Winter Moves to Spring, Spring to Summer...Hello!

Hi everyone,

It's been a long time. Winter moved into spring and then into summer. Where does the time go? It seems the older I get, the faster it goes.

I've been keeping busy here, but on the way to Mom's, we try to stop somewhere to get in some camera time. Is there any better way to wash away stress and melt away the world around us? I don't think so! I get out there with my camera, concentrate on why I'm there, and I don't care if there were a thousand people around me, they would all disappear while watching a beautiful swan family, an egret catching fish, or beaver swimming in the calm waters of a pond.

We had a bit of excitement this year, as "Mr. Sandpiper" walked in our residential neighborhood. There he was, minding his own business, and what to his wondering eyes should appear? No, not Santa and his reindeer, but a MOOSE! Came trotting on past him, as if he belonged there. Shucks, I wasn't there and I missed it!

If that's not bad enough , Mr. Sandpiper and I were walking this weekend. Usually, there is at least a good 30 feet between us as we walk, if not a mile. :-) I tend to take my time, noticing all the details, so sometimes he leaves me behind, which is fine. I don't even notice. Well, not so fine this weekend, when he waved me up to him quickly - not quickly enough, it turns out, to see a "thought to be extinct" EASTERN COUGAR!! I can't believe I missed it! We went through all possibilities of photos on the net to identify it, and he is VERY CERTAIN. There have been many sightings of "Mountain Lions" (the same thing), but no good verification, but if he says he saw one, I have no doubt at all! I've suggested to Mr. Sandpiper "in the future" to first click the camera - THEN call me!! At least then we would have a picture. LOL

Okay, let's get down to it! You can click on the pix to see them larger.

What would spring be without the baby animals? Mama and Papa Mute Swans, and barely visible, little cygnets in the grass.

Six little fluff balls all in a row

Cygnet

Five of the babies

In the afternoon light

Moving into summer... A Mockingbird. Such a lovely imitator. Wonderful music to the ears.

Great Egret being harassed by a Red-Winged Blackbird...

And getting very annoyed, so he puffs up his feathers and complains with a throaty call! Lovely

On another day, while sitting on a deck eating breakfast, we watched this egret catching fish

It's not only egrets that get harassed by the smaller birds... an Osprey and a Red-Wing

Mallard showing off his pretty colors

Gulls competing and scrabbling for food. If you look carefully, you can see who won this fight.

Killdeer

Great Egret flying over the marsh grasslands

Just a simple pattern of grass. Nature is a wonderful artist. No?

A Snowy Egret standing next to a Little Blue Heron

Catbird - A mockingbird wannabe! ;-)

I was standing by the car one late afternoon, when this Red-Winged Blackbird flew past my head and landed right in front of me. I could not have asked for better light!

Canada Goose

Budding Queen Anne's Lace

House Finch

Mockingbird

Eastern Cottontail scratching and fluffing after a heavy rain

An American Robin

This weekend, I was sitting in a chair next to Mom's bed and looking out the window, I noticed some flowers moving back and forth. I thought it might be birds because I had seen them there before, but I saw nothing, so I went back to my chair, and suddenly this young deer was about a foot from the window. It veered away, racing, and zigzagging across the field, as a hawk kept swooping down on it. I ran for my camera in the other room, but missed the action.

Two very wet Yellow-Shafted Flickers

This picture shows the yellow shafts on one

And finally, what would summer be without a visit to Buttonwood Farm to see the sunflowers? We headed out into the countryside...

Sunflowers glowing through the trees

Sunflower

Flowers for as far as the eye can see.

Sunflowers for Wishes to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Well, I think I'm all blogged out for awhile. I hope you all are well and happy.

Til we meet again.
All my best to you!
Lin