Unless you're a very patient person or fellow photographer, you may find me a terrible person with whom to take a bicycle ride because I frequently stop to take pictures. My mom belongs in the first category; she's a very kind and patient person! During one of our rides at the lake, she spotted this red-bellied woodpecker and pointed it out to me.
The red-bellied woodpecker is named for the reddish tint on its belly. Although the red feathers on its head are much more obvious, another species already holds the name of red-headed woodpecker.
A flock of geese rested on the ice while swans swam in the lake.
Blogging friend Marie of A Colorful World recently announced that her mother Latane Barton was opening a book club at Springtime in Magnolia.
Bloggers are welcome to join and share reviews of whatever books they read: there is no required reading. I recently joined and shared my review of Rachel Guerrera's ebook Staying on Topic is Hard. Check out Springtime in Magnolia and join in the fun!
Linking with: Wild Bird Wednesday and The Bird D'pot.
--Victor Hugo
lovely bird shots! really like the flocks on the ice. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Theresa! I'm glad I get to sleep somewhere a little more warm and cozy! They must be tough birds!
DeleteWOW! One of my MOST favourite birds! They have so much character!
ReplyDeleteLove the bird photos! I was thinking about joining the bookclub; I'll pop over tomorrow and catch your review. Have a great evening!
ReplyDeleteConsidering you go by magnoliasntea, you'd be the ideal book club member! Would be awesome if you decided to join.
DeleteGreat photos, it is quite funny to see how both of the two species (swan & geese) are in the same lake but in separate places each with their own kind.
ReplyDeleteGood observation!
DeleteBeautiful photo! Paige and I saw a woodpecker when we went out for a walk today. It wasn't as colorful as yours - ours was black and white. Paige did not have the camera so we just admired it for a moment rather than "shooting" it. You have a lovely blog by the way! Love in Christ, Lisa (Paige's mom)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa! At least you have the bird recorded in your memories! It seems if ever I leave my camera at home, I often have a reason to miss it later. A while back I left it at home and later in the day ended up seeing a herd of deer!
DeleteLovely photos! I love stopping along my way to bird watch as well. I'll have to check out the book review blog. It's definitely one of my resolutions to read more this year - so I look forward to some good inspiration! God bless xo
ReplyDeleteSounds like a worthy resolution! I slacked off a bit in my reading last year, but hopefully I'll be getting more books in now. I just finished reading Orwell's Animal Farm--which I had been thinking about reading for quite some time. To my surprise it only took a few hours to finish--and to top it off, I was able to find a free version from a university online! I'm planning to post a review of that soon.
DeleteGreat photos, Bethany! Your mom sounds like my husband...extremely patient. The two of us bike a lot and I stop every couple of minutes. He waits while I snap dozens of pictures and never complains!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful husband!
DeleteVery good photos! Never seen that type of woodpecker :(
ReplyDeleteI hope you see one one of these days. My cousin and uncle were just telling me they saw a pileated woodpecker down at the lake...I've never seen one of those--hope it stays in the area.
DeleteGreat photo of that woodpecker! I would ride with you, because I do the same thing while walking!
ReplyDeleteI wish you could join my family and I for a ride some time!
DeleteNice pictures stephanie, i see you also love photography as us...blessings friend
ReplyDeleteI do have a slight feeling it's a commonly shared interest around our part of the blogging world ;). Blessings to you as well Soraya!
DeleteWhen I'm on my bike, I'm just trying not to fall over or get hit. Hiking is another matter. I can stand in one place for a very long time, so I usually go by myself. Beautiful shot of the RBW and the geese and swans on ice.
ReplyDeleteHiking is a lot of fun, and I can tell from the photos on your blog that standing in one place for a very long time really pays off! You get some great shots!
DeleteThis is beautiful photography! Don't think otherwise. ^.^ Funny, this type of bird was on my Biology test regarding it's role in the community!
ReplyDeletexoxo Morning
Ha! Neat coincidence that you'd be studying about the bird! Thanks.
DeleteLovely photos, Bethany!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda!
DeleteThat is so funny! I stop all the time as well! We would be the best bike riding friends, Bethany! ;-) We probably wouldn't get too far though...lol.
ReplyDeleteWe'd sure get plenty of good photos though! It's just a matter of getting priorities straight ;).
DeleteThanks for posting, Bethany. You took some good photos and I enjoyed seeing them. I wish I had a camera with me the day I saw a pileated woodpecker on a walk I took over 20 years ago!
ReplyDeleteThat must have been such a disappointment not to have your camera with you, but at least you have the moment captured in your memory!
DeleteI can't imagine how lovely your bike ride was. That shot of the woodpecker was great. I would have stopped too.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even notice the woodpecker when I went by. My mom heard him in the tree and stopped me; I'm glad she did!
DeleteBeautiful pictures, especially the woodpecker I love.
ReplyDeleteGood thing your mother has so much patience.
Best regards, Irma
Thanks Irma! She's a wonderful person.
Deletelol, I do exactly the same when I´m biking. A great way of seeing many things :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your pecker and the canadians :)
Thanks! True.
DeleteHi Bethany, Very neat photos. Especially the red-bellied woodpecker. And the geese on the ice ... I wonder if they have any sense of the cold ice in their feet? Thanks for sharing your photography. John
ReplyDeleteThey are tough creatures to take the cold like that. We humans would soon have hypothermia in similar conditions.
DeleteI love the pictures of the geese and the woodpecker. I love to stop and take pictures, too! I love to take walks and take pictures.
ReplyDeleteBethany, what is your sister's blog? I've looked at it before, but I can't remember the address.
Love,
Ashley
creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com
Hi Ashley, my sister Charity's blog is www.withcharity.blogspot.com. Enjoyed your photos from your last walk; you should take another soon ;).
DeleteAn outstanding photograph Bethany! I am the same way, my walks always take me twice as long for I am always stopping for photographs.
ReplyDeleteSome people can/preserve food. We preserve beautiful scenes ;).
DeleteNice bike ride and pretty shots, I love the Woodpecker and all the geese.. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteYou too!
DeleteBeautiful shots! I love the woodpecker. My girls refuse to go on a walk with me because we never get anywhere because I'm always stopping to take photos. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou need to convert them! ;)
DeleteThat is one thing I am low on, patience. I love your post as bird so intrigue me.
ReplyDeleteI think for a lot of us it's how we use or distribute the patience we have that makes the difference.
DeleteGeese and Swans are plentiful over here on the West Coast but I've never seen a Red Bellied Woodpecker before. Real nice capture!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteSome wonderful shots, Bethany.
ReplyDeleteThanks Margie!
DeleteMy ADD gets in the way of me taking bird photos...sad. This one is very nice. Tom The Backroads Traveller
ReplyDeleteThanks! Even if you don't get many bird photos, you get some great scenery captures!
DeleteBeautimous photos! The woodpecker is cute. Mom and I saw a type of woodpecker on our walk yesterday!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! We keep an eye out for them at our place; usually we have a couple woodpeckers visit every year.
DeleteWoodpecker looks elegant in this shot. Your photos looks serene. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI love all of your shots, but especially the woodpecker, I wouldn`t get much riding done either! Phyllis
ReplyDeleteIt's a pleasant distraction!
DeleteNice shots of the woodpecker, the geese and the swans. I loved seeing the swans swimming in the cold water in that last shot.
ReplyDeleteThe swans were a beautiful attraction. I captured one with its wings outstretched, but unfortunately a branch was in the way, making for a rather blurry photo.
DeleteThis is a fabulous shot of the woodpecker. I love the swans too! I would be right there with you stopping for pictures, especially when birds are involved.
ReplyDeleteThey are amazingly beautiful creatures, aren't they?
DeleteI would be a wonderful friend to ride with, I stop for EVERYTHING!! Great captures!!
ReplyDeleteYou do sound like a good biking partner!
DeleteThank you for sharing the photos of these beautiful birds. I think I would enjoy a bike ride with you because I, too, love birds and would not mind the detours :) Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteToo bad we're not neighbors! You have a happy weekend as well!
DeleteSuperb photos. I'm sure that folks really enjoy their cycle rides with you.
ReplyDeleteI send you good wishes.
Thanks. All the best to you as well!
DeleteBeautiful bird images! I love the woodpeckers - sweet birds.
ReplyDeleteWoodpeckers are pretty neat!
DeleteGreat photos, Bethany. Your Mom is sweet for letting you stop often. :-) Oh my, how great that you posted a link to the book club! Thanks! I really enjoyed your review! I think it's going to be so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie! Your mom had a good idea getting it started! Thanks for letting us all know about it!
DeleteThank you, Bethany, for posting about our book club. I just joined your followers and am looking forward to seeing a lot more of you on Liberty or Death.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHi Bethany, I just stopped by and was looking at some of your posts before I started following. Just had to tell you I love that post North Central Iowa Model Railroad. Sure would enjoy a cup of coffee with your Grandfather. Rail enthusiasts are hard to find! :-) Have a great weekend. John
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he'd enjoy talking with you as well, John! If you're ever in this neck of the woods, do let us know! Have a good weekend as well!
DeleteGreat post, Bethany! I don't think I'll be riding a bike around here anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
xo
Thanks for visiting Debbie!
DeleteThanks for your comments on the book club site....by hardbound I really meant softbound, but I am sorry to hear the book you reviewed is only on her website and kindle. Am a hard-line real book person (though I suppose if there was a reason I could use a kindle, like an extended hospital stay or extended vacation) but Mom has one. I could read her book in sections I suppose, going online but it might take me a while. :-) Still, things that are worth doing, are WORTH doing! :-)
ReplyDeleteTrue. There is something special about real paper books, even though I do enjoy reading on a Kindle. I'd bet if there were a large enough demand, Rachel could be talked into printing a paper version.
DeleteI love all these lovely God's creations. I also love to take pictures while we are cycling. Have a blessed weekend, Liuba x
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the photos you post from your rides! Have an awesome weekend as well! God bless!
DeleteLovely post! Great pictures too!
ReplyDelete~Noor
http://wonderkid22.blogspot.com
A Little Bit Of Sunshine
Thank you Noor!
Deletethat canon ultrazoom camera, though...i need to post some of my bird photos too. anyway, lovely shots. i enjoy sitting on this chair we have by the window because it's big and plush and i can keep the camera steady and shoot into the sky zoomed in a lot. i do the same, stop on bikerides. and car trips, and walks...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a comfortable chair to do some shooting from! Having a camera with a good zoom is fabulous!
DeleteLovely shots and I imagine that bike riding is a much better way to get out and about on a photo shoot than in the car. Except it is just too cold here! I was out yesterday and the people who were camping at the river kept eyeballing me like I was a suspicious character or something. LOL It sure did lift my spirits to get outdoors.
ReplyDeleteHmm! Maybe they are the suspicious characters to be camping in this weather! Sometimes a person just needs to get some fresh air!
DeleteI am guilty of yelling stop to my poor husband while he is driving. Maybe biking and blog photography ( hmm is that a term)? go together better. Beautiful bird.
ReplyDeleteDriving will get you further...which is better depends on the circumstance I think.
DeleteBrilliant Pecker image.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteWonderful photos Bethany!
ReplyDeleteThank you Birgitta!
DeleteGreat captures of all the birds, Bethany! I'm impressed that you and your mom go bike riding in the cold weather - and I'm judging cold by the ice I see on the lake. Good for you and your mom! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by to comment on my goofy squirrel and the colorful houses in New Mexico.
Lindy
It was in the 40s-50s that day if I recall correctly; we were having a thaw after some pretty chilly weather!
DeleteThat woodpecker photo is so beautiful--and you're now making me miss bike rides through nature and such peaceful scenes. Don't get a lot of that in a city of 10 million! :) How cool that you're now posting at the bookclub, and I appreciate it x100000 that you reviewed my book!
ReplyDeleteCities definitely offer a different type of scenery! There is something special and peaceful about the country.
DeleteI truly enjoyed your remarkable photographs. I loved getting to gaze at these beautiful birds that I do not get to see often where I live. What an amazing place to ride your bike that must be. I loved admiring the red-bellied woodpecker especially... it is so wonderful to sit outside or walk through the woods or a park and look around at the sprinklings of nature and creatures through the trees and in the water or on land. Recently, I actually saw a photo of the red-headed woodpecker so it was interesting to see its similarly named "relative" here :)
ReplyDeleteAnd we sound much alike in our enjoyment of frequently stopping to take photos. I am thankful to have a patient mom, as you do, who gives me time to do so on walks.
Have a blessed day, Bethany!
~Jazzmin
Thanks for visiting, Jazzmin! Have a blessed day as well!
DeleteLovely photos. We have a woodhen that pecks on our persimmon tree sometimes. It is a stunningly beautiful creature.
ReplyDeleteR
They are neat birds, aren't they?
DeleteBravo to your mother for spotting that (gorgeous) Red-bellied Woodpecker and of course, she would expect you to stop and photograph it. That makes total sense to me :) I love the swans and the geese as well. Beautiful post, Bethany!
ReplyDeleteI was so glad she showed it to me!
DeleteSwans are such graceful creatures; they're a pleasure to watch.
Oh what a gorgeous bird, and that blue sky is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThere is something special about a beautiful blue sky!
DeleteHello Bethany!:) Good thing that your mom spotted the woodpecker so you could share it with us. It's a lovely bird, and a fine photo, as are the shots of the lake.:)
ReplyDeleteWarm Regards.
Thank you!
DeleteThank you for visiting, and God bless you too!
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are absolutely amazing! I'm the same - I have to stop everywhere to take pics. Luckily Keith is the same way ;)
ReplyDeleteAh! That's good!
DeleteThe photos are really wonderful. They are remarkable shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks Enrique!
DeleteAlways love your nature photography.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil!
Delete