The Queen of Seaford: birds

Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 49

Another week is in the books! Hope you enjoyed this week's photos. Let's take a closer look at each and see what might not have been selected.

Day 335-

I hope you enjoy live music as much as my husband and I do. It is great to see artists in person and feel the energy of the crowd. This night was standing room only, and we were able to get up to the rail along the left side of the stage. This band is American Aquarium, lots of fun.

Live Music

Day 336-

I love our cabinet pulls; you saw some in a previous day's photo of the day. This door hook is part of the collection. It is a great spot to hang my aprons.

Mustache

Day 337-

I planted a number of Illicium parviflorum 'Florida Sunshine' in the woods and along the driveway. During the summer, even though they are bright yellow, they don't pop in the landscape. In the fall and into the winter, once the other leaves have faded, these yellow leaves shine. The nice thing about the Illicium is that the deer don't like them; the leaves have a strong licorice aroma. Their flowers are small and rather unnoticeable. During the winter, the low angle of the sun finds its way to shine directly on some of these shrubs.

A Couple Spots of Sunshine

Day 338-

This is my cereal bowl, full of plump blueberries. I liked how the milk settled into the recesses of the berry.

Blueberries with Milk

Day 339-

This time of year, I find myself at the post office mailing our family calendars across the country. I put these calendars together every year. All the members of the family have their photo on their birthday date, and each month is a photo of something blooming in my garden. It is fun to see how the little ones grow and change over the years. We currently have two birthday doubles, my grandson and my brother, and my granddaughter and my sister. There's a new member of the family due to be born around the grandson/brother date, so we shall see if that date will have three born on that day!

PO Box

Day 340-

We had a cold blast of weather this week, and it is nice to be able to turn on the gas logs to take the chill off the room. These are vent-free logs, so they do warm up the room nicely.

Cozy

Day 341-

I know many of you have Robins in your gardens, and they aren't a novelty. I noticed a large flock of them in my front yard, high up in the pine trees. They were making a lot of noise, fluttering and calling to each other. If it were springtime and a nest was nearby, I could understand the commotion, but that wasn't the case. I did a photo book of the birds in our neighborhood, but there were no Robins. I have updated the book a few times with newly observed birds, so it might be time to update the book again!

Robin

And the also-rans-

I took a few photos of the band and the stage for the photo of the day- trying to get that perfect shot. The black and white one was kind of flat. The one with the yellow spotlight didn't measure up either.

Driving to the concert I tried using a slow shutter speed and get the lights of traffic. Will try this again in the future.

The day I posted the fireplace, the frozen bird bath caught my eye. Again, it was kind of a meh, not too exciting.

The last one not used was a flock of Canada Geese swimming on the lake. Getting a photo through the trees was not easy. You can see the gray, dismal day. The fireplace photo took the spotlight for that day.

Thus ends another week for my photo a day! Come back again next week.

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 42

Week 42, a few more plant photos than in previous weeks. I did have a choice of several photos on one day, Day 290. Remember to be thinking about which one of the 365 photos is your favorite as the year draws to a close.

Day 286-

Millie came out to the living room area to watch as Charlie adjusted the front door. It wasn't closing properly, and there was a lot of opening and closing of said door. All the animals were interested in what was happening.

Watching from a safe spot

Day 287-

We had a nice, clear, warm/pleasant day, so Charlie decided to stain the deck. He had cleaned it over the previous days. Not a fun job, but needed to be done to protect the wood on the deck.

Staining the Deck

Day 288-

Some of my dogwood trees are starting to show their fall color. This one is also showing the fruit from last year's blooms and the tiny minarets of next year's blooms. Dogwoods, Cornus florida, bloom in the early spring with tiny yellow flowers. The white bracts that surround the flowers are often mistaken for the petals of the flowers.

Last spring and next spring

Day 289-

When I take the dogs outside to play in the morning, many times there is a lone Mourning Dove just sitting very still in the grass. I wasn't sure if it would fly away when I tried to get a photo, but this dove stayed put for a quick photo. Getting a photo of a bird with a cell phone isn't easy, the zoom isn't very long-reaching.

Mourning Dove

Day 290-

Walking through the backyard I was tickled to see one of the Cyclamen was blooming. I have several Cyclamen neapolitanum planted in the wooden area of the garden. I see the leaves but often miss the blooms.

Cyclamen

Day 291-

I am lucky to have a pair of Persimmon trees in our yard. They produce some fruit, though not a lot.

Persimmons, Diospyros virginiana, need two trees, male and female, to bear fruit. The male and female trees in my front yard almost look like a double trunked single tree. The pollinators love the blooms.

Persimmon

Day 292-

Our trees are starting to show their fall colors, and the morning light hitting the leaves makes them shine. The yellow leaves in the photo are one of the many hickories we have in our yard. The sky in the background was dark with rain clouds. We could use the rain, though we were only graced with a small amount. I checked the gauge, 4/100" of rain. First reports were an anticipation of 2/10", and it was an over exaggeration. I will be sharing the side yard foliage over the next few weeks. The lot to the left sold and the new owners are moving ahead with plans to build. The lot line is pretty close to the garden edge, so the look will be changing for sure.

Fall colors with dark skies

The day I found the Cyclamen blooming, I got a few other photos. It was a tough choice between the one chosen and the ones below. Please enjoy Rudbeckia laciniata, a small fern in the crevice of a rock, Calico aster- Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, and a tiny toad. I think the toad is a Fowler's Toad, but not sure.

Would you have chosen differently?

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I hope you are thinking about your favorite one! See you next week.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 27

Week 27 marks the halfway point of the year! Welcome back to another wrap-up for the week.

Day 181-

My friend David Sullivan, from whom I accepted this challenge, said it was National Camera Day. I have a shelf of old cameras, so it was appropriate to get a photo of them to celebrate. A couple of the cameras came from my folks, and one from my husband's childhood.

Yesterday was National Camera Day

Day 182-

Just outside our neighborhood, we have friends who have a gnome house. It was in an old tree stump. Over the years the stump deteriorated. Because there were so many tree stumps uprooted from Hurricane Helene, they were able to acquire a new stump. Many of us have been waiting to see the new reveal. It is as charming as ever! In the photo below, you can see a hammock and a swing on one side of the house. Around back there is a campfire where marshmallows are being toasted. I love the little window boxes. I am sure there will be more added over time. It is always fun to check out the gnomes.

New Stump Remodel

Day 183-

We have had a good number of Swallowtail butterflies this year. Some years, I only see a few, and they have tattered wings. This one is in beautiful shape and enjoying the Hyssop blooms.

Swallowtail on Hyssop

Day 184-

While looking for a Yellow-billed Cuckoo high in the trees in my backyard, I found a nest. It took a long time to finally see a little head pop up. It is a female Summer Tanager sitting on her nest. It is pretty high up in the tree, so getting a better photo isn't possible. I will keep an eye out for more activity as time goes by.

Summer Tanager nest

Day 185-

On the morning of the 4th of July, I looked out to the lake to see if there was a lot of traffic. We are on the northern end of the lake, so most of the boating in our backyard has someone teaching someone to water ski or taking some children on a tube. It is quieter and we like it that way!

Quiet on the Lake, Happy 4th

Day 186-

Every day, multiple times a day, we are outside playing. Fiona loves to play with the disc. Liebling likes the rubber rings. Fiona jumps pretty high to catch the disc. I used to play with a Frisbee with her, but the edges would get cut up and then cut up her gums. I like this fabric one, it sails nicely and is easy for her to catch.

Got it!

Day 187-

While looking for inspiration for today's photo, I noticed a dusky moth on the garage door. I think it is a Decorated Owlet. If it isn't one, I will correct the name.

Decorated Owlet

Like I said at the top, we have reached the halfway point of the year! More interesting photos to follow each day. Hope you keep coming back.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 9

Week wrap-up a couple days late. We were on the road and I am old school with my blog posts, always write it on the computer. Bouncing down the road and writing on my cellphone is an open invitation to many mistakes!

Day 55-

I always clean and sharpen my pruners in the early spring. Additionally, they will be sharpened after each pruning session, but it is good to do a thorough cleaning regularly. These pruners are 27 years old and have been used every year. One of these days I might break down and buy a new blade!

Sharpen and Clean

Day 56-

Springtime daylight has long shadows and windows of bright light shining through the garden. Yellow daffodils really pop with these rays of sun.

A Spot of Sunshine

Day 57-

This home has a brick column at the entrance of its driveway. On top of each pillar is a horse of some sort. I don't remember if this is a replacement for the matching horse's head on the other pillar. Just makes me laugh.

Wanna Ride?

Day 58-

The Great Blue Herons have nests, high in these trees along the creek. I have counted eight different nests as we drove by. Before the leaves open on all the trees, I will have to bring my camera with the zoom lens with me to get better photos

Turkey Creek with Great Blue Rookery

Day 59-

Something I have not seen before, fire hydrants on a truck. Not sure where they were going, we were going to Nashville.

Splash!

Day 60-

Walking to get coffee in my daughter's neighborhood, telephone pole with staples and nails, but no posters or messages left. It is a nice walkable neighborhood, so advertisers or folks with lost pets know this is a good spot to post their message.

Message Center

Day 61-

Not sure why all these shoes are hanging from the line, but thought it was a good picture.

Shoes

Another week is done, follow along as we move forward.

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Photo-a-Day Week 8

Our weather has been nice the last few days, so I spent a good deal of time outside pruning those shrubs whose time is now. While showering I remembered I needed to post this past week's photos. All photos this week were taken with my cellphone.

Day 48-

I have three Amaryllis bulbs on the laundry room window sill. They bloomed Christmas time in 2023 and spent last summer on the screened porch, each putting up a lot of foliage but no blooms. Once in the house for the winter, I noticed a flower stalk. I watched and watched, and then on Monday morning, I didn't see the flower bud, just a long stalk reaching up to the window. It had opened and put forth two beautiful blooms behind the curtain!

Reaching

Day 49-

Outside our dining room window, there is/was a bird feeder on a shepherd's hook. This was one of the feeders I didn't ordinarily bring in the house overnight. I guess this was a mistake! I imagine it was a raccoon that wanted the birdseed. The pole bent almost to the ground and all seed was gone!

Raccoon?

Day 50-

We have rocks throughout our yard, some of it is really pretty. This one is about the size of a basketball or more. I believe it to be white quartz.

Rock

Day 51-

Just outside our neighborhood, in the same yard that I shared last week with the bicycle and pink blooming tree, is a cute Gnome house. The tree stump has been disintegrating, so I think this little house is on borrowed time. It used to have an above-ground pool and clothesline and lots of Gnomes lounging about the yard.

Our house is a very, very, very fine house...

Day 52-

Liebling, our German Shepherd, loves to play fetch. Both the dogs are always excited about going out front to play. Their stare is intense, waiting for the rings to be tossed.

Laser Focus

Day 53-

Edgeworthia chrysantha blooms every winter. Many of my winter-blooming plants have been blooming later this year than usual. The fragrance of these blooms is amazing! The honey bees love its nectar, on warm days you will see bees all over the shrubs.

Edgeworthia Aglow

Day 54-

Washington Hawthorn shrubs are native to our area and true to their names, come with large thorns! This is Crataegus possibly uniflora.

HawTHORN

Thus wraps up another week of photos. Come back again next week.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Photo-a-day Week 2

Welcome to week 2 of the photo-a-day posts. All of the photos have been taken with my cell phone, Pixel 7, except for the last one, today's photo at the bottom of this array.

Day 6- Forsythia bush sprouting and blooming well ahead of the season. This poor shrub has not done well though it keeps holding on.

Day 7- Glowing rain gauge. The sun setting behind the gauge. I volunteer to observe and report rainfall to Cocorahs.org, a citizen scientist program. Do you like observing weather and want to be a part of this large organization? Go to the link above and find out how.

Day 8- Frosty morning photo of lichen, moss, and leaves in one of the planters on my deck.

Day 9- Two dogs, anxious to play, regardless of the chilly tempertures.

Day 10- Our snowfall has begun. It was short lived, changing to sleet then rain in a couple hours. Weeping Redbud, Ruby Falls.

Day 11- Seed pods of Leucothoe fontanesiana, in my front woods.

Day 12- American Goldfinch feeding on Rose of Sharon seed pods. This one taken with the camera instead of my cellphone.

Thanks for stopping by again this week. Now that Christmas items are packed away until next year, we can get back to Puget Sound Fling photos. Stay tuned.

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