They have been super busy today.

I stepped back a little to show that I was indeed standing in the living room.

The pictures are not the best quality,but I just wanted to show you what my day looked like today.

This last picture was taken from on our drive-way,on January 7,2010.

The Olympic Torch Relay came right down our street.

Unfortunately I did not get a shot of the torch because I had gone inside to dress warmer.

So that has been my day,snow,WINDY,and cold.

At least we have a warm house and each other,so we are doing well.

Let's Give the Mac a Try

Well the time has come to get back to normal.

I am making this post from my Mac.

Around here the last few days,although mild have been overcast and dull.

With this in mind I will post a few of last summer's pictures.

Once again I take you to one of our favorite places in Winnipeg,the English Gardens.

This Zinnia is bright enough to lighten up any day.

On a warm summer day,what better to do than this.

The Bunny had found a shady spot beneath the Day Lily leaves.

Another color and shape of Zinnia.

The colors are so vibrant and we saw butterflies attracted to them as well.

Mr. Frog was relaxing on the lily pads.

He was not very big so a leaf was big enough for a bathtub.

The English Gardens is a must see if you are ever in Winnipeg.

This is part of the extensive flower beds.

Looking at these pictures,I know that as soon as possible we will be back there for more.

In God's garden of love,

you are His Forget-Me-Not.

I'm Still Here

I thought it might be time to say 'Hello'.

I am alive and well and still working at setting up the Mac.

This post is being made from the old PC.

Not only did we get the Mac,but we had to get a new photo editing program.

We are now using Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac.

The organizer is somewhat different,therefore it is taking longer to set up.

Here are a few of my latest pictures,taken through the dining room window.

I was surprised by this Northern flicker at the suet one day.

He has been a regular visitor since.

I took this picture to show the red 'V' at the back of his head.

Did you notice that each dark spot is in the shape of a heart?

Finally,I need to show one Black-capped Chickadee.

I think these are about the happiest birds.

Listen to their song sometime and you will hear happiness.

Happy New Year to me

  Just a quick update.We have a new member of the family.

As you all know it takes time to get used to a new family member.

Mac*,arrived yesterday and we need some time to adjust,

so for the next little while I will not be doing a lot of posting.

Once Mac and I get comfortable things will be back to normal.

By the way Jake thinks I might be spending too much time with Mac.LOL

He will get his turn as well

Hope each of you are enjoying the New Year and are staying warm.

* computer

A Splash of Yellow on a Winter day

 I have decided to spend some time with the birds again.

I will try to do some regular posts,featuring one bird at a time.

To begin,I want to take a look at the American Goldfinch.

Here is a Goldfinch in it's breeding plumage.

It is hard to miss this brightly colored bird.

Even before it is seen ,one can here it's light canary like song.

The undulating flight is accompanied by it's song,given in each dip of the flight pattern.

The American Goldfinch is often seen among the flowering thistles.

The yellow of the bird and  the purple of the flowers give a pleasing combination.

I find the Goldfinches to be such a cheerful sight.

Their constant high pitched song will bring a smile to my face most any day.

The Goldfinches use the thistle as a food source and also use the downy seeds in nest building.

Even when the Goldfinch is not the primary subject,it still stands out.

The Spotted Sandpiper in the foreground is almost missed as the eye seeks out the Goldfinch.

After the late breeding season,Goldfinches molt into soft shades of yellow and brown.

I should add that at least in Manitoba they have a late breeding season,compared to all other birds.

The color may not be as vibrant,but the beauty is still there.

In the cold of winter even the subtle colors of it's winter plumage are bright.

This male is particularly lovely.In the chin area there is the promise of the new colors to come in spring.

This is one bird which is found almost all across North America.

The pictures were taken by Jake and Ruth

How great are your works,O Lord,

how profound your thoughts.

Psalm 92:5

Happy New Year

On this the first day of a New Year Jake and I want to wish for each of you our friends a year overflowing with blessings,and enough joy to make each day a good one.

What will you do

With this year that's so new?

The choice is yours -

God leaves that to you.