The Big Picture and Little Pleasures

Every once and awhile I do a post about the 'big picture' to show you what the scenery looks like around here.  This week seemed like a good time to do that again, since we've had some really beautiful weather.  But then a few 'little' things popped up this week, too.  So I decided to show you both.

I'll start with the 'big picture'.

I don't think I've ever shown this particular view before.  That's Elk Mountain in the distance.  This field, the farthest one from our house, is a good place to watch for white-tailed deer in the evening.  

Another favorite viewpoint of mine is from an opening between two fields.

The hills are just starting to get some color.

If you are in the woods though, it still looks pretty green.

Of course, I'm always enjoying views of the swamp, especially when there is a pretty reflection in the water.

One tree on the hillside is ahead of the rest in turning red.

The old dock is too rickety-looking for me to venture out on it anymore.  I wouldn't mind much if I wound up in the water but I don't want to dump my camera.

Now, for the 'little pleasures' of this past week.   First, I've had several sightings of our young Cardinal.  He's hanging around with his father.

While he has been in the crab apple tree near the bird feeder, I still haven't seen him on the feeder, but I'm very happy he's doing okay.  In fact, he's starting to look pretty sharp... though he needs to grow a few more feathers in his crest.

Another little pleasure from the week was that we still had some Monarchs around.  The next one looked very beautiful on the Goldenrod flowers.

I was happy to see a little group of Lincoln's sparrows passing thru on their migration.

But I was happiest of all to see the next little cutie!

This red-breasted nuthatch appeared at our feeders on September 24th and kept coming all afternoon.

I had fun taking its photograph and watching it enjoy the sunflower seeds.

We don't see them very often here.  In fact, the last one that we had at our feeders was in January 2009.  

During the fall and winter, they like to eat the seeds of conifers and are one of the irruptive bird species when those seeds are in short supply.  (Click here to read an interesting article about that by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology).

One winter we had a red-breasted nuthatch coming to our feeders that would eat out of our hands.  How I would love to have one stay around this year, but this one must have just been passing thru, as I haven't seen it again.  Of course, another one may come around (there's always hope!) and I'm thankful that this one visited, if only for an afternoon!

Meanwhile, we have lots of other birds at the feeders.  I enjoyed the simple pleasure of photographing this female red-bellied woodpecker showing her red belly... and seeing that she was smart enough to figure out how to get a seed from the 'small-bird only' feeder.

Now, time to feed the other hungry critters at my house.... 

Don't these faces give the message that it's time for me to stop writing this blog post and get them each a doggie biscuit?