A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....1-24-06....A Birders' Eye View

GodBlessUSA

[GodBlessUSA]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, Dutchess, Dolly Cali, Mama_Bear, GodBlessUSA ~

One beautiful spring morning shortly after we moved in to our home, my 3-year-old daughter pointed at a bird and said, "Look Mommy." There on the tree was one of the most beautiful birds I'd ever seen--one I had never noticed before. I now know that it was a Redbelly Woodpecker. We were so thrilled to see such a beautiful bird in our yard, we jumped in the car to the store and we bought feeders and food for the birds.

Since that day, backyard birdwatching has been a passion of mine which I have a combined with my passion for gardening. Now my daugher and I garden for the birds, and my yard has become a place for everything from the common, but still beautiful, Robin to rare Warblers, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, and flocks of Chickadees.

I’m not an expert on birds or gardening. I’m always learning. I’d like to share the wonderful facts and stories I have learned in future threads. So many of us love spending time with nature, please share your stories of anything you do that gives you peace and enjoyment. Here are a few pictures from my backyard.

       Redbelly Woodpecker                 Blue Jay

Flicker Woodpecker     CatBird       GoldFinches

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck". Emma Goldman

Recently, my kids and I took a trip to a bird preserve. This is a tranquil place with easy-to-follow trails. Once out of the wooded paths, there's a trail to follow and you reach the beach and have magnificent views.

The truly unique part of this preserve is, the birds will land on the palm of your hand and take seed. You will know when the birds are there because the birds will call to you. Holding a few sunflower seeds and nuts, they love the peanuts in winter, out in your palm and wait for the chickadees to land on your hand and grab the seeds. It's incredible to experience a small delicate Chickadee, Nuthatch or Titmouse picking through seed in your hand. This is a very special place for my kids and me.

Woods Path to Beach                   A View From Beach

Chickadee                                     Downy Woodpecker

Chickadees on my daughter's and son's hand.

Mallard Ducks

A Rabbit and Robin, they think we can't see them. :)

Nuthatch                                     Tufted Titmouse

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."    Henry David Thoreau

12-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #14

Click on the photo to view the album. To submit your photo, please contact dansangel or .45Man at danbh59@yahoo.com and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

You really are a Mama Bear. You look so gentle with those animals.

[Mama_Bear]

You really are a Mama Bear. You look so gentle with those animals.

:-) I admit, I am a sucker for just about any kind of animal, and those wallabies were so sweet and gentle. I would have loved to have brought one home with me.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Beautiful...

[GodBlessUSA]

LOL! That's adorable. I can't imagine a cat so good with birds like that.

[GodBlessUSA]

LOL, I wouldn't mess with that bird either. Neat looking bird. :)

I'm surprised. As probably most do, I always imagined a koala as a really soft furry animal.

[GodBlessUSA]

That is a gorgeous shot. Before I read your post I thought of saving to desktop. :) You are right we still have Feb to get through. I hope the weather stays like this.

[Kitty Mittens]

Oh, that's Adorable, PreviouslyA-Lurker! What a Sweet Little Kitty, to Love those Pretty Birds!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

I don't know how happy he is about it, look at his tail...

[Billie]

Love the pictures, Lori! Love the thread, GeeBee!

[Hot Tabasco]

In one day around my house I saw a Red Tail, a Sharp Shinned and an American Kestrel.

A number of years back, I took a ski trip to Collingwood, Canada with a friend of mine. Leaving Clinton Township which is a community 8 miles north of Detroit, we took I-94 E to Port Huron then the Blue Water Bridge into Canada. Along the way, virtually every single mile I kept pointing out to him a hawk along the expressway either hovering or perched in a tree. After the first couple of sightings, he then became aware of the surroundings and started sighting them for me.

The point of this story is that these hawks are everywhere, I can't for the life of me believe that they are an endangered species.

The week before the Christmas holiday I was driving into work and was now in Troy driving down Coolidge when a Sharp shinned hawk zoommed across the road in front of me just barely missing my car! He was on attack mode, how cool was that?

And 2 weeks ago I was heading home again on Coolidge and was stopped at a light when I saw a red tail hawk kitty corner from me across the street swoop down on something, probably a mouse.

When I mention these things to co-workers and friends, they appear dumbfounded since they never see such things. I have reached the conclusion that people who have no natural curiosity of nature pass by these daily occurances because their eyes and minds are not trained to pick up these ever so slight movements off to the roadsides or on the edges of wooded areas.

I live in a small condo complex which is now completely surrounded by subdivisions. At the entrance to this sub, there is a wooded area that at the most is probably a 1/4 mile square.

In the past year I have seen 5 deer, numerous pheasants, a family of beavers that dammed up the drainage ditch and had to be removed by the DNR, a couple of grouse, a coyote and many coyote tracks, and my neighbor who hails from Kentucky said she saw a flock of turkeys! All of this wildlife activity right smak dab in the middle of the fastest growing housing in S.E. Michigan. I'm not even going to mention the numbers of opossum and coon that I have live trapped and relocated...........

[GodBlessUSA]

Thank You Billie! :)

[deadhead]

Lovely thread, GodBlessUSA! Awesome that you saw that woodpecker, a beautiful bird. I had a woodpecker in my yard, but he didn't look like the one you saw. My folks had a home out on eastern L.I., one day I was there, went outside and saw something fluttering. I thought it was a huge unusual bug. It was a hummingbird. Never saw one on the island before. On my way to work each day, I see falcons perched on the poles on the highway, they look huge. Had a blue jay fly into my house once, the dog went wild, feathers all over, but got the blue jay out safe and sound :-)

[Kitty Mittens]

I don't know how happy he is about it, look at his tail...

Lol, you're Right, Now that I Take a Closer Look at it! That Tail is Bound to Be Flopping Back and Forth in Annoyance!

[GodBlessUSA]

I see Hawks on our highway all the time also. I think you are right, people are just not aware they are here because they aren't looking for them. I didn't notice them as much when I wasn't so into the birds. Now, I notice everything. LOL I see them a lot. I was not aware they were considered endangered. I find that hard to believe too.

I haven't seen an American Kestrel yet in nature. They are beautiful looking birds. I did see a Northern Harrier passing through during migration. I will look for them again this March, when they come through. We had an Owl in the yard recently. My son saw him. I missed out. One morning I was very surprised to see a Turkey Vulture strolling through my garden. At that time, I had no idea what that bird was. :)

That's great you have so much wild life to see where you live. I feel fortunate that we do also. We do a lot of hiking to look too.

[GodBlessUSA]

Hi Deadhead
Thanks :) That's a cool graphic. That is where I'm located. I never thought we had Hummingbirds on the Island either. I tried for a few years with the feeders. Finally, this past year we had them visiting. I adore them. I hope they come back this year. My friend further west S. Long Island had one in her backyard.

I would love to see Peregrine Falcon.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

060121-N-4039N-002 Pensacola, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2006) - The Navy's newest guided-missile destroyer Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) prepares to moor at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. The destroyer is named after Adm. Forrest Sherman, who was the youngest man to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations. The Forrest Sherman will be commission Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006 at NAS Pensacola. U.S. Navy photo by Mr. Patrick Nichols (RELEASED)

060121-N-7842G-043 Pacific Ocean (Jan. 21, 2006) - Two F/A-18E Super Hornets and two EA-6B Prowlers fly near the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln and Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) are underway off the coast of Southern California conducting flight operations in preparation for an upcoming deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Mary E. Guiney (RELEASED)

060120-N-1467K-001 Pacific Ocean (Jan. 20, 2006) - An AV-8B Harrier assigned to the “Blacksheep” of Marine Attack Squadron Two One Four (VMA-214) is lowered on the elevator to the hangar bay aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5). Peleliu and Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG-3) are underway off the coast of Southern California conducting their Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for an upcoming scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Nathaniel J. Karl (RELEASED)

[GodBlessUSA]

Thanks for your awesome post! :)

[JustAmy]

Absolutely beautiful, GeeBee.
Thank you for sharing your love of birds and flowers with us.
Your photos are wonderful.

I will share a photo of my ranunculas and tulips.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

That photo is so pretty Meg! I wonder why type of tree that is.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

What a gorgeous thread GB>