Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Week 1

Today my good friend and fellow blogger started a new photo challenge.  Her blog is called Bacardi Mama and today's post can be accessed by clicking here.

The premise of her photo challenge is to post your best picture of the week and share it with other bloggers and Facebookers.

I had a hard time deciding on a very best photo so I'm actually posting three.  I just don't want to leave any of them out.

First of all cardinals are always fun to photograph but never more so than when the back ground is so white. This first one was shot on a blustery wintry day and I love that I caught one in flight and also how you can see the snow so clearly.

The second one was at a calmer time and this guy was wary of me but still couldn't stop eating.

And I've included the third one not only because it's so cute, but because it's so unusual to see a bird taking a bath when it's so cold out.  This one seems to be wondering what he just did.

So those are my shots for this week and I'm hoping the name gets changed soon to Hit Me With Your Best Shots, lol.  To see more best shots, visit Nancy at Bacardi Mama.

You Capture - An Animal

Beth's You Capture challenge this week is 'An Animal' and at first I thought it really would be a challenge.  But that was when I was forgetting that birds are indeed animals.

Of course I couldn't leave out the bluebirds that still visit our feeder and birdbath multiple times every day.

They also sit on the fence while trying to contend with the wind.


And I have to include this cute little black capped chickadee holding his bird feeder treasure between his feet.

And this sparrow who looks annoyed at my intrusion.

But my favorite bird shots today were of this downy woodpecker.  He was enjoying his meal and I was enjoying photographing him enjoying it.

When an intruder decided to partake of the feast right around the corner.

The woodpecker was obviously annoyed and took immediate measures to send him on his way.

Finally his efforts paid off and the intruder 'flew the coop'.

Although the woodpecker's feathers were still ruffled for a time, he eventually settled down to finish his meal.

The last bird I photographed was sitting on an animal-friendly apparatus put in place to help lost animals find new homes.

You know, lost animals like these.  See how well it works?

For more animal shots, visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry.  Better yet, why not put up some animal shots of your own.

Birds of Summer

The birds of summer have flown the coop.  I miss them more than they'll ever know.

But I do have my old picture files to go back to and I've decided to post a few of my favorite birdbath pictures from July.

Oh how I love the bluebirds whether they're staring at me.

Or drinking water.

Male and female are equally beautiful.

Even when she's doing all the talking.

I love the vibrant colors of the goldfinch.

 

And I'm not sure what kind of birds these are - some kind of sparrow maybe - but I love how the pictures turned out and the kind of unusual poses.

And now I wonder where all the birds have gone.  Is it possible they're gone by this time every year.  Or did they look for better bug hunting when we were having our drought.  I'm a little worried about them.

And I can't believe I'm already looking forward to Spring.