Birds and Books

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

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
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.

"The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather, in spite of ourselves."  
--Victor Hugo

116 comments:

  1. lovely bird shots! really like the flocks on the ice. :)

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    1. Thanks Theresa! I'm glad I get to sleep somewhere a little more warm and cozy! They must be tough birds!

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  2. WOW! One of my MOST favourite birds! They have so much character!

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  3. Love the bird photos! I was thinking about joining the bookclub; I'll pop over tomorrow and catch your review. Have a great evening!

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    1. Considering you go by magnoliasntea, you'd be the ideal book club member! Would be awesome if you decided to join.

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  4. Great 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.

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  5. Beautiful 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)

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    1. Thank 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!

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  6. Lovely 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

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    1. Sounds 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.

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  7. Great 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!

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  8. Very good photos! Never seen that type of woodpecker :(

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    1. I 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.

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  9. Great photo of that woodpecker! I would ride with you, because I do the same thing while walking!

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    1. I wish you could join my family and I for a ride some time!

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  10. Nice pictures stephanie, i see you also love photography as us...blessings friend

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    1. I do have a slight feeling it's a commonly shared interest around our part of the blogging world ;). Blessings to you as well Soraya!

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  11. When 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.

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    1. Hiking 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!

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  12. This is beautiful photography! Don't think otherwise. ^.^ Funny, this type of bird was on my Biology test regarding it's role in the community!

    xoxo Morning

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    1. Ha! Neat coincidence that you'd be studying about the bird! Thanks.

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  13. That 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.

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    1. We'd sure get plenty of good photos though! It's just a matter of getting priorities straight ;).

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  14. Thanks 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!

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    1. That must have been such a disappointment not to have your camera with you, but at least you have the moment captured in your memory!

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  15. I can't imagine how lovely your bike ride was. That shot of the woodpecker was great. I would have stopped too.

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    1. I 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!

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  16. Beautiful pictures, especially the woodpecker I love.
    Good thing your mother has so much patience.
    Best regards, Irma

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  17. lol, I do exactly the same when I´m biking. A great way of seeing many things :)

    Loved your pecker and the canadians :)

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  18. Hi 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

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    1. They are tough creatures to take the cold like that. We humans would soon have hypothermia in similar conditions.

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  19. I 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.
    Bethany, what is your sister's blog? I've looked at it before, but I can't remember the address.
    Love,
    Ashley
    creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Ashley, my sister Charity's blog is www.withcharity.blogspot.com. Enjoyed your photos from your last walk; you should take another soon ;).

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  20. An outstanding photograph Bethany! I am the same way, my walks always take me twice as long for I am always stopping for photographs.

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    1. Some people can/preserve food. We preserve beautiful scenes ;).

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  21. Nice bike ride and pretty shots, I love the Woodpecker and all the geese.. Have a great day!

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  22. Beautiful 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. :-)

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  23. That is one thing I am low on, patience. I love your post as bird so intrigue me.

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    1. I think for a lot of us it's how we use or distribute the patience we have that makes the difference.

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  24. Geese and Swans are plentiful over here on the West Coast but I've never seen a Red Bellied Woodpecker before. Real nice capture!

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  25. My ADD gets in the way of me taking bird photos...sad. This one is very nice. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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    1. Thanks! Even if you don't get many bird photos, you get some great scenery captures!

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  26. Beautimous photos! The woodpecker is cute. Mom and I saw a type of woodpecker on our walk yesterday!

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    1. Awesome! We keep an eye out for them at our place; usually we have a couple woodpeckers visit every year.

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  27. Woodpecker looks elegant in this shot. Your photos looks serene. :)

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  28. I love all of your shots, but especially the woodpecker, I wouldn`t get much riding done either! Phyllis

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  29. Nice shots of the woodpecker, the geese and the swans. I loved seeing the swans swimming in the cold water in that last shot.

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    1. The 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.

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  30. This 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.

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    1. They are amazingly beautiful creatures, aren't they?

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  31. I would be a wonderful friend to ride with, I stop for EVERYTHING!! Great captures!!

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  32. Thank 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!

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    1. Too bad we're not neighbors! You have a happy weekend as well!

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  33. Superb photos. I'm sure that folks really enjoy their cycle rides with you.
    I send you good wishes.

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  34. Beautiful bird images! I love the woodpeckers - sweet birds.

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  35. Great 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!

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    1. Thanks Marie! Your mom had a good idea getting it started! Thanks for letting us all know about it!

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  36. Thank 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.

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  37. Hi 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

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    1. I'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!

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  38. Great post, Bethany! I don't think I'll be riding a bike around here anytime soon.
    Debbie
    xo

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  39. Thanks 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! :-)

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    1. True. 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.

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  40. I love all these lovely God's creations. I also love to take pictures while we are cycling. Have a blessed weekend, Liuba x

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    1. I enjoy the photos you post from your rides! Have an awesome weekend as well! God bless!

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  41. Lovely post! Great pictures too!

    ~Noor
    http://wonderkid22.blogspot.com
    A Little Bit Of Sunshine

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  42. that 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...

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    1. Sounds like a comfortable chair to do some shooting from! Having a camera with a good zoom is fabulous!

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  43. Lovely 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.

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    1. Hmm! Maybe they are the suspicious characters to be camping in this weather! Sometimes a person just needs to get some fresh air!

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  44. I 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.

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    1. Driving will get you further...which is better depends on the circumstance I think.

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  45. Great 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! :)

    Thanks for stopping by to comment on my goofy squirrel and the colorful houses in New Mexico.

    Lindy

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    1. It was in the 40s-50s that day if I recall correctly; we were having a thaw after some pretty chilly weather!

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  46. That 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!

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    1. Cities definitely offer a different type of scenery! There is something special and peaceful about the country.

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  47. I 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 :)

    And 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

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Jazzmin! Have a blessed day as well!

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  48. Lovely photos. We have a woodhen that pecks on our persimmon tree sometimes. It is a stunningly beautiful creature.
    R

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  49. Bravo 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!

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    1. I was so glad she showed it to me!

      Swans are such graceful creatures; they're a pleasure to watch.

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  50. Oh what a gorgeous bird, and that blue sky is lovely!

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    1. There is something special about a beautiful blue sky!

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  51. Hello 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.:)
    Warm Regards.

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  52. Thank you for visiting, and God bless you too!

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  53. Those pictures are absolutely amazing! I'm the same - I have to stop everywhere to take pics. Luckily Keith is the same way ;)

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  54. The photos are really wonderful. They are remarkable shots.

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  55. Always love your nature photography.

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