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Thursday, January 26, 2023

Symbolic Pink Sunrise

Chilly, windy and gray days have discouraged outside activities. Poor light presents photographic challenges, especially when most of my wildlife subjects are in the deep shade outside our north-facing window. 

As if to complement my earlier discussion about the similar plumages of the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, both made appearances on January 22.  The male Hairy Woodpecker arrived first and dwarfed the suet feeder:

The female Hairy was waiting on a nearby branch and flew in immediately after the male departed:

Note the female's head pattern:

The male Hairy Woodpecker's head has two red patches, above the horizontal black stripe:

The male Downy Woodpecker arrived only few minutes later:

Its single red occipital patch covers the vertical stripe:

Two Eastern Bluebirds showed up briefly and did not visit the suet. We see them occasionally during the winter, usually in small flocks of 5 to 8. This was the male. The images are particularly poor, as I had to shoot at an angle through the double window pane:

Dark-eyed Juncos dominate the area but prefer to forage on the ground under the feeders. These are male and female juncos:


I spread some millet seed in a few natural "shelves" in the granite ledge to attract other ground-feeding sparrows. Song Sparrow:


White-throated Sparrow:

Our granddaughter spotted this Red-tailed Hawk from an upstairs window and texted me. It was down in the area below the fence and I  could not see it from our perpective, so I ran up and photographed it from the upper patio. It was quite distant but at least there was no window glass to interfere:

We saw it again during our walk along the lake shore. I think they had a nest near this spot last season: 

On the mammal front, January 21 was Squirrel Appreciation Day. I  obtained this window view of a Gray Squirrel a day later:

The Red Fox continues to chase the squirrels and we saw it appear to catch one just as it started to climb up a tree. However, the squirrel  may have escaped its clutches, as this one showed up a few hours later, missing a lot of fur from its tail and evidencing other signs of fresh injury. We never saw this individual again, which may be a bad sign:  

The fox surprised me (and probably the squirrels) by showing up just outside our door. It was looking straight at me, but after I grabbed my camera it turned and started running away. I obtained only one exposure, standing about two feet inside the window. It was  so close that it did not fit in the frame:

The fox returned on January 24 to look for squirrels after the snowfall. He found none but our Ring camera recorded his visit (best viewed full screen):


There was an unusual pink sunrise on January 19. The color suffused the landscape-- photos do not capture its depth.


 "Pink symbolizes youth, good health, and playfulness. It’s the flush of first love and stands for nurturing femininity. It’s used as the symbolic color of the movement to support breast cancer research, and we think of pink as an innocent, cheerful color." (Symbolism And Meaning Of Pink)  

Only the evening before, our beautiful, talented and so lovely niece lost her long and courageous battle with breast cancer. She was a very successful entrepreneur, had many friends in business and entertainment sectors, a world traveler who advocated for early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Her spouse was so loving and caring. I cannot imagine the pain he is suffering at her loss.

This Week's Header: Pink Sunrise



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Linking to:



Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World
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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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19 comments:

  1. last week I had a woodpecker in my garden for the first time ever!

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  2. Hello :=)
    FIrst of all, my condolences for the loss of your niece, I am so sorry. Your photos are always so sharp, and plenty of wildlife passes your way. The fox was a nice surprise. Ken do foxes eat squirrels? Have you ever observed this? I have heard that they don't, by fox lovers, but a few squirrels heads and only heads, have been found on my property, and my foreman thinks it could be a fox who is eating them. I admire them both, and they are both aesthetically beautiful to look at, so I was horrified to think that one could eat the other.

    Your bird captures are all beautiful.
    All the best.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Red Foxes catch and eat all sorts of small mammals, including squirrels. I was surprised at how quick and agile this one was in pursuit of a squirrel.

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  3. You have an enviable collection of wildlife, Ken!

    Of course, I'm jealous you have Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers at your feeder! I have a tough time finding a Hairy around here.

    That sunrise was certainly special.

    Our thoughts and prayers on the passing of your niece. Unimaginable grief.

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  4. I enjoyed every image, but when I arrived at the end and read the words...
    Sorry for your loss! God rest her soul!

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  5. Red tailed hawk is truly beautiful!

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  6. Thanks for wonderful explanation. Lucky that you can find plenty of avian creatures in neighborhood

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  7. That fox is gorgeous but those sunrise shots are magnificent. Thanks for joining #Allseasons but don't forget to comment. Cheers

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  8. My sincere condolences, Ken. But I also want to write that I really like your pictures so much. I also had a visit from a great spotted woodpecker on Thursday. These are beautiful birds. The poor squirrel! The tail looks really bad.
    Best regards - Elke

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  9. Sorry to hear about your niece. Beautiful photo of the fox, and I love that pink sky.

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  10. Hello, Ken
    Wonderful captures of both the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. It is nice to see the differences between these birds, your photos show the details. Beautiful photos of the birds and critters. I am sorry for the loss of your niece, sending prayers for you and the family. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  11. Gorgeous photos!
    Thanks so much for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/01/weighing-heavy-on-my-mind.html, and for your instructive info on distinguising the woodpeckers.

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  12. Dear Kenneth,
    the pink sunrise combined with the death of your niece gives me goosebumps and tears in equal measure. I'm so sorry for your loss! That's so sad.
    ❤️
    Let's talk better about your beautiful animal photos. The two woodpecker species are really very similar to each other! I wouldn't have known it was a different kind of.
    Oh man, if you want to see poor bird photos, then come to me ;-D You did a great job with your two Eastern Bluebirds through the double window! I also find the fox photo very successful given the circumstances - and what dramas are taking place right around your house! Poor squirrels, on the other hand, the fox also wants to survive.
    How nice that birdwatching communication with your granddaughter works this way - the red-tailed hawk is worth to run up the stairs!
    Thanks for your comment related to Costa Rica. You wrote that you were limited to 2 kg of baggage... really only TWO kilos? I think my toiletry bag with content already weighs so much ;-D
    ALL THE BEST from Austria! Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/01/manchmal-kommt-es-anders.html

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  13. So sorry to hear of the loss of your niece. It must be bad time for the entire family, close and more distant.

    I suffer from the same problems as you, too many grey days and poor light. But carry on we must.

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  14. What beautiful captures again love the colourful birds and the pink sunrise :-)

    Have a pinktastic week 👍

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  15. As always these are glorious images. I cant have enough of the Blue birds.

    The Fox is a beauty.

    Hope things are good in your neck of woods dear Ken and you are taking care and healing well.

    Always a pleasure to stop by.

    God speed.

    https://natashamusing.com/2023/01/kindness-word-of-the-year-2023-woty/

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  16. Beautiful sky shots, I am sorry to hear about the loss of your niece. I look upon your post for the stunning bird captures , there is always so much to learn from your posts. Thanks for sharing with Garden affair.

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