Garden Window Snow Snaps and More to Share~

Carolina Chickadee above with a seed berry at it's head...

LOL 

At first glance I thought I was seeing a new kind of bird in my garden window~

It's been a very nice week here in "Bluegrass Country"  The week began with snow on the ground and has ended with higher temperatures and lots of brilliant sunshine.  For over a year I have been wanting to walk the lanes in my neighborhood, other than my own.  On Tuesday I took to the hills and they are steep, but I managed to get to the overpass that was my first goal, a bit over two miles total walk, but I managed even with 40 mph frigid wind blowing... I got frosty, but I smiled in my heart a bunch...  Some of the images shared in this post were taken on either sides of the overpass where a lovely stream runs through.  I had to put my camera lens up to one of the holes in the fencing to get capture them. What about you, did you work on any goals this week, take any walks?  Take good care, stay safe and enjoy this coming weekend and week doing what makes you smile in your own hearts~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after                                                                you have read the narratives~

I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:

http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/

Saturday's Critter

Anni at:

http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 

I'd Rather Be Birdin'

 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'

    

Maggie's  MOSAIC MONDAY

                                              https://normandylife.blogspot.com/

 Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global 

   http://communalglobal.blogspot.ca/

& 

Stewart for:

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

Above is a Chickadee at the Rose of Sharon seed pods.  My mother gave these plants to me back in 1981 and they have scattered everywhere.  Both Butterflies and Hummingbirds enjoy their blossoms during the Summer months~

These two shares of the White-breasted Nuthatch were taken as the window was still quite frosty.  I used a slight HDR to them for a better view~

Kentucky has received from the Northern most part of Canada and beyond several Snowy Owls this season.  They have not fared well in that automobiles and lack of good food they hunt has not been great.  The younger first year birds have been forced South and less than 10% of them will survive their first Winter.  I was getting the mail the other day and spotted the snow atop a yard art piece and thought.....now there is my Snowy Owl~

The little Carolina Wren says YIKES it's an Owl...Scatter ;) ~

Male Cardinals are so sweet and enjoy bringing seeds to their mate and young~

Dark-eyed Juncos~

White-throated Sparrow~

House Finch, male~

American Goldfinch~

Mourning Doves~

Blue Jay~

American Crow and Sumac~

An American Kestrel flies swiftly over land looking for a meal~

Then the Kestrel flew right by me as it was hunting the other end of the lane~

One of our local Red-Shouldered Hawks that this blog was named after flying over our home~

Horse country USA, KY~

Our White-tailed Deer, especially the young ones have such a difficult time their first Winter.  The adults will begin knocking them, hoofing them and even kicking and chasing the fawns that are now 7 months of age.  It's difficult to watch, but part of the herd setting the rules~

These next three images were taken at the Rosewell Mansion~

;(   ;(   ;(

This little fawn finally made it to the pans, but they were pretty much empty.  I could not go all the way back down and give it anything, for by the time I would have reached the area, the Deer would have moved one~

My frozen creek looked so pretty in the morning sunlight~

A thawing pond a few miles from home...do you see any life there?

How about now?  

There were 4 pairs of Northern Shovelers, a few Green Winged Teal as well as at least a single Gadwell~

Here are the images that I took on both sides of the overpass Tuesday on my two mile neighborhood walk~

Finally artsy images...taken in the pouring down rain as a Red-Tailed Hawk flew up into the trees after missing what it had gone to the ground after~

More Visits to the Barred Owl Tree and Snow Birds~

 Well if it is there, and it was not too far to go, you would want to go visit the Barred Owl again too ;)

A total of 5 visits and 3 times it was right on it's favorite tree.

While visiting last Monday, out of seemingly nowhere came around the top of the tree a Gray Squirrel and oh my, did it frighten the Barred Owl. 

The Owl turned it's head back and forth so fast, calmed down and went back to sleep.

Sigh ;) 

Remember to double click on the image, to view a larger slide show of the images shared

   

 I will also be linking up with Mary at:

Mosaic Monday

at: 

  http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.

As well as I am linking up with Stewart at:

   Wild Bird Wednesday

(http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/)

The land and the walk to the favored tree of the Barred Owl is really beautiful. 

For now, being Winter, one does not have to be concerned about ticks and so I like to walk off the main path~

A Northern Mockingbird will take up a certain size of territory for the Winter, that has an abundance of desired food sources and pretty much lives off that plot the entire season~

Yikes, I was surprisingly shocked that a Belted Kingfisher came and landed not far from where I was standing. 

I had heard it coming, and froze when it landed ;)

Nice~



Please forgive me if I ID these wrong, but I am thinking that these are once again the Green-winged Teals~

The sunlight was so bright on the lake that it looked liked tiny gems glisteing on the water~



The husby says he is not walking all that way to see the Barred Owl, he will just enjoy the image shares. 

It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to arrive at the site. 

I decided to take some images from a ways away...can you see it?

The sky was a glorious blue last Monday~

After the Barred Owl saw the Gray Squirrel, it kept looking down, trying to figure out where it had gone...

I knew ;)

It had gone into a lower hole and had picked up a Walnut along the way~

We have had such a long stretch of COLD weather and a nice bit of snow as well. 

The children around here have already used up 7 snow days...

We drove over to Long Run Park one morning and the snow was falling.

There were several groups of Mallard Ducks~



 Oh My Goodness another Belted Kingfisher, this one dashing about and making all kinds of noise...;)



I asked the husby to pull over, when I spotted several Eastern Bluebirds. 

I had just begun to take photographs when along comes a car. 

The person drives right down the lane where I was standing and gets out and says

"It always takes another photographer to ruin a photo shoot." 

Ha ha it was Jim Johnson and his wife...also known as Grampy, who manages the blog:
http://www.goatsass.com/ that I had met several evenings before. 

They have since gone back to their home in Western Kentucky, but of all things to meet up once again and truly no one else was in that park and it is large too.

And quite honestly, I got some pretty fair images, before they ever arrived, they had not ruined a thing ;)

I saw these birds flying over from a distance as we were driving home. 

Not sure what they were, but had to use them too.