flaflwrgrl said:I didn't know Ginkgo trees could grow in the cold of either IL or GB.

Although there are colder areas in the north of England, where we are is zone 8b (there are also areas, especially on the south coast, that are warmer). The coldest area (in the Scottish Highlands) is 7a hardiness zone.
Where we are in France, it is zone 10a (so we can grow all sorts of things that would be tender even in England).

The zones are according to USDA scales. Interesting, because everyone thinks of GB as cold - even the inhabitants! I think our summers are not as hot as many areas in the US, but our winters are mild.

Lovely photos again, Lin, what a beautiful place to walk. The hawk pics are really sharp - like Becky, I had no idea they would attack people; presumably a protective instinct. In the UK we have had problems with people stealing eggs of rare birds, even though it's a crime, so I have a little sympathy for the birds. Some Australian friends say that they have a similar problem with magpies dive-bombing people, so that children have to wear cycle helmets when walking to school!

We have mockingbirds here who also dive-bomb people who come too near their nests. They are amazingly fierce!

Mika, the USDA zone designations are based solely on the average low winter temperatures so really have not a whole lot to do with the general year-round climate, just "how cold does it usually get?". I am originally from British Columbia, Canada and the hardiness zone in Vancouver is also zone 8 because although it never gets terribly hot, it also never gets terribly cold either.

People have a general perception that "Canada is cold" too. Well, it is cool and damp for a lot of the fall, winter and spring and can be chilly enough to wear a jacket even in the summer just like the UK. I only go back there for visits in August.

Here's the Bald Eagle Web Cam Live if anyone wants to see.

http://webcams.dnr.state.mn.us...

Ooh, I know that England is warmer than you would think because the Gulf Stream goes right up to it. So thank a Floridian! Easter is coming which means our Snowbirds (humans that live up north) are about to migrate back to their summer homes. It's pretty cool here today. That cold front came through and gave us much needed rain, but our high today is only in the 60's. Brrr!

I made it to MOSI yesterday and while I was paying most of my attention to the butterflies (since that's my job), I did notice some birds. I was exiting the exhibit when I saw a Red-Bellied Woodpecker in the bird feeder. I couldn't get my camera out of my pocket fast enough to take a picture. Now, at the same time I was looking at the woodpecker, I could hear another one pecking away in the oak tree. (FYI, I was there 45 minutes and heard this woodpecker the whole time.) I couldn't see it, but figured maybe it was another Red-Bellied because I usually see them in small groups. Before I left, I stood under the tree to see if I could spot where the noise was coming from. And I did! Only, I think this is a male Hairy Woodpecker. You can see it has a little red on the head, and I can tell you it was too big to be a Downy. It must have found a sweet spot on that tree because it just kept pecking away in that one place. Here are some bad pictures I took of it!

They're good pics, Melanie - it's really nice to see your woodpecker in action!

Thanks, Mika! Just watching them bang their heads into trees gives me a headache! But it's nice that you can hear when they're around. Except I don't like when they bang on the telephone poles or my neighbor's metal roof because that is loud! From the noise, you'd expect a much larger bird. They're efficient, that's for sure.

Thanks everyone, I do love taking pictures of the birds.

Becky; that city center park is only a couple of miles from our house and it really is a nice place to take walks around the lake. There are usually lots of birds around as well as squirrels ... and the lake is full of turtles that are used to being fed by humans. Whenever someone walks over to the railing, lots and lots of turtles will come swimming from mid-lake, thinking they are going to get fed. My mother in law always loved nature and in her later years before she passed away, I'd take her to the city center lake and push her around in her wheel chair. We'd always take a loaf of bread so that she could feed the turtles.

Elaine, I grew up in coastal Virginia and remember everyone referring to the Northern Mockingbird as "Catbird" because they would dive-bomb any neighborhood cat that encroached on their nesting sites. They will dive at humans and dogs who come close to where they are nesting too and it always amazes me that they sometimes build their nests so low in shrubbery. We have lots of Mockingbirds around now and a pair has built a nest in the next door neighbors shrub right by her gate ... don't know if the same birds return to the exact same spot for nesting each year but I've been aware of them building nests in this shrub for the past four years.

Christine, do you know where that Bald Eagle nest is located?? Is that the one in Montana? I saw something on the national news a couple of times recently and the next in Washington D.C. has two eggs that hatched recently.

I still watch the Southwest Florida Osprey live cam feed sometimes and those Osprey babies are really growing fast! It will be fun to watch the Eagle babies too!

Melanie, how cool that you see the Red-bellied WP's in groups. I usually only see one or two together. That sure looks like a male Hairy WP in your photos to me too. The Hairy is a lot taller than the Downy and the Hairy has a longer and bill than the Downy. There's a good depiction of the two side by side here: https://www.audubon.org/news/h.... Their drilling can be loud but not quite as loud or forceful sounding as the Red-bellied and oh my, the big Pileated is extremely loud ... talk about giving one a headache!

Hi everyone, popping in here at Mika's suggestion to post photos of our barred owl which visits our yard on occasion. I am always thrilled to see them and even more thrilled when I hear them because I know they are still around!

Awesome! I've been hearing an owl, and Dad finally saw it fly through the yard the other day. But I still haven't seen it. If I got a picture I'd be over the moon! Jean!

Jean, good to see you here and wow, what a beautiful Barred Owl!! Is that at your home here in Fl or your place in AR? I used to hear owls a lot but it's been awhile. What a nice visitor to have!

He (she?) is gorgeous, Jean - almost too good to believe real and not plastic!!! Like Melanie, we hear but don't see owls.

A couple of quick photos before I finish getting our dinner ready. I was standing at the kitchen window and spotted this little Carolina Wren so I grabbed the camera for a couple of pictures. I can't see all that well and I never really know what I've captured until I download them to my laptop. Looks like this little one was collecting dog fur to use for nesting material. We have a Golden Retriever who has very long fur and my husband takes him outside in the yard to brush him every day.


When I was out in the yard earlier I spotted this Northern Mockingbird perched in the Weeping Bottlebrush tree. It's been very windy here today but I managed to get a couple of pictures when the branches blew just right andthe sunlight caught the bird:

The owls are here in DeLand, Lin. We have almost three acres here and a lot of it is wooded. Several years ago a pair of owls sat in a tree watching us while DH and I walked back and forth under the tree, working on a flower bed. They seemed to be curious about what the humans were doing. I almost thought I would see them taking out their little bird cameras to take pictures to show their friends We have a pair of cardinals we like to watch as we are sipping our coffee in the morning as they take their turns in the birdbath.

rocklady said:The owls are here in DeLand, Lin. They seemed to be curious about what the humans were doing. I almost thought I would see them taking out their little bird cameras to take pictures to show their friends.

I got a few more photos through the window this evening; I went out and wiped off the window a bit but I really need to do a thorough cleaning both inside and out in the near future.

Chipping Sparrow. There were a couple of them flitting around, one was collecting dog fur from the lawn which is odd because they are only winter visitors here.


Northern Mockingbird

Love the owl photo Jean!!!!

Lin, the birds are going to make "Bo nests".
Great shots!

I got this photo this morning. The Goldfinches were going crazy eating the ripened seed on the Rumex (Red Sorrel). There are 9 of them in the photo on the stems of the Red Sorrel. Can you find them all?



My dear Mika, perhaps you can work your magic with my photo to make it clearer?????
I was reading my instruction booklet for the camera this afternoon & think I have figured out which button adjusts the lighting. Too bad that didn't happen before I took this photo.

Boy! Do y'all have some cute little birdies! Love the owl photos!

I was really lucky today and got some unexpected photos. Some I happened to take on my way to an appointment because I had my camera in my car.

I hope this is the last time I see this squirrel sitting in my bird feeder. I just replaced my shepherd's hook for a taller one:


Cardinal and dove:


Just happened to see this hawk fly and land on my fence. I hope he gets the rats (not the squirrels, but real rats):




The female Painted Bunting with a healed broken leg:


Indigo Bunting in all it's glory. I love the blue color of it's feathers:


Mama Sandhill Crane and 2 babies:


Daddy joined them when I started to get too close:


One of the babies:

Superb Becky!