Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
Linda Schaub
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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!
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FIFTY FAVORITE PARK PHOTOS
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- Parker noshin’ nuts
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- Fox Squirrel
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- Black Squirrel
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- Parker, my Park cutie!
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- Pekin Duck
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- Mallard Hybrid Duck
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- Midnight munchin’ nuts
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- Mute Swan
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- Goslings
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- Mama Robin
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- Seagulls on ice floe
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Parker chowin’ down
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- Mallard Duck
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- Northern Cardinal
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- Great Blue Heron (“Harry”) fishing for shad
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- Parker: shameless begging
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- Viceroy Butterfly
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- Great Blue Heron
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- American Goldfinch
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- Seagull
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- Robin baby (not fledged yet)
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- Mallard Ducks
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- Robins almost ready to fledge
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- Parker angling for peanuts
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- Robin fledgling
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- Parker making a point that he wants peanuts
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- Parker smells peanuts
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- Parker with a peanut
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- Red-Winged Blackbird
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- Seagull
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- Red-Bellied Woodpecker
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- Pekin Duck
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- Starling
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- Canada Geese family
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- Canada Goose and goslings
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- Red-Winged Blackbird
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- Parker says candy is dandy.
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- Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
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- American Goldfinch
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- Hunny Bunny
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- Parker looking for peanuts
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- The pier just past sunrise
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- Mute Swan
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- Parker in the snow
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- Parker and a treat
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Me and my shadow (a/k/a Parker)
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- Fox Squirrel
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- Seagull
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- Canada Goose
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- Mallard Ducks
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- Mute Swan
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- Fox Squirrel – Parker
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- Northern Cardinal
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BADGES
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- 02-02-2018
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- 03-13-2018
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- 03-25-2018
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- 03-26-2018
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- Year #6!! 02/2019
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- 04-13-2019
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- 11-21-19
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WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Hmmmm….a pileated woodpecker? Or a squirrel?
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Dawn, I was thinking a squirrel as Elizabeth Park has a lot of squirrels. I have to say I’ve never seen a pileated woodpecker at this park, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t fly in and make itself at home. This was the post I referenced to you when you had your broken nesting box post. For years there was a memorial tree and a small bench and people hung birdfeeders, suet feeders and scattered peanuts for the critters in the Winter at the memorial plaque – I did this too. Jays, cardinals, nuthatches, all came to feast at this small tree. I used to call it “Birdie Nirvana” back then, but gradually, as the feeders broke, they’ve not been replaced – I still look for birds there though once it is colder. I think the person who made this nesting box probably forgot about it and would be shocked to see how his/her handiwork looks now!
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Time passes and people let go. Yes I imagine the person who put up the box did so in rememberence of someone special and would be shocked. But not surprised. This happens to everything we leave out, the animals and birds make them into what they want.
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Yes, I was sorry to see the nice set-up at the memorial slowly go into disrepair. It’s too bad as people did encourage the birds and squirrels to frequent the area. The woman must have been a nature lover for people to create this memorial to her. I may like squirrels in the park, but they are detrimental in the garden and they once destroyed a wooden Holly Hobbie I put in the backyard before I even got a photo of it – they started at the feet and moved onto the three-dimensional oilcloth bonnet stuffed with batting, tearing it apart and strewing it around the yard. It went into the garbage two days later after they chewed all around the edges.
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Good question!
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Anne, you and I know there are bird bullies out there, but my guess is a squirrel might have found itself a cozy home?
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Well, we all gain a little weight as we get older. 🥴
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Ha ha – yes JP, that middle-aged spread creeps up on everyone, even critters and this would be akin to a bigger belt size I guess. 🙂
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Somebody thought the door was too small. Renovations were in order. 🙂
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Admittedly it was a pretty small hole to begin with Ruth. I saw the nesting box right after it was hung on that tree and it still smelled of fresh wood. I would pass it from time to time as I walked the path around the park, but didn’t see it up close until I noticed the gaping hole and walked over. Nothing like “fixing up” the entrance to accommodate YOUR needs … I even wondered if it was a squirrel. Elizabeth Park is filled with squirrels, everywhere you look.
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I agree with Ruth’s comment! 🙂
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I agree with both of you Barbara – a critter taking liberties to make the hole fit properly for their needs! I pass this nesting box every time I walk there and saw it the day the person hung it there and it still smelled of fresh wood and I took a photo of it. I searched in my blog to find the “before pic” for this post after I recently saw the gaping hole. Some nerve this critter had!
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Someone made renovations!
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Yes and we thought only humans did renovations – nothing like taking liberties and making the nesting box work for you!
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It looks like a squirrel chewed away at the entrance hole? Possibly to move in?
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I’m thinking most likely a squirrel did this too Wayne, as I think a bird’s beak might break if it tried to bite off the wood, although Dawn commented it might be a pileated woodpecker. I’ve never seen a pileated woodpecker at this park though. It is not a real woodsy park, but there are a lot of squirrels here. If you want a squirrel or geese fix, this is the park to visit as they are everywhere. Squirrels have a lot of nerve and not just when it pertains to food. This was a very nice nesting box – I was there the day right after it was put on the tree. It still smelled of fresh wood – in making the hole bigger, they also tore off one of the wood bars in front. I’m glad I found the before picture – I had to search for it though as I’ve often written about Elizabeth Park over the years.
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What happened here?!!
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Some destructive critter wreaked havoc with this nesting box Esther – amazing! It widened the hole and tore off one of the wood pieces in the front … I’m thinking most likely a squirrel with their teeth that can chomp or bite anything. One blogger said a pileated woodpecker – also a possibility though it’s not a real woodsy park and I’ve never seen any pileated woodpeckers there.
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Oh, that guy was on a rampage or had some beef with that nesting box!
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Yes, he thought it was too small so he re-sized it. 🙂
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He did a great remodeling based on his needs! I’m wondering if he’s getting calls for quotes on other nesting homes.
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Ha ha – as we near Autumn, there will be a call to get in gear for your “Winter digs” … he won’t be able to keep up!
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He needs to get the word out for more skilled help as he navigates the busy season! He will be in hot demand.
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Maybe take an ad out … I’ll go by there and whisper in his ear. 🙂
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Linda, I think you can be in charge of the marketing and maybe talk him into giving you a commission per job. Sounds fair to me.
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You are a great negotiator Esther – I like it and it sounds very fair. Now to see what he thinks. 🙂
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Moving onto the next stage of negotiations and getting it started before the weather gets wonky!
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Definitely! We are still in conditions like mid-Summer or the Dog Days of August here!
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Hi Esther – I have replied to two posts of yours where you commented and none of them are showing up … I did not see the “reply” icon and checked your site. Are you having issues with your site? I did the rest of them using Reader and it appeared to work initially, BUT … then I went thru again and none of the comments are there. I can respond here at my site to you, but not at your site. Please see if someone I am blocked – if not, I’ll unsubscribe and re-subscribe and see if that works.
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Hi Linda, I’m not having issues with my site! Maybe WP is having one of those technical difficulties as they are always updating or doing something to the website that we don’t need. lol.
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Okay, that’s great Esther – I hope you got all my comments. Since I commented in Notifications, then I always doublecheck I didn’t miss anything, then I didn’t see the “reply arrow” I went to your site and they weren’t there. I am glad it is fixed. I’ve had issues a couple of times with pictures missing from other people’s posts … some are blank squares – what in the world? So I comments on just what I see. Yes, no more new stuff please. I’m “new-stuffed” out with all the new Windows features they keep introducing.
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I also had issues with people’s pictures on posts! I like how you termed it: “new-stuffed” out. There are blog posts on what new things you can do and it just overwhelms me to even try it out. I’ve been trying to be more comfortable with technology and just a week ago I used an app called SlidesGo to make slides for a 4-H meeting. I was so grumpy but I did it. It wasn’t that fancy, but I think the second time will be better. Slowly!
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So much tech to deal with right now – new things in Windows 11 and Edge all the time … it boggles my mind. Well yay you, that you figured it out though. Yes “new-stuffed” … my new description of constantly learning things. I had the issue again tonight with the blank pictures – very strange!
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We have bird houses in our yard like this, I think the squirrels or maybe bigger birds. I have started to purchase the resin ones, they aren’t going to destroy them ! lol
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And I thought this was unusual – so I was thinking squirrels with those big, sharp teeth, but someone suggested a Pileated Woodpecker, which could be too, although I have never seen them in this park, as it’s not real “woodsy” … yes, best get the resin for feeding and nesting boxes … that will stop them right away! 🙂
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Welp, it’s just sad how the neighborhood is going down! 😉
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Yes, there is always that one oddball that doesn’t fit in with the rest and does things their own cringey way!
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I have several “chewed” on birdhouses sitting out in a medal chair by my she shed. They look interesting but are no longer useable.
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It’s nice to know that fixing up a nesting box to meet your own needs, no matter the original intention for making such a nesting box, is not just a Michigan “thing” then! 🙂
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Wow–that’s quite the demolition job! Too bad there’s not a big market for that kind of work. Those squirrels could be gainfully employed instead of causing mischief!
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Ha ha – yes Nancy, I keep hearing there are not enough contractors around to meet housing needs these days. Put our furry friends to work. Squirrels are very mischievous and nothing like taking a nicely made nesting box and destroying it to suit your purposes!
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Oh my. Time to do a complete tear down and start again… maybe build with metal this time?
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Yes – next time use metal or something that thwarts gnawing by overzealous squirrels trying to fit big bodies into small places!
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🤣 Yeah, no security deposit refund for those guys!
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That’s for sure Eilene, just trashing the place up to suit your fancy!
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wow – whoever remodeled that front door was in a rush – hahah
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Yes! Unfortunately it looks like the building inspector may just condemn it!
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hahah
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That’s a lot of wear and tear! Must have been something bigger than a bird. Squirrel?
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I was amazed to see what a gaping hole that somebody made to retrofit it to their body. 🙂 Like you, I think it was probably a squirrel too. They are little buggers sometimes, especially with chewing. I had a tall Holly Hobbie wooden figure I bought for the backyard. It had an oilcloth bonnet and dress and the rest was wooden. I got it out in the country where someone made them. I came home and my neighbor helped me pound it into the garden as it was about five feet tall. Within a day the squirrels had chewed the shoes off (which were above the dirt) and the bonnet was stuffed with something like cotton batting to make it three dimensional and they ripped that apart and there was batting all over the yard. It went out in the garbage two days after I bought it! My neighbor, who helped pound it in the ground, threw it out as they destroyed it even more after I went to work and he knew I would be more upset.
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I know, squirrels can be destructive. They are always destroying the hanging baskets we have in one corner of the yard. This year, I bought a couple of fake ones and they look just fine. Thanks for that inspiration! 🙂
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Yes, the squirrels like to hide their treasures in hanging baskets and in the garden under the mulch, especially this time of year when there are acorns and walnuts falling from the trees to bury for Winter. I’m glad you went with the fake baskets, especially in such a never-ending hot Summer … no watering, deadheading, or fertilizing to keep them looking good!
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Wonderful! With the increasing greenhouse effect heat, that larger opening affords way better air-conditioning! Brilliant!!! 😉
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Yes – a very good idea Tom. So tell me why they call birds “birdbrains” then???
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Looks like the squirrels have been remodeling.
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Yes, renovations done courtesy of those big front teeth!
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Yep, they have destroyed several of our bluebird boxes. I made sure the openings on the new ones I bought are reinforced.
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That’s a good idea or else your bluebird boxes will look like the ones in my blog post. 🙂
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“This ol house ain’t good anymore”…………………………..this ol house ain’t good anymore”………………………………….actually there are beginning to tear down our family’s Ol house in Wyandotte now too…………………………………….
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This ol’ house looked pretty ragged from its larger tenants – that’s for sure. I’m sorry you won’t be able to see your childhood home anymore when you visit your friend in Wyandotte.
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I think the birds ate too many seeds!
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That could be Diane! They tried to force themselves through that small hole and broke it. 🙂
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