There were lots of birds at the botanical garden feeders on Valentine’s Day, most of them flitting about too quickly to catch with my camera, but I got a few. And a new lifer!
I thought I’d never catch my elusive new life bird — this was the only good picture out of the bunch.
A bird true to its name, the Pine Warbler is common in many eastern pine forests and is rarely seen away from pines. These yellowish warblers are hard to spot as they move along high branches to prod clumps of needles with their sturdy bills. If you don’t see them, listen for their steady, musical trill, which sounds very like a Chipping Sparrow or Dark-eyed Junco, which are also common piney-woods sounds through much of the year.
~ All About Birds website
More blossoms to enjoy in the Lenten rose patch:
We’ve been hearing frogs croaking for a couple of weeks but they always stop and hide before we get to their pond, no matter how quietly we approach. This time we did see a lot of their eggs in the water, though.
One of these days we might actually see a frog! 🐸
The birds are all so sweet and beautiful colours too. Isn’t it lovely to see so many flowers blooming again too? I am really enjoying seeing the first flowers making their appearances on the other side of the world. ❤️
Thank you, Joanne. There is such a feeling of anticipation in the air and the spring ephemerals should be making their brief appearances very soon. I hear that dimpled trout lilies are blooming now so I need to get over there this week! 💙
That’s exciting, I look forward to seeing your photos. <3
😊
Hi Barbara -did you notice the two nuns on photo nr 9 – 🙂
I did not! But now that you mention it I do see them. Thanks for pointing them out. 😊
Nice shots, Barbara. Frog eggs means spring has arrived!
Thank you, Eliza! It’s a degree below freezing this morning but spring is definitely in the cold air. 🙃
been seeing a lot of the same birds here in Ohio! lovely photos <3
Thank you, Ren! I’m glad you’re enjoying a the parade of birds up north there. 💙
A post full of lovely photos, Barbara, I love your eye! LOVE that Coastal Plain Habitat boardwalk, what fun! And a big congrats on the Pine Warbler lifer, woohoo!! 🤗💃😊
Thank you so much, Donna! It seems like every time I go the botanical garden I see a new bird. 😉 I can’t wait to see what other surprises and photo ops the spring season will bring my way. 😊🐦🌼
This is a beautiful venue Barbara. I like that you have two seasons here – some withered Fall leaves and new Spring life as well. I like the greens and purples … the bright green and fresh leaves and the blooms in the Lenten Rose patch. I’ve gone looking for the Springtime singing frogs a few times, but I think once they see the whites of my eyes, they go underwater until I’m gone. With the frog eggs, then tadpoles, hopefully you’ll get a few frog shots this Spring. That’s a beautiful bird, your #81, one I have never been lucky enough to see.
Thank you, Linda. I imagine it won’t be long before so many things leafing out and blossoming that all traces of withered autumn vegetation will be gone. It is pretty amazing how those frogs sense our presence and disappear before we can get close enough to see them. Beverly and I used to sit by the swamp, very still and not talking, until after a very long while they would finally come up to the surface and take a peek around. Then they would start croaking again. As soon as we moved to leave they were gone again.
They are quick for sure Barbara. The most luck I had hearing them and sneaking a quick peek was in a ditch at Lake Erie Metropark. I crept up on them – no pictures as they were gone moments later. Perhaps they see our shadow on sunny days?
I don’t know how they sense our presence so keenly but it’s pretty amazing! Maybe one of these days one of us will get lucky and snatch a photo. 😉
Yes, I hope so, but in the meantime we will have to be happy with the singing only. 🙂
If I go back often enough I might catch some tadpoles with the camera… 📷
Yes, that would be fun, documenting their stages with your camera, or at least getting a few shots of them near the surface of the water. When I was young, we had a creek at the end of our street and a meadow. In the Spring my friends and I took clean pickle jars and caught tadpoles. My mom said “you can keep them in the jar, in the basement, ’til they grow legs, then they go back to the pond!” 🙂
Such lovely photographs. You’re a wonderful photographer. The cypress knees look like two women praying….
Thank you, Pam. I love taking pictures and I love it when my readers see things I didn’t notice, like the two women praying, or, two nuns, as Leelah described them.