Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
Linda Schaub
-
Linda Schaub
- Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal (and a pal) partake of peanuts at the Park. #Wordless Wednesday #A favorite vintage ornament.
- Lean, mean and green.
- Which way is Santa Claus? #Wordless Wednesday #Remember those days?
- When there’s wicked wind, wildflowers and …
- Before and after a cup of Joe. #Wordless Wednesday #Sadly, we don’t ALL rise and shine!
-
FIFTY FAVORITE PARK PHOTOS
-
- Parker noshin’ nuts
-
- Fox Squirrel
-
- Black Squirrel
-
- Parker, my Park cutie!
-
- Pekin Duck
-
- Mallard Hybrid Duck
-
- Midnight munchin’ nuts
-
- Mute Swan
-
- Goslings
-
- Mama Robin
-
- Seagulls on ice floe
-
- Great Blue Heron
-
- Parker chowin’ down
-
- Mallard Duck
-
- Northern Cardinal
-
- Great Blue Heron (“Harry”) fishing for shad
-
- Parker: shameless begging
-
- Viceroy Butterfly
-
- Great Blue Heron
-
- American Goldfinch
-
- Seagull
-
- Robin baby (not fledged yet)
-
- Mallard Ducks
-
- Robins almost ready to fledge
-
- Parker angling for peanuts
-
- Robin fledgling
-
- Parker making a point that he wants peanuts
-
- Parker smells peanuts
-
- Parker with a peanut
-
- Red-Winged Blackbird
-
- Seagull
-
- Red-Bellied Woodpecker
-
- Pekin Duck
-
- Starling
-
- Canada Geese family
-
- Canada Goose and goslings
-
- Red-Winged Blackbird
-
- Parker says candy is dandy.
-
- Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
-
- American Goldfinch
-
- Hunny Bunny
-
- Parker looking for peanuts
-
- The pier just past sunrise
-
- Mute Swan
-
- Parker in the snow
-
- Parker and a treat
-
- Great Blue Heron
-
- Me and my shadow (a/k/a Parker)
-
- Fox Squirrel
-
- Seagull
-
- Canada Goose
-
- Mallard Ducks
-
- Mute Swan
-
- Fox Squirrel – Parker
-
- Northern Cardinal
-
BADGES
-
- 02-02-2018
-
- 03-13-2018
-
- 03-25-2018
-
- 03-26-2018
-
- Year #6!! 02/2019
-
- 04-13-2019
-
- 11-21-19
-
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Nice capture of them consuming the tree! We had a bunch of those too. I think they’re Starlings on the move.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Shelley! I think they were Starlings too, but hard to tell as I was trying to get as many as possible in the photo, so they’re a tad small. Maybe before or after a murmuration – last year I happened to look up when I heard noises and there was a huge murmuration, but it started to fall apart as I went to photograph it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I remember you mentioning that last year. We can count on the birds to put on shows that we don’t have our camera ready for. 😏🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I had two recent episodes where I should have just reached for the camera, but I left it at home because it was supposed to rain. It’s not like it’s heavy and now that it’s colder, I had/have to wear a coat anyway. I could kick myself when that happens!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I get what you’re saying! This week I’ve lost count of how many times I was driving and saw something I would’ve loved to take a picture of.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always enjoy watching flocks of birds as they do their thing. At a certain point in late fall-early winter cardinals would converge on my holly bushes in mass and eat all the berries at my last house.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy seeing them too Kate. I figure these were Starlings and maybe just before or after a murmuration since there were so many of them. I counted about 120, give or take, in this photo. My holly bush used to produce berries every few years – we had two decorative ceramic snowman cups and I’d go to the nursery and get a couple of carnations, pine stems and florist foam and I’d tuck in some sprigs of holly. I’d make an arrangement for home and for work (in my creative younger days). Then we had the Polar Vortex of Winter 2013-2014. The holly died, I brought it back to life with copious amounts of Hollytone – it is thriving now, but no more berries – go figure?! My friend in NY has a lot of cedar waxwings munching on berries on her bushes – that’s one bird I’ve never seen except in photos, but they are so striking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks like you still have pie on your mind, even though Thanksgiving has come and gone 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed! Pie thoughts keep surfacing Dave and maybe it started when we compared mincemeat pie memories!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy just about any pie… except maybe “blackbird”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m with you on that Dave, especially when they’ve been baked already and fly out of the pie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like seeing flocks of birds, too. Yesterday the grackles were congregating by the dozens on our fence, the roofs and trees here. Maybe the birds know something we don’t know? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am wondering ghostmmnc if this was the tail end or beginning of a murmuration and those birds flocked to the tree branches. I counted about 120 of these birds in the picture – that’s a lot of birds. Do grackles migrate? Are you in the U.S. where all of a sudden we had that bone-chilling weather? Here in Michigan we HAD (emphasis on “had”) enjoyed a wonderful, dry November, then had freezing rain Sunday night, a snow squall Monday night and this bitter cold, “real feel” of 15-degree weather ever since. I’d go South if I were a bird!
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, the grackles are hear year round and always gather in flocks toward the late afternoon evening. They are very noisy birds. I have seen a murmuration of starlings. Amazing! And I don’t know if Canada geese do the murmuration thing, but to me it looks like they do. We live by a small lake and they come in in October and stay until about March. They fly together in the thousands right over our house. They are very noisy also. That video is so cool to see. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
ghostmmnc, I always look up when I hear geese overhead as I like to see them flying in formation, even if sometimes it’s a loose or sloppy formation. Nature at its finest! That video is awesome – I’m glad you liked it. Seeing all those Starlings rising and falling together, merging and drifting apart. You are lucky to live near a lake so you get a chance to watch and maybe interact with them all Winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting that you posted about the blackbirds because last night I was watching about 100, I estimated, blackbirds and mourning doves flying to hang out on the electrical lines and over the fence backyard barren trees. It looked very much like your photograph! They come every evening around 4:00 to rest and sleep for the night. It’s a ritual that I enjoy. This autumn I have a, new for me bird, that seems to have nested in the thick brush on the other side of my backyard privacy 10’ fence. So cool of a bird with a variety of song I had never heard. I found that it’s called a Yellow Breasted Chat. I will email a picture that I found online. They are common in North America but my first time to see one and learn about it. I have seen them a few times. I wonder if you have seen the Yellow Breasted Chats in your area?
Enjoyed your photo and your clever title!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked the photo and title – I had to back to the nursery rhyme to ensure I had the right words. (It’s been a while since I read it.) It is incredible to see so many birds at one time and I am always amazed and awed when I see a murmuration of Starlings. I saw one last year, but I was not able to capture much with the camera. Have you seen a video of a murmuration of Starlings TD – it is like a perfectly choreographed ballet. I just went onto YouTube as I knew there was a great video there that I’ve seen in the past, but YouTube won’t let me view it because I have an ad blocker … I will send you the link in a separate comment. I did like the Yellow-Breasted Chat but have not seen one – they say they are only here in SE Michigan in the Spring. Our Juncos have arrived – they only come here in Winter and I saw them at the Park one day and my neighbor’s yard at his feeder this morning. They are actually a type of Sparrow, with a dark gray body and white breast, kind of plump and are mostly ground feeders.
LikeLike
I didn’t know the title was from a nursery rhyme! I googled and listened to a few u-tube videos of it. I’m sure that I would not want to eat blackbird pie! Ick!!
I have never seen a murmuration of Starlings. I watched your attached video and it is very relaxing and beautiful to watch. It seems to me that the birds were not going anywhere. They would fly up in harmony then go right back into the same trees. I could see all short a critters forming with my imagination. The video was fun to watch. Thanks!
I have not seen any of the White Junco birds here either. I will watch for them now because I read that they are here for the season. Perhaps you will see the Yellow Breasted Chats next Spring. So you might find them nesting in thick brush. But of course they come out to feed and fly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
TD, I wonder if this nursery rhyme was more popular in Canada as it is an English rhyme? We learned a lot of rhymes like this in school (kindergarten). I remember chanting it back in the day.
I thought you would enjoy the Starling murmuration as you enjoy birdwatching. I saw one last year, but the tail end of it while walking and I saw one before that while driving. They are graceful.
The Juncos are cute, plump birds and hang out with the Sparrows, but are much bigger. I will send you a link to a post I did last year – about 1/2 way down are the Dark-eyed Juncos.
LikeLike
TD – here are some Dark-eyed Juncos for you to see:
LikeLike
Here is this murmuration TD – I hope this is the one I saw before … very relaxing.
LikeLike
That’s a lot of birds!! At one of our local Target parking lots, about 50 or more Canadian geese have made it their home. It’s bizarre to see such big birds congregating. On the other side of the parking lot is seagulls. It’s the oddest thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, many birds Esther. I was trying to count them in the photo and I think I counted 120 but couldn’t say for sure so I said “more than 100”). I wondered if it was a murmuration and they disbanded and settled into the treetops? Once, there was a guy at the Detroit River who bought a couple of large bags of bread for the seagulls … there was only a couple of seagulls when he started, but soon there were seagulls dive-bombing and running into one another. I was on the way to my car when I saw him and thought “my poor car” but after taking photos for a few minutes it was pandemonium with all the seagulls screeching and fighting in mid-air and on the ground, so I left. I did get some photos of them and their antics though and did a post.
LikeLike
Have you ever seen a Starling murmuration Esther? It is very beautiful to see – have a look and maybe the kids will like to see it. I just sent it to TD.
LikeLike
I can’t tell what they are but I love to watch them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too Zazzy – I sent a few people a video from YouTube of a murmuration of Starlings. Have you ever seen a murmuration? I’ll send it in a separate comment. I have only seen one and it was like a bird ballet, perfectly choreographed. I wonder if this was just before or after a murmuration. All those birds – I wanted to get all the birds in the photo so they ended up rather small. I counted 120 of them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a great video – I hope it’s the same video I remember from before; I recognize the person’s name that created it. Every so often YouTube gets strange on me and says I have an adblocker so I can’t open videos. Firefox or Malwarebytes is the culprit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I have. I haven’t gone looking for one but I’ve seen several on the road to the lake. A great place for bird watching but a little impractical if you’re driving!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a relaxing video – I looked back to an earlier post where I shared it (same video) … the noises of the birds intensifies as it goes along. Such grace and beauty. Heck, I was walking and missed most of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What great capture the Blackbird on the tree branches & other flying on the sky. I enjoy it’s post. You always some New birds & natural photography.
Thanks, Linda ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked all these birds and all the other new birds this year Raj. As for this bunch of Blackbirds, they sure were noisy!
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good grief. That’s a heck of a lot of birds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was amazing Ally – I looked over and they filled the trees, some preparing to fly, some trying to land. I thought it might be the tail end of a murmuration, but I wasn’t sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are probably on their way south. They are smarter than we are. 😉
Most of the geese in our area have left. This winter will likely be cold and windy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they probably are Tom. Birds, no matter what type, never deserve the moniker of “bird brain”.
LikeLike
Wow, so many blackbirds, Linda! Great shot!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Terri – A few more birds and they might have broken the branches!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It always amazes me how they don’t run into each other, awesome picture Linda.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Diane – yes and also when they are in a murmuration, all the swooping and gliding so effortlessly. Like a ballet in the sky!
LikeLike
Lovely to see so many birds! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was amazing to see Clare. Usually they all take off or land at the same time – a blur of black in the trees!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gosh, what a lovely shot. I can almost hear them flit and flutter and away.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Isha – they are beautiful birds and on a sunny day those cobalt blue feathers seem almost iridescent. The picture was on a ledge near a covered bridge and they build their nests in the rafters of the covered bridge. These birds catch insects in mid-air and are always swooping and diving … it is rare to see them stopped, so I seized the opportunity to get a shot! Thank you for your comment. I am sorry you went to my SPAM folder, so I had to fish you out. 🙂
LikeLike
I got the rhyme reference right away. My thoughts: 1) that’s a really big pie, made of 24 blackbirds; 2) it was grossly underbaked if the birds start to sing after baking. And 3), I hope it wasn’t Henry VIII the poor pie baker had to answer to. People lost their heads over much less than a bad pie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wasn’t sure everyone had heard this rhyme JP, so I’m glad you got it right away! It would be pretty messy with 24 blackbirds inside – hope they weren’t nibbling on the crust before they burst out of the middle!
LikeLiked by 1 person