Q is for Quilts, November 4, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Wild Bird Wednesday, and Wednesday Waters

ABC Wednesday
Q is for Quilt - a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance between them and stitched in patterns to prevent the filling from shifting. Many quilts are embellished by piecing (sewing together small colored pieces of fabric), applique, and embroidery.

Quilts on display at the Wayne County Welcome Center, Collinwood, Tennessee, USA

Wild Bird Wednesday

American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, Lee County, Mississippi, USA, October 25, 2015

Crows are common birds in many parts of the world. They may be tamed and kept as pets if they are captured when they are still very young.

Crows are omnivorous, eating insects, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, and meat.

Wednesday Waters

Tennessee River, Tennessee, USA, October 5, 2015

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Have a Beautiful Day!

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Red-Winged Blackbird, June 3, 2015

Wild Bird Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, and Wednesday Waters

Wild Bird Wednesday

Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, May 31, 2015

The male Red-Winged Blackbird is identified by his reddish wing patches.  The female and the young birds are a heavily streaked brownish color.

They can be found all across the United States and much of Canada.  They prefer marshes but will nest near any body of water.  Two or three broods are raised each year.


Water World Wednesday

Canada Goose, Tupelo, Mississippi, USA

I wonder if animals notice their reflections in the water.

Wednesday Waters

Tugboat with barges on the Tennessee River at Shiloh, Tennessee, USA, June 1, 2015

Lettering on the stern of the tugboat identifies it as being from Paducah, Kentucky.  Paducah is where the Tennessee River flows into the Ohio River, and is 161 miles (259km) to the north.

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

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NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Pickwick Dam, May 13, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, Wild Bird Wednesday and Signs, Signs

ABC Wednesday
R is for River -  The Tennessee River flows 652 miles (1,049 km) through Tennessee and parts of Alabama and Kentucky to empty into the Ohio River.  Numerous dams along the way generate electric power and create lakes for fishermen and water sports enthusiasts to enjoy.

Tennessee River, Pickwick, Tennessee, USA, May 4, 2015

Upriver from Pickwick Dam, the Tennessee River widens to form Pickwick Lake

Water World Wednesday

Great Blue Heron, May 4, 2015

On the downriver side of Pickwick Dam, a Great Blue Heron prepares for takeoff.

And away he goes to catch his dinner.

Wild Bird Wednesday

On the electric power structure high above Pickwick Dam, an Osprey built a nest.  When I first saw the nest back in February, I thought it was an eagle's nest.  Now we know for sure - Osprey.

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, May 4, 2015, Pickwick, Tennessee, USA

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds describes the Osprey as "a large, long-winged 'fish hawk.'  An Osprey searches for fish by flying and hovering over the water, watching the surface below.  When prey is sighted, it dives steeply, its talons outstretched, and splashes into the water."  Hopefully when it emerges it has a fish to eat!

Signs, Signs

Here are a few more signs from the Cancer Survivors camp that I went to in April.

The camp was at Fellowship Christian Retreat at Crow's Neck near Tishomingo, Mississippi.

Fellowship Christian Retreat, April 25, 2015

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

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One Year in Remission, May 6, 2015

Water World Wednesday, Signs Signs, Wild Bird Wednesday, and ABC Wednesday

Water World Wednesday

Bay Springs Lake near Tishomingo, Mississippi, USA, April 25, 2015

Recently I attended a week-end camp for Cancer Survivors. The lake was only a few steps from our cabin.

Signs, Signs

There were wooden signs near the lake and along the walking paths. I saw perhaps 25 or 30. To mention just a few: 'Bread of Life,' 'Good Shepherd,'  'Redeemer,' 'Jesus,' and 'Prince of Peace.' Below is my favorite one.

I am celebrating! My Leukemia has been in remission for one year. Praise the Lord!

Wild Bird Wednesday

Tupelo, Mississippi, USA

Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Canada Goose and their children, Dick, Jane, and Sally

He looked ready to defend his family, so I moved on.

ABC Wednesday
Q is for Quack, Quack - sounds made by ducks

Well, here is the duck. You will have to imagine the quacking!

Have a great day!
 

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NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Muscovy Ducks, April 8, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Wild Bird Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday

M is for Muscovy Ducks

Muscovy Duck, Cairina moschata, Ballard Park, Tupelo, Mississippi, USA

Muscovy Ducks are native to Central and South America, but are moving northward into the United States. Though they are tropical birds, they have adapted well to colder climates. I made these photos at a park where they are used to people being around. In some parts of the world Muscovy Ducks are raised for food and are sold as Barbary Ducks.

They eat grass, water plants, small fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects. Males are larger than females, and their wattles are larger and a darker red. I think the first photo is of a male, and this one is female. Both sexes have claws on their feet.

I was laughing out loud watching this one enjoy its bath!  (I never thought about ducks having tongues, but of course they do.)

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

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NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Hawks and Herons, March 4, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Wild Bird Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday

Wild Bird Wednesday
ABC Wednesday - H is for Hawks

Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA, a windy day, February 5, 2015

The Red-Tailed Hawk is the most common and widespread American hawk, with a range that covers all of the United States and most of Canada.  We often see them perched on the power lines in the Winter.



When the Hawk saw me, he flew farther away from me to this bush at the edge of a field.
When it flew I could see the reddish-brown tail feathers that give it its name.

Small rodents are the Red-Tailed Hawk's main source of food. They watch the ground intently, ready to pounce on the smallest movement in the grass.



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Its reddish-brown tail feathers are more noticeable in flight, but you can see the edges here.


Outdoor Wednesday and Water World Wednesday

March 2, 2015, Shiloh, Tennessee, USA

Monday was a cloudy day with intermittent rain - not a promising day for photography, but I always take my camera with me.  This Winter it seems that everywhere I look I find another Great Blue Heron.

Caught a fish!

I was surprised that this small pond had such a large fish in it.

Swallowed it whole!

You can see the bulge in its throat as the fish goes down.  Amazing!

Have a beautiful day!

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NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Water Fowl, February 17-18, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Wild Bird Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday

ABC Wednesday
F is for feathers.
There are two basic types of feathers. Down Feathers are underneath the outer Vaned Feathers.  Feathers insulate birds from water and cold temperatures.  Wing and tail feathers control flight.  Down feathers may be plucked by female birds to line their nests.

Last Saturday was so sunny and mild, this Muscovy Duck (semi-tame) decided it was a good day for a bath.
I watched it for about five minutes as it splashed and preened.

Afterwards it came on shore to dry its feathers.  You will notice there are a lot of down feathers on the ground.

Wild Bird Wednesday
Mallard, the most common duck in the world.

Hen and Drake

Mallard ducks can be found in ponds, lakes, and marshes across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.  One source I consulted informed me that Mallards are considered to be an invasive species in New Zealand because they breed with the native New Zealand ducks.

The male is more colorful than the female, but she is very pretty with each brown feather tipped in light tan.

Mallard ducks eat a variety of water plants, worms, snails, and insects.  The female lays 8-10 pale green eggs in a nest made of grass and downy feathers hidden in marsh grass or a brush pile near the shore.  When three or four months old, the young ducks' wings are developed enough for them to begin flying.

Outdoor Wednesday and Water World Wednesday

February 14, 2015, Tupelo, Mississippi, USA

The white bark of the Sycamore tree makes a nice contrast to the evergreen Pine trees behind it.  Hopefully, by mid-March the Sycamore and other deciduous trees will begin to leaf out again.

Have a beautiful day!

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NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

Woodpeckers for WBW, February 10-11, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Wild Bird Wednesday

ABC Wednesday
E is for Eagle's Nest?


February 2, 2015

I think this is an eagle's nest high atop this electric power structure.  I have not seen eagles in this area so I could be wrong.  The birds I usually see here are Gulls and Herons, but I've never seen their nests up so high.  This power structure is mounted on top of a dam, so is higher than it looks.


If it is not an eagle's nest, well then, E is for electric power!
NOTE:  Thanks to blogging friends helping with ID, I think this is actually an Osprey nest.

Outdoor Wednesday 



Rocks and driftwood alongside Pickwick Lake, Colbert county, Alabama, USA, February 7, 2015

Last Saturday was such a beautiful, sunny day we decided to drive over into Alabama to walk at  
Pickwick Lake (created by a dam across the Tennessee River). It is a very popular recreation area, especially in the Summer, but it is quiet and peaceful now in the Winter. This is looking north towards the main part of the river.

 

 

Looking south, waves created by the wind are more noticeable.

 

Wild Bird Wednesday

Female Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA, February 6, 2015

The year-around range of the Red-Bellied Woodpecker covers most of the eastern United States. When Winters are severe in the northern states, woodpeckers will migrate south. Since they cling to tree trunks and limbs, the small patch of reddish feathers low on their bellies is seldom seen.

female, Red-Bellied Woodpecker

The female came to my suet feeder first, ate as much as she wanted, and then moved aside for the male.

female, Red-Bellied Woodpecker

She perched above the feeder and watched him eat.  In the Spring she will lay 4 or 5 white eggs in a tree cavity.  Both parents incubate the eggs, taking turns on the nest.  Fledglings leave the nest 24-26 days after hatching.

Male Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA, February 6, 2015

Woodpeckers eat large numbers of tree-boring beetles as well as other insect pests. They also like acorns and wild fruit.  You can attract them in the Winter by hanging suet feeders.  The ones I buy have sunflower seeds, cracked corn, chopped peanuts, and raisins imbedded in the suet.

male, Red-Bellied Woodpecker

In case you are wondering why this bird is not named Red-Headed Woodpecker, there is another woodpecker whose red feathers completely cover its head, face, neck, and throat down to its shoulders. Hopefully, one day I'll get a photo of a Red-Headed Woodpecker.

Have a wonderful day!

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Goose on the Lake, December 17, 2014

Wild Bird Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, and ABC Wednesday
W is for Waterfowl

Canada Goose, Branta Canadensis, at Ballard Park, Tupelo, MS, USA

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

I'm joining three memes today:

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Guntersville Lake, September 17-18, 2013

Guntersville Lake in Guntersville, Alabama, USA, Friday, September 13, 2013

Have a beautiful day!

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A is for Amory July 17, 2013

This post is for:
ABC Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday
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A is for Amory, Mississippi, USA.

Located in northeast Mississippi, Amory's population was 7,316 at the 2010 census.

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Covered sidewalks along Main Street make shopping easy, rain or shine.

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There are always flags along Main Street in celebration of various holidays.

This month's flags are for Independence Day.

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Bill's Hamburgers are famous throughout the area.

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Get your lunch 'to-go, carry-out' and enjoy it at McAlpine Lake.

This small lake near downtown Amory is very peaceful and relaxing to visit.

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The highlight of the community's activities is the annual Railroad Festival at Frisco Park.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

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