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~

A Winter Day Visit to the Louisville Zoological Gardens

Well I published a pretty descent post on the 27th day of December and attached the post to my favorite memes and then forgot each day to post to all of said memes...has to be the age thing and I am sticking to it... Life does get really quite busy though, even when retired.  Not sure about you, but my days run together so swiftly I sometimes cannot even tell you what I did on a specific day.  What about you...do you have days that just seem to run together and you have to think about what day it is and did you miss anything...

We had our first snow, not a huge amount, but it was quite slick.  In fact my daughter Brittany and her husband had an accident and flipped their car into a creek.  They were thankfully OK, other than aches and pains, but had to escape the vehicle by way of the roof top window.  Their car totaled!

Above and below are some of the visitors that make their way into my yard just about every evening to partake of cracked corn that we offer them, outside the dog yard.  This time of year is extremely harsh on them and several neighbors help care for this herd of 11 to 16.

Hoping that you have a very Happy and safe weekend and week ahead~

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/

& 

Stewart for:

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

Wild Bird Wednesday

 On a cold Sunday morning I had to get out just far enough to get a newspaper for the husby and since I was already out... well I took a little bit of a long way about getting back home, not too far though, the roads were not great, but I saw the sunrise~

Taken through glass and looking into my side garden I got these captures of the wee little White-throated Sparrows, American Goldfinch, male Cardinal, Eastern Towhee, also known locally as the Rufous-sided Towhee and a wee little Chickadee~

 Our three pup-cubs...Silveit on left turned 4 this week, 7 month old Svetka and 9 year old Meaka~

Our little kit-cat Survhee Pipka, part of the dog pack and a huge part of our hearts~

Svetka had her first fun in the snow this past week and she LOVED it~

4 year old Silveit celebrated her birthday on the 9th~

9 year old Meaka still enjoys the snow, but no longer romps with her sisters out in it~

More of the herd of White-tailed Deer in our yard~

I had to run errands one morning this week and could hear Crows caw-cawing quite loud, even with the windows up.  They were chasing a Red-tailed Hawk from tree to tree, for no other reason than harassment~

 I took the grand-twins to the Zoo while they were still out on their Christmas holiday.  My young nephew Josh happened to be working at the Zoo, and we surprised him.  He is such a kind young man and showed the boys and I some behind the scenes with a few of the captive animals~

I am fascinated by many of the animals that our zoo has and while I enjoy them very much, I also whence inside, thinking that they should have had a wonderful life of freedoms also~

Helen below turned 58 years of age this week, the next to the oldest captive Gorilla~

Twin Kerrick on the right gets a fist bump from one of the Silver-back Gorillas, through glass, of course ;)~

This Puma/Cougar/Mountain Lion depending on which name you want to give it, has only been at our Zoo for less than a month~

We also have two new Canada Lynx that were stunning...captive bred and very accessible for photos~

Snow Leopards are one of my favorite exotic animals.  The zoo had two for a long time and not sure if one has passed on, or if it was just off exhibit.  This beauty was quite active on the early, cold morning that we went by~

I am thinking that I have only ever seen a single Maned Wolf at a time at our zoo, but on this day, they had two on exhibit.  Aren't they lovely, even if through fencing~

Finally the two Bald Eagles...always enjoy seeing this pair, but have very deep feelings about the fact they were injured and could not be released back into the wild.  I always have to stop by and see them~