Inspired by . . . Bird Blinds Vol. 2

Pedernales Falls State Park

As promised, more pictures from my first bird blind experience at Pedernales Falls State Park. I'm blessed to see most of these birds in my own front yard but I still enjoyed watching them in a different environment.

Woodhouse's Scrub Jay

Ladder-back Woodpecker

Northern Cardinal (female)

Ladder-back Woodpecker

Ladder-back Woodpecker

Northern Cardinal (male)

Lincoln's Sparrow

Carolina Wren

Sitting in the quietness of the blind I am reminded . . .

"Life is this simple: We are living in a world

that is absolutely transparent and the Divine

is shining through it all the time.

This is not just a nice story or a fable.

It is true."

~Thomas Merton

Blessings,

Inspired by . . . Bird Blinds Vol. 1

Pedernales Falls State Park

Any of you who have been visiting this blog for a while know how much I love birds and photographing birds. So you may be surprised to learn that, until recently, I had never been in a bird blind.

I have been hearing for years about the birding opportunities at Pedernales Falls State Park but had never taken the time to visit. This past January, we finally made it!

The park is beautiful and hosts two bird blinds! 

What an amazing experience!

Rather than blog-bomb you with an overabundance of photos I thought I would share over two or three posts.

Let's start out by cleaning things up a bit!

Blessings!

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 14:52

It was a gray, misty morning and I almost didn't go outside for my morning devotions. But the finches were calling and the little wren had much to tell, so out I ventured wrapped in my favorite sweater, confident that coffee and the Word would warm the rest.

The cottonwood tree in my front yard is still young and she likes to tease. It was several minutes before I realized she was hiding masked bandits behind her leaves.

Cedar Waxwings are one of my favorite birds! I only get to see them about twice a year when they come through. Although they winter in Texas we don't have enough berry bushes around to get them to stay very long.

Little droplets of red wax on his wings are no doubt where he got his name. And it looks like he dipped his tail in someone's yellow paint bucket.

Waxwings winter in more than half the United States and are year-round visitors in the northern climes, so chances are you have them where you live.

They almost always travel in flocks, although the number of birds will vary. I had about a dozen visitors. They stayed around a good part of the morning and I enjoyed every minute of their visit!

We can miss so much locked away in our little houses. I'm glad I didn't miss the blessing God had for me on this misty morning.

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 7:52

This week has been all about counting birds and preparing for butterflies!

For those of you who enJOY birding, you were probably aware that this past weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count. Others of you may have noticed an unusual number of people out-and-about looking up into trees and sky. 

This is no small event, with over 132K checklists submitted, and over 14M individual birds being counted - around the world. The count is over, but you can see the results, and some fabulous photographs, here.

This was my first year participating and I stayed, literally, in my backyard. My count was small, 10 species, 15 birds, and included all the usual suspects. I observed for just under an hour, before the wind chased me inside.

Goldfronted Woodpecker, Western Scrub Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren
Eastern Phoebe, Northern Cardinal, Lesser Goldfinch
Black-crested Titmouse, Northern Mockingbird, White-winged Dove

There has been a lot of talk lately about the declining number of bees and butterflies, due mainly to the use of pesticides. This is a concern for all of us, because pollinators make two out of every three bites of food we eat possible! If you enJOY gardening, even in pots, and want to learn how you can help, Monika's website, Texas Butterfly Ranch, has good information, and great resources.

If you live in Texas, you may have heard that San Antonio has been named the first Monarch Champion city in the country by the National Wildlife Federation. This status will bring a lot of opportunities for learning and will implement ways to help the monarchs as they migrate north through our area.

One of the ways I'm helping to "bring back the monarchs" is by incorporating a monarch waystation, or habitat, into my existing flower garden. 

It's difficult to find milkweed plants at our local nurseries (although I'm hoping that changes with our new Champion status), so I purchased a seed kit through Monarch Watch. This past week I started 150 seeds. The kit included three milkweed varieties, which are host plants for monarch larvae, and six nectar plants. I was delighted (and shocked!) to find that the Tithonia Torch {Mexican Sunflower} and the Zinnias are already sprouting!

Gardening is a lot of work, and I'm praying my back will tolerate it. It will all be worth it to encounter a beauty like this again!

What are you seeing

through your lens

this week?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Little Things Thursdays,
Bird D’pot, Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens, Wild Bird Wednesday,
Our World Tuesday, Community Global, Photo Friday