Birds and Blossoms At The Park

I have a few more pictures to share from my recent walk in the park.

This park is quite small and is more of a playground area for children,but it has a creek running through it.

Along this creek is where I find the things which bring me happiness.

These Cherry Blossoms caught my eye.

I like how this picture turned out,with just the flowers lit up.

As I was slowly walking along waiting for anything to catch my attention,I noticed movement in a small tree.I had heard the song of the Yellow Warbler but had not been able to catch a look at him.When I finally spotted him I started shooting in hopes of getting at least one decent shot.

Look what happened just as I depressed the shutter button.

I know that I was much too far away but I am still happy with this image.

Butterflies,like this Red Admiral are more tolerant of my approach.

I don't ever get tired of seeing a brightly coloured butterfly.

Here is another picture which perhaps breaks all the rules of good photography.

The light in the background is much too bright,the bird is in the shadows and too far away,yet somehow this image has a pleasing look to me.

I guess I could have brightened the bird somewhat in Photoshop,but I didn't.

I have two reasons for sharing this image. One there is a Spotted Sandpiper on one of the stones near the waters edge and two,I love the trees reflected in the water,turning it a bright green.

I spent about two hours at this same park just this Thursday,with a friend.

We had a great time and I have more pictures to share after they have been edited.

The unfortunate fact is that as we were winding up our time there my main camera quit working.It seems that the shutter release button is broken,so off to the doctor it is for my Canon 40D.I do hope they can repair this with limited expense to me.

Thought for today:

Develop a unique style.

Guess that's what I've done with some of the above images. :)

Spring Beauty

I spent some time last week in our local park.

I was looking for new spring birds,but found much more than that.

As I was walking along at the creek edge,I was struck with the beauty of last year's rose hips and this year's new leaves on the sam plant .

The sun was shining on this plant making it light up.

Oh yes,I did find some birds. For today I will just show this one.

This Chipping Sparrow sat among the Caragana leaves looking so shy.

I thought it was really cute the way he posed for me.

Yes,I had the nerve to show a picture of the Dandelions.

They are such a complex and pretty flower.

The early morning light just adds a special beauty to all things.

This Virginia Creeper is on it's way up the tree.

Once again it was the beauty of the new leaves that really caught my attention.

 I don't know what kind of tree these were on,but I was impressed with the loveliness of this.The bright green leaves and the touch of red were begging to be photographed.

After spending some time in tune with nature I felt peace and contentment flood my soul.I walked away from here feeling very rich indeed.

Thought for today:

If you want to be rich,count all the things you have that money can't buy.

A New Friend!

On Monday,May 14,I had the special privilege of meeting a blog friend from out of province. I have a couple of blog friends who live closer to me and do meet them from time to time. I cherish each meeting and each friendship.

On Monday I had the opportunity to meet a new friend,Karin Ristau.

I had no idea what to expect,but knew from other bloggers who had met that it went very well.

Our meeting was no different.It was like we had known each other for a long time.

Conversation flowed freely and two hours passed all too quickly.

As you can see from the background,we met in a mall.It didn't really matter where we met,but I felt that we were kindred spirits.

I do not like having my picture taken,yet wanted to have this one done.

I do hope that we can meet again and also that I will have the joy of meeting more of my blogging friends.

It is amazing what the world of internet can do for us.It brings people together who otherwise would never have met.

Thanks Karin for a wonderful visit.Both my sister,who had come along with me, and I came away from this visit feeling richly blessed to have spent time together with you.

Thought for today:

I do not ask for many friends,but give me Lord,a few,

Whose loyalty and faithfulness are first of all to You.

Blue Jays Again

Before you read any further,if you don't like Blue Jays,you should go do something different than reading this post.

For those who enjoy the antics of this bird I share with you some more feeder action.

I don't think these pictures need a lot of words,so enjoy them if you will.I know I did.

Sometimes the only way to get what you want is to do a head stand.

I do have many more images similar to these,but because I would like to keep at least most of my followers,I will refrain from posting them right now.

I may however throw in a picture or two as I go along.

Thought for today:

Friendship is something you consider for a moment but cherish for eternity.

Tim Traynor

Photography Course Offer

To all my blogging friends I have a link for you to look at.

 Have you ever wanted to learn how to better use that camera,well here is a source where you can learn from the comforts of your own home.

I will admit that I may be just a little biased,but I do know that the information you will learn here is from some great instructors.

Visit this link and sign up for a unique experience: www.photographybasicsandbeyond.com

Photography Basics & Beyond is offering a seminar running Sunday June 3 at 2:00pm CDT / 1:00pm MDT.

Regular price is 99.00 use coupon code: camera60 to save 60% (39.60) for a limited time.  Space is limited.

These guys have taught this same course to numerous people in person and now are expanding to offering it on the web.

I hope that some of you will find this to be just what you have been looking for.

The Bird Feeder

Today I have some news that to me is exciting.

I received a unique bird feeder for Christmas and it has only taken the Blue Jays 6 months to feed from it.

I was very excited when I saw this bird picking at the  peanuts.

I had seen a few Woodpeckers at the peanuts,but really wanted the Blue Jays to find them.

Thankfully,I was sitting on the deck,camera in hand when it happened.

The red feeder and the Blue Jay make a lovely contrast.The added sunshine made for some good photography.

Persistence pays.

He had to work fairly hard to get a nut out of it,but finally succeeded.

When I had restocked this feeder,they quickly figured out how to get the peanuts out of it.

When there was a lull in the bird activity I turned my attention to the new leaves,just pushing their way out.I love how all that new growth looks.

These leaves are on the Silver Maple tree standing in the middle of my yard.

A variety of birds have been visiting my rock feeder.

The Grackle is another bird which I have failed to get a decent picture of,until now.

I love how the sunlight shows all the beautiful colours of this bird.

A few days ago,I stepped out on the deck early in the morning.I was struck by the patterns in the clouds.

The dark clouds were like strands of fibbers across the sky.

Thought for today,has no connection to the pictures,but I like it:

Forget the past and future and dwell wholly on today,

For God controls the future and He will direct our way.

Birds On My Yard

May 1 already! 

Today I have pictures of a few birds seen on my yard recently.

I will start with the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.I had several of these birds around for a few days,but they liked to hide in the branches of this tree.

This was unfortunately the best picture I could get,but it shows the bird in its natural environment. They like to drill rows of holes on the tree trunks and then feed on the sap which collects in these small wells.

Talking of having a bird which is almost impossible to photograph.The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is just such a bird.Can you see him there among all the branches.If you look closely you can see that little touch of red on his crown.These birds are almost constantly in motion so I was happy to get a picture like this.

More common and more relaxed is the House Finch. I love the bright colour of the male in spring.I have these birds on the yard all year,but in spring the males really show their colours well.This one was making his way down to the feeder on the deck.

A closely related bird is the Purple Finch.I read once that it looks like this bird was dipped in red wine. This helps me to see the difference between the Purple and the House Finch.I love the the song these birds have as well.It is a treat to sit and listen to the singing at this time of year.

Finally,not a bird,but a pretty Pansy.No these are not growing in my garden,but I treated myself to a basket of these flowers recently. I have them on my deck and enjoy the bright faces of these flowers each time I step out of the house.With a few raindrops,they look extra pretty.

I love watching all the bird activity on my small yard.Their songs stream from the nearby trees,filling the air with music.

Thought for today:

Time is not measured by the years that you live,

But by the deeds that you do and the joy that you give.

Early Spring Sights

It is still early spring in my part of the world,although the temperatures have been unseasonably warm.

I have been enjoying the warmer days,and trying to get out more often in search of pictures.

Very few flowers are blooming yet,but the leftovers from last years flowers are still visible.

I found this Milkweed Pod beside the lake,and thought is deserved to have its picture taken.

You can see that on the twigs in the background,the buds are swelling.

I should say that this was taken about a week ago and by now I can see little green leaves sprouting from these same branches.

I looked out of the back door the other day and this is what I saw.

This male Purple Finch was soaking up the warm sunshine at the feeder.

He really was enjoying the warmth,by the looks of it.

The Black-capped Chickadees have been busy trying to hollow out an old tree to build a nest.

He was so busy that I could come quite close and get all the pictures I wanted.

What an energetic bird this is,and still he has time to sing his cheerful tune.

In his feverish work,he would stick his head into the hole and bring out one small bill full of wood shavings.unfortunately,these birds had not done a thorough check of the building site.As he was chipping away at this cavity,he went down too far and now all that is left is an open hole to the outside.No nestlings in this one.I did put a nest box up right beside this tree,so maybe they will use that.

I may not have the easily accessible nest that I was hoping for,but I do have many beautiful images of this cute bird.I have said it before,but if I had to choose just one bird,the Black-capped Chickadee would be  my all time favourite bird.They are cheerful even on the coldest days of winter,and never seem to sit still for very long.

Thought for today:

Praise is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

More Gulls

I have a few more images to share from my trip to Winnipeg on April 6,2012.

Over the years I have gotten so many pictures of gulls,but I am always willing to take more,when the opportunity presents itself.

This one did a quick touch and go as he grabbed a morsel of free food out of the water.They are so quick when they do this,that often I pressed the shutter button too late.

Something tells me that Mr.Mallard was not happy to have the gull this close.

I love those wings spread out over the mallard in a protecting fashion.

Of course no trip to St.Vital Park would be complete without at least one Wood Duck picture.OK,so I took more than one,but I will only show you this one.

The colour of the water and that of the female are almost identical.

I like how she blended into the picture.

I also spent a short amount of time at Ft. Whyte Nature Center.

I was obviously not the only one who wanted to walk the trails.

These two waddled along as if they were enjoying the sights and the weather.

Here is one more shot of the catkins in bloom.I love how they look against that blue sky.For some reason,seeing this makes my heart sing.

Thought for today

Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.

Gulls and Geese

I had the pleasure of spending some time at one of my favourite photography spots,St.Vital Park in Winnipeg.I have taken countless pictures at this park over the last several years,but I always find more to photograph each time I go there.

Ring-billed Gulls are willing to get their picture taken,especially when you throw out some sort of food.

In this picture I liked the green and red reflection behind the gull. I have no idea what this was,as I didn't notice it until the picture was on the computer.

This one is just taking off.You can tell by the action of the water. The depression caused by the feet on take-off really caught my eye.I also like the wings here and the spray of water. the action of the water.

This gull had just landed and I caught him with the wings still slightly raised.

I was taking pictures of the gulls,but I am always drawn to the way the water looks on each picture.Often this is something I don't see until I have the picture on the computer.

This Canada Goose is on final approach for a landing.I liked how the body is stretched out to make that perfect touch-down.

And we have touch-down.He seems to be sliding on the water.It all looks so effortless.

The action is so fast that I have a hard time keeping up with it.

The one thing I can be sure about is that if I didn't get the right shot this time,the birds will be there again the next time and I can keep on trying.This is just one more reason to get out there again.

Thought for today:

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
George Washington Carver

Raptor Awareness Day

Today I want to share a few images taken on March 31.

A Rocha held a Raptor Awareness day,which turned out to be a huge success and a lot of fun.

When I looked out of the house in the morning,this little fella had come to get breakfast.

I thought he/she looked quite cute,posing for me this way.

The rabbit was cute,but this day it was all about the birds and I could hardly wait to get to the Raptor Awareness event.We were pleasantly surprised at the amount of visitors all day.

The ladies in the canteen served a delicious lunch of sandwiches and soup.

The most visited table was the one with the live Raptors.

The handler was kind enough to take this Great-horned Owl outside so we could get better pictures.

Isn't he a pretty bird?

Also on display was this pretty girl,an American Kestrel.

She was quite impressed with herself and would try every trick in her book to get attention.

Often when someone approached the table she would flutter her wings.Her handler said this was an attempt to get your attention.

Another bird on display was this Red-tailed Hawk.

This is a bird we usually see flying in the sky or sitting on a utility pole,so it was a treat to see this bird up close.This was also a female and a very calm bird.Just look those eyes,they are taking it all in.

In the wild these eyes are used to see prey from a long ways off.

After this event had wound down,I headed over to the Pembina Valley to check on the Hawk Migration.

The migration this year has been very disappointing with very few birds.

on this day it was no different,the hawk numbers were low,but an unexpected treat came when a large flock of Sandhill Cranes circled over our heads.This picture shows only a portion of the flock.I love how they light up when the sun hits them just right.

Thought for today:

 O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom has thou made them all: the earth is full of your riches. 

Psalm 104:24 

HAPPY EASTER

Easter to me means a time of new beginnings.

Since we celebrate Easter at springtime,all of nature is coming alive once more.

More than that,Easter means that I can have victorious life now 

and eternal life in Heaven some day.

To celebrate this special day I am sharing some sunrises which I have captured over the last year.

This first one is taken from my deck.What a way to greet the day.

Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.

Charles M. Grove

Again a picture taken from my deck.

The clouds looked amazing on this recent morning.I thought I didn't like the trees in the picture,

but now I believe they add some depth to the scene.

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.  Robert Flatt

This was the scene at our local lake as the sun was peeking above the horizon.

I love that path across the water.

I got this Gerbera Daisy last fall,but the colour and everything about this picture says,

Happy Easter to me.

I wish all those who read this a very Happy Easter.

Thought for today:

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection,not in books only,

but in every leaf in springtime.

Martin Luther