Missed and Noticed

This photo will substitute for a glowing sunrise

...something that has been missed lately

...not because I don't get up before dawn...

but because of overcast skies....

but...it produces interesting photos...

.

such as raindrops on Poppies

.

.

and Iris that glisten....

and a yard without shadows...something I'm missing.

The cool damp temperatures seem to halt the blooming of

flowers...

but increased a noticeable growth of a green patina on and in

the birdbath!

Something I almost missed but didn't...when I noticed

just what I was listening to.....it wasn't a red Cardinal...

but a Scarlet Tanager

-photos enlarge-

They are usually a shy bird that stay near the top of trees...

This one was just above me and stayed for several photos.



Here "is" something I noticed near the top of a tree...

Can you guess what it is?



It
stayed
there
forever...
it's
a
small
Gray
Squirrel
being a lookout I guess...
.

or just watching Herhusband get the car ready
for grandson Nathan to borrow for the prom...

Meanwhile...
I took the path behind the house into the woods.

.

Did you notice this mushroom in the above photo...
at the base of the tree or did you miss it?
.


I later noticed this Box Turtle farther down the path...



he slowly disappeared...


into his shell


As I walked I became aware of the sweet lemony
smell of a Honeysuckle Bush.




At the base of this tree I noticed a small pool of dark water...
almost a heart shape...


Here again is something I would have missed...
but he was singing loudly and flying low...
deliberately trying to get my attention...
there is probably a nest nearby.


-all photos enlarge-

Can you see him?

It's a Wood Thrush...

Many consider his flute-like song the most beautiful.

Farther along...the fern is beginning to cover the hillside.

I started following a well worn deer path...
.

which eventually led back up the hill...at a spot where the

tree roots look like steps...and where I noticed...

.

a past it's prime...Morel Mushroom...

and a large tree stump with a tunnel running through it...

and the remainder of it lying on it's side slowly decaying

and covered in moss.

The deer certainly take the hard way...

just like all of my grandsons have done.

I worked my way home...which was just up and over

the hill.

Two Mourning Doves were waiting in the trees...

most likely for their turn at the bird feeder...

where they eat the fallen seeds on the ground.

Besides the Cardinals and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks...

notice in the photo above the Chickadee at the birdhouse entrance...

and the Downy Woodpecker on the tree.

The Grosbeaks are our newest residents...sometimes

they have small disagreements with the our Cardinals.

They are a little bossy and slow at the feeder.

Even this little Finch knows it's best to wait.

Hope he doesn't miss his turn.

Late one afternoon there was a rather big commotion...

almost like a small riot going on with the birds...

so I grabbed the camera to tape...

Watch for a Hawk chasing a Bluejay...it's easy to miss!

Miscellaneous

I thought some miscellaneous pictures

would do for a post today.

These are two Northern Flicker Woodpeckers that visit often.

These squirrels hang around and guard the trees like this all the time.

Here is a Pileated Woodpecker from the heavy wooded area
that surrounds us.



This fawn was aimlessly running down the yard straight towards me.




This was the smallest squirrel I've ever seen on
the property. The body of the bell is about 4 inches.



I think this chipmunk is wondering just how he can get that home !




A Scarlet Tanager could easily be mistaken for a Northern Cardinal.
We just have a few Tanagers, but at least 8 pairs of Cardinals.




This baby Bluebird peeking out was the last to leave it's nest, and
was offspring of the last Bluebird family to occupy it.

Here we have a Chickadee pulling fibers from a pair of drapes on the porch.

I've seen them in the past, pull hair from our sleeping dog's tail.

These are small Carolina Wrens from a nest on our porch.
They graduated to sleeping on this blind at night.

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a feeder on the porch.
Sometimes there's three or more darting around recklessly.

This small fawn was just a few feet away before running off.

A few baby foxes shyly come around once in awhile.

Unlike baby foxes, baby raccoons aren't shy, they even pose for pictures.

I want it to warm up so it will green up!

Hurry Spring!