It was pretty close to sunset and there wasn’t enough light to get a really good picture, but I like how his ruby-red throat glistens in the direct sunlight.

Gee, it’s fun to have them back!

–Sue

Good News:  I got a Grandmother’s Flower Garden block almost completed tonight while watching totally stupid TV.

Bad News:  I think I’m allergic to chocolate!!!  That’s so depressing, it makes me want a piece of … apple?  Oh, this is going to be tough.

A tip when photographing sunsets.  I’m sure my camera probably has a sunset setting in one of its menus, but I didn’t want to take time to hunt around.  I took several shots of the sunset using different camera settings that were easy to adjust.  I used an automatic mode, an “intelligent” mode, and a mode that’s supposed to get truer colors.  I got dramatically different photos from the three settings, but I loved the rich color I got in this picture.

Moral of the Story:  It pays to play around with your camera’s settings if your first results are disappointing.

–Sue

I watch by my kitchen window, and I started watching at 7:15 (missing the first 15 minutes).  Then things got shakin’.

7:20  Dancing the Argentine Tango was a Cardinal and a Cow bird:

The costuming was magnificent:

They finally agreed to stay on opposite sides of the dance floor:

7:43  Dancing the Viennese Waltz was a beautiful Monarch butterfly:

7:45  The action was hot and heavy from this point on.  Dancing the Salsa (hey, they’re both red) was a male House Finch:

7:46  Dancing the Quick Step to The Flight of the Bumblebee was, well, a Bumblebee:

7:49  Dancing the Paso Doble was a wasp:

At this point, the TV show was officially over, but one more dancer showed up a little late.

8:09  Dancing the Cha-Cha is a Downey Woodpecker:

More DWTS tonight.  Hope the lighting is good again in my crab apple tree!

–Sue

Jim made this board with partially drilled out areas to load with Bark Butter (a product that’s part peanut butter / part suet).  The squirrel LOVED it!  Since the association “took care of” the squirrel (he was naughty — chewed his way into the neighbor’s eaves), this downy woodpecker actually has a chance of getting some.  I like this picture that shows that great foot-hold.

And a cute little goldfinch.  They have become much more plentiful at the feeders.

Yes, spring has finally arrived in Minnesota.  Our crab blossoms have started to open.  The tree should be gorgeous in another couple of days.

That’s it for today.  Hope you have a great Tuesday, and some springtime sneaks into your life today.

–Sue

p.s.  Book Club today.  I finished The Three Weissmanns of Westport, and should have a new selection posted in the upper right-hand corner soon in case you’d like to read along!

White-Throated Sparrow

I love these birds because they clean up a lot of the seed spilled to the ground by the bigger birds.  Everybody loves somebody that cleans up after themselves — and even better, when they clean up after other people!

We’re also seeing some Goldfinches drop by, but the bigger birds (blackbirds and cowbirds) are kind of intimidating.

Goldfinch

The House Finches are so pretty..

House Finch

And we also had a female Cardinal come dine.

Cardinal, Female

–Sue

Doesn’t this red-winged blackbird make you think of Heckle & Jeckle?  Or maybe he reminds me of the Windex commercials.

We’re seeing way too many blackbirds and brown-headed cowbirds at the feeder this spring.  I think it’s my new feeder.  I may have to switch out to a finch feeder when then weather warms up a bit.  Hopefully sometime soon…

This guy makes me think of the State Fair…House Finch on a Stick:

A pretty little chickadee:

Another Red-Winged Blackbird.  They puff out their wings when they sing.  It really makes them look bigger than they are with those big red shoulder pads!

And a female Red-Winged Blackbird.  The blackbirds are really obnoxious diners, scattering seeds all over the ground as they dig for their favorite seeds.

And we see the occasional Cardinal.  They don’t spend much time at the feeder.  They just grab a bite and run.  Just like teenagers.

– Sue

–Sue

Proof the cardinals are eating the crab apples — check out the stem sticking out of her beak!

–Sue

A Dark-Eyed Junco.  The black mask area isn’t very visible, but you can see it slightly better in this photo:

–Sue

(Obviously this picture is B.S. — Before Snow)

–Sue