Points In Time

So, while giving up on the Orioles for the 5th year in a row, suddenly today the trees were bustling with them, five or more babies and the adult male. If that weren't cool enough, the Pileated Woodpecker made an appearance, then the baby Robbins joined the fun, as well as chickadees, Blue jay's, Nuthatches and Cardinals. It was amazing! So, there you are, looking at the new babies in my yard.

Well, after waiting for about a month, the baby swans have arrived. It was difficult to get close enough to get decent photos, the mosquitoes were out for the kill, but I braved it out and got a few photos of the tiny little snow white cygnets. So, there you are looking at the new baby swans.

So, I was sitting on the lower deck, enjoying the day and all of the sudden I hear this bird that I've never heard before. It kind of sounded like a police whistle. Finally, after about 30 minutes, I see the bird, and take a few pix of him, then race to the bird book. A Great Crested Flycatcher! Very exciting, a new bird to the yard! So, there you are looking at our latest visitor, the Great Crested Flycatcher! Who is bested viewed when clicking on the 'zoom' button,

So, I went to the pharmacy to pickup a few things and as I got out of my truck I heard the peep-peep-peep of ducklings, and as luck would have it, I had my camera. After I took a couple photos, I heard a 'splat' noise and there, on the sidewalk was a duckling that’d just jumped from the second story parking ramp! I looked in horror as the little thing lay on his back his feet up in the air. Then I realized he was still peeping, and quick as a... well, a duckling, he flopped over and ran to his mommy. He was followed by several more ducklings, each one landing hard on the sidewalk, peeping like mad, and running helter-skelter. A couple of them ran the wrong direction, and since I'm not a National Geographic photographer, I felt no compulsion to let nature take its course, so I helped the little guys find their mommy. So, there you are looking at Ducklings First Time Out!

While trying to figure out why we don't get the variety of birds in our yard that we have in years past, I delight in the birds that visit my in-laws yard & feeders. So, there you are looking at the birds of my in-laws.

While sitting in the car wondering where, oh, where in the entire U.S.A is there one battery available for sale for my new camera, I looked up to the sky and saw this. So, there you are looking at what I saw this evening.

I've had to charge my battery a zillion times because of this little guy. It's so hard to get a photo of this bird, that I sit, holding the cameras the button pressed halfway, camera in focus, until there is no feeling left in my arms, and yet, I have these only, to show for it.
So, here you are, looking at my American Redstart, while I go nurse my aching arms,

So, you might be getting tired of all my swan pictures, but I can't help myself. These are all from Mothers Day, and it truly was a day full of wild life. It wasn't just swans, but all kinds of interesting things, however, I forgot to charge my battery and as of yet I only have one, so filming ended rather early in the day. So, there you are, looking at my Mothers Day photos, My Wild Kingdom.

While scanning the trees for signs of life..not birds this time, but apple blossom buds..I saw something on the edge of the birdbath..certainly not a bird, since they seem to be everywhere but in my yard..but, I digress
So, I walked over for a look-see, and there was this butterfly. Well, let me tell you, it looked in pretty rough shape and I thought it had either come a long, long way or had more than a few close calls with the birds ( that are not in my yard). So, I decided to take a trip through Google-land, and found my butterfly. It turns out it neither came a long, long way nor had any close calls with the birds, instead, it is an adult that hibernates all winter and emerges early in the spring, looking a little worse for the wear. So, there you are, looking at my Mourning Cloak Butterfly.

While crawling through the grass, I took some more flower photos. While searching for birds, I took some squirrel photos, and after the squirrel left, a bird or two landed in my field of vision. So, there you are. looking at more flowers, squirrels & birds.

While sitting, waiting for a bird, any bird to land at the feeder hoping to get a 'flight photo', waiting while they eat and twitch about, holding the camera in the ready position, the blood draining from my arms, eyes getting blurry, this is what I got. So, there you are, looking at my 'Almost Got It' pictures.

Since spring came so late this year and while other states have flowers budding and blooming, the only thing here in my yard that is blooming are the weeds, but I'll take the liberty and call them wild flowers. So, there you are, looking at my 'wild flowers'.

Again, while waiting for the birds to arrive I spotted a flicker out of the corner of my eye. Baby squirrels, rather frisky at that, playing chase.
The photo quality isn't that good, but the pictures are fun. So, there you are, looking at the baby squirrels.

I was sitting on the deck waiting for the birds to arrive, any bird, even one, but they are no where to be seen. Heard? Yes, I can hear them singing, but none are coming to the feeder, or the birdbath. So, I get antsy, I want to take a picture of something, anything. There starring me in the face all along is the sky, mirrored in the glass top table I have on the deck, the table I just had my camera sitting on. So, there you are, looking at my reflections of the sky and trees.