PhotoHunt: Together

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Together"

This week, anything is possible!

"Why, yes. We are together. Why do you ask?"

(female cardinal & canary-winged parakeet)

(Click to enlarge!)

Friday's Feathers: Catbert

Today's Friday's Feathers belong to:

Catbert!

Well, that's what we've named him, anyway. Catbert is a Gray Catbird, a winter visitor down these parts. Catbert likes Beautyberry berries, the berries on a still-unidentified small tree in a corner of the yard, insects, and using the ant moat in the hummingbird feeder as a drinking fountain.

Go Blue! - A Reminder

JJ says: Of course I voted BLUE!

Please stop by Flamingo Musings for a little tune you can hum while standing in line to VOTE this Tuesday!

PhotoHunt: Blue

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Blue". A reprise -- I give you "Boo Jay":



"Is he looking?"



"Boo!"


I'm so glad PhotoHunt's theme this week is "Blue". It's my theme, this week, too! Please see my post below to see why Flamingo Fotos has changed from it's usually rosy-pink look to "Blue". It's a personal meme, and I hope you'll join me over the next couple of days!

Have a great weekend, and GO BLUE!

Go Blue - A Meme

What's going on? you ask. I know, it looks a little weird. So if you didn't get an e-mail from me, here's what's going on:

My friend Kris had - what I thought - was an inspired idea, and I promised I would spread the word. I hope you will, too.

Let’s all go BLUE for the next week, between now and Election Day, and particularly on Election Day - especially if you live in a heretofore RED or "battleground" state! Like Florida. Or Virginia. Or Ohio (my actual original home state - Go Buckeyes!) Very simple, and doesn’t cost you a dime – wear the color BLUE everyday at work and at play, to indicate our desire for CHANGE.

It’s subtle, requires no conversation (unless someone actually notices and says something like, "Hey! You’ve been wearing blue all week - forget to do your laundry?"), no banner-waving - just a quiet statement that you demand CHANGE. It's kind of a grassroots thing. Maybe folks will notice and will feel encouraged, empowered. Maybe I'm delusional.

Coincidentally, I’m wearing a blue shirt today, so I’m off to a flying start. Join me and spread the word by e-mail and blog. I’ll be blogging about it for the duration on Flamingo Musings and however possible on Flamingo Fotos, in fact, I'm turning my blogs BLUE for the next week, until Election Day.

Think of it as a meme. Come on - tag yourself. Let's turn the States BLUE! Join me?

Spot-Breasted Orioles!

Well! It's certainly been a banner birdwatching weekend around the ol' imaginary Flamingo Pond! And I haven't even been able to sit out to watch for birds all weekend because of all the rain we've had.

The good news? The rain is bringing with it our first "cold" front of the season - high 70's during the day, 60's at night, clear skies and low humidity (go ahead and laugh, all you Northerners). The bad news? The fabulous weather is arriving just in time to go back to work! :-( This had better not be a trend. Last winter, the weather was glorious all during the work week and rained nearly every weekend. It sucked, actually.

Where was I? Oh, yeah -- during the avian lunch rush this afternoon, three Spot-breasted Orioles showed up to snack on the balloon vine that I let run amok on the side-yard fence!

This one appears to be the "baby" - he's just starting to get his black throat feathers in.

This one's the adult - or nearly so, anyway.

They finally came close enough for me to get a couple of shots! Yaaaayyy! Geez, I really have to clean these glass doors...

Don't forget to click on the images to get a way better look!

Winter's Coming!

Do you know how I know Winter's coming (and all the way down here, it ain't as simple as leaves turning color or a special quality to the sunlight, etc.)?



She's baaaaack! My little female Painted Bunting has returned to my feeders!

Isn't it funny how you tend to refer to them in the possessive? Here we have a truly wild and free creature, who, because she likes to visit my yard for the occasional meal in autumn and winter, has become mine. Just like the Gray Catbird who we've named "Catbert". Probably isn't even the same catbird, or perhaps one of several but we only ever see one at a time. Silly.

Okay, this isn't a current photo, but I'll get one soon, now that I know she's here.

But I'm overjoyed because - this week alone - I've seen the Painted Bunting, Catbert, and a couple of the Turkey Vultures (fly-overs, of course). That can only mean one thing: Winter's Coming! And down here, it just doesn't get any better than that.