simplybill Posted November 26, 2021 #26 Share Posted November 26, 2021 This past year, I had two nesting pairs of Red-Headed Woodpeckers in my yard. They nest in hollow trees and search for insects that burrow into the tree bark. I sometimes have to chase them away from my house when they peck on the roof shingles. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 26, 2021 #27 Share Posted November 26, 2021 @LightAngel I’m staying at a hotel that has very fast Wifi and the photo downloads take just a few seconds. I hope I haven’t derailed your thread! This doe was hanging around my property for a couple of weeks and eating the birdseed and corn that I scatter on the ground for the birds. I slowly befriended her, and eventually I could sit on my back steps and talk to her as she grazed just a few feet away from me. Later, she introduced her fawn to me, and the two of them showed up every day for a while. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 26, 2021 #28 Share Posted November 26, 2021 (edited) This is her fawn. She’s standing by the remnants of the foundation of an old barn that I took down some years ago. In 1946 a tornado damaged the roof of the barn, and eventually it became dangerous due to water damage. Edited November 26, 2021 by simplybill 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightAngel Posted November 27, 2021 Author #29 Share Posted November 27, 2021 14 hours ago, simplybill said: @LightAngel I’m staying at a hotel that has very fast Wifi and the photo downloads take just a few seconds. I hope I haven’t derailed your thread! You are sharing how important nature is in your life, so you are on topic. Your pictures are very inspiring and wonderful. They are so inspiring that little stories about the animals start being created in my mind. I also imagine what they are thinking about you. I mean, maybe they are thinking "what is this mad man doing" 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 29, 2021 #30 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Three years ago, I went to Zion National Park and hiked up to Angels Landing. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done on purpose, but also the most rewarding. On the ascent to the summit, the trail is a very narrow path, wide enough for only one person at a time, with 1200-1400-foot drops on both sides (365-427 meters). In some of the more dangerous spots there are chains that keep you from sliding on the slick sandstone rock and going over the edge, but some of the steep vertical climbs have no chains at all. Since 2000, 13 people have fallen over the edge. I hope this YouTube video plays okay outside the US. (That’s not me in the video). I included the Wikipedia page also. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Landing A photo of the canyon (and my hiking shoes) from the summit: 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 29, 2021 #31 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Hmm…I just realized my post about Angels Landing wasn’t really a ‘peaceful’ nature story. Sorry about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 29, 2021 #32 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Blue Jays are noisy and always very alert, acting as ‘alarmers’ that warn of potential predators in the area. The Jays around my home mostly remain silent when they see me spreading birdseed in the morning, but the Jays that live in the nearby forested area begin chattering when they see me in my yard. From a distance, Blue Jays appear identical, but their blue, black and white patterns are different in each individual bird. I’ve noticed them being aggressive with the other types of birds as they all swoop in for breakfast in the morning, but for some reason the Jays are easily intimidated by Mourning Doves! That surprised me. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 29, 2021 #33 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Wild Turkeys occasionally wander through the yard. They scare easily, so when I get a glimpse of them in the distance I have to anticipate where they’re heading and set up my camera in hopes of getting a few photos before they see me. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ouija ouija Posted November 29, 2021 #34 Share Posted November 29, 2021 5 hours ago, simplybill said: Three years ago, I went to Zion National Park and hiked up to Angels Landing. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done on purpose, but also the most rewarding. On the ascent to the summit, the trail is a very narrow path, wide enough for only one person at a time, with 1200-1400-foot drops on both sides (365-427 meters). In some of the more dangerous spots there are chains that keep you from sliding on the slick sandstone rock and going over the edge, but some of the steep vertical climbs have no chains at all. Since 2000, 13 people have fallen over the edge. I hope this YouTube video plays okay outside the US. (That’s not me in the video). I included the Wikipedia page also. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Landing A photo of the canyon (and my hiking shoes) from the summit: My legs went all wobbly watching that . . . . . and I'm sitting down! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 29, 2021 #35 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Northern Bobwhite Quail. They’re becoming more rare now due to loss of habitat, but around here there are still plenty of hollow trees for them to nest in. This last summer there were several of them calling back and forth from the farm fields and the small forest that surround my property. They make a beautiful high-pitched sound all day long when they’re looking for a spouse: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wyI1B5KMDNQ&pp=QAFIAQ%3D%3D 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted November 29, 2021 #36 Share Posted November 29, 2021 8 minutes ago, ouija ouija said: My legs went all wobbly watching that . . . . . and I'm sitting down! Lol - It certainly was a scary hike! I had to stop now and then so I could build up enough courage to continue on. But seeing the view at the top made it all worth it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightAngel Posted November 30, 2021 Author #37 Share Posted November 30, 2021 13 hours ago, simplybill said: Lol - It certainly was a scary hike! I had to stop now and then so I could build up enough courage to continue on. But seeing the view at the top made it all worth it. And then you felt peaceful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted December 1, 2021 #38 Share Posted December 1, 2021 On 11/29/2021 at 2:34 PM, simplybill said: Lol - It certainly was a scary hike! I had to stop now and then so I could build up enough courage to continue on. But seeing the view at the top made it all worth it. Really? Like when I swam way out to the sandbar...and there I was standing in the middle of the ocean...all by myself...just me and the sharks... ....That was a view only a very few people have ever had...but the realization that I had to now swim back.... hmmm? but yeah...it was worth it...who am I kidding...stupid for sure (me not you) but worth it. I'm just way to afraid of heights to do that... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccr8 Posted December 1, 2021 #39 Share Posted December 1, 2021 17 minutes ago, joc said: Really? Like when I swam way out to the sandbar...and there I was standing in the middle of the ocean...all by myself...just me and the sharks... ....That was a view only a very few people have ever had...but the realization that I had to now swim back.... hmmm? but yeah...it was worth it...who am I kidding...stupid for sure (me not you) but worth it. I'm just way to afraid of heights to do that... Hi Joc Falling isn’t the problem, it’s the sudden stop that is the killer. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted December 1, 2021 #40 Share Posted December 1, 2021 10 hours ago, joc said: Really? Like when I swam way out to the sandbar...and there I was standing in the middle of the ocean...all by myself...just me and the sharks... ....That was a view only a very few people have ever had...but the realization that I had to now swim back.... hmmm? but yeah...it was worth it...who am I kidding...stupid for sure (me not you) but worth it. I'm just way to afraid of heights to do that... I had a similar ocean experience. I saw a flock of pelicans floating on the water far, far away from shore, and I thought, “I’m going to swim out there and join the flock!” So I did. I took my time, swimming slowly so as not to alarm the pelicans, and floating on my back when I needed to rest. When I got up close, I stopped swimming and just bobbed up and down with the waves and became a part of the flock for a while. And then my brain woke up and said to me, “There could be 100 feet of water below you, and you have no idea what’s swimming around down there.” On my return trip back to shore I probably looked like a cartoon character with my arms spinning like windmills and water spraying ten feet into the air. But I think it’s those moments of fear that turn a relaxing day in Nature into a memorable adventure. That ocean adventure happened 49 years ago, but I still recall that moment of dread when I realized I could become lunch for a shark. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted December 1, 2021 #41 Share Posted December 1, 2021 4 hours ago, simplybill said: I had a similar ocean experience. I saw a flock of pelicans floating on the water far, far away from shore, and I thought, “I’m going to swim out there and join the flock!” So I did. I took my time, swimming slowly so as not to alarm the pelicans, and floating on my back when I needed to rest. When I got up close, I stopped swimming and just bobbed up and down with the waves and became a part of the flock for a while. And then my brain woke up and said to me, “There could be 100 feet of water below you, and you have no idea what’s swimming around down there.” On my return trip back to shore I probably looked like a cartoon character with my arms spinning like windmills and water spraying ten feet into the air. But I think it’s those moments of fear that turn a relaxing day in Nature into a memorable adventure. That ocean adventure happened 49 years ago, but I still recall that moment of dread when I realized I could become lunch for a shark. So do I...like it was yesterday afternoon...I can still feel the water and smell the air and see the green of the waves...and it was 42 years ago.... I had the exact same thought...I'm shark bait...so, like you, I started swimming as fast as I could...and I got really tired, really fast, and the shore was a long way off...so I had to deal with panic, and I slowed down and started just swimming slowly but steadily and ...obviously...I made it. But that is just something I never even thought about as I swam out there. But the instant I think about climbing something like that...even a ladder...the thought of...what goes up must come down...descends into my thought process like a two ton heavy thing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted December 1, 2021 #42 Share Posted December 1, 2021 1 hour ago, joc said: So do I...like it was yesterday afternoon...I can still feel the water and smell the air and see the green of the waves...and it was 42 years ago.... I had the exact same thought...I'm shark bait...so, like you, I started swimming as fast as I could...and I got really tired, really fast, and the shore was a long way off...so I had to deal with panic, and I slowed down and started just swimming slowly but steadily and ...obviously...I made it. But that is just something I never even thought about as I swam out there. But the instant I think about climbing something like that...even a ladder...the thought of...what goes up must come down...descends into my thought process like a two ton heavy thing. The fear of heights is kind of in a class by itself. Other phobia-like fears are often unrealistic and unnecessary, but the fear of heights is based on some really serious consequences! I probably have just a normal fear of heights, but I was still almost overwhelmed with fear while hiking Angels Landing. At times it was a leg-shaking, heart-pounding terror, but fortunately there were other hikers on the trail that spoke words of encouragement that strengthened my resolve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted December 1, 2021 #43 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Here’s a nice sunset from a couple of weekends ago: 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted December 1, 2021 #44 Share Posted December 1, 2021 A juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk searching for dinner. I usually see hawks perched on fence posts and power poles, but this one landed in my yard and walked around for a few minutes. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted December 1, 2021 #45 Share Posted December 1, 2021 2 hours ago, simplybill said: A juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk searching for dinner. I usually see hawks perched on fence posts and power poles, but this one landed in my yard and walked around for a few minutes. We have red tailed hawks as well...also Coopers Hawks...masters at ambush...I've lost a few Purple Martins to them.... ....I believe it was a Coopers Hawk that I watched Thanksgiving Morning as it feasted on one of my red hens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted December 1, 2021 #46 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Chunky. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted December 1, 2021 #47 Share Posted December 1, 2021 I resent the 250kb limit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted December 1, 2021 #48 Share Posted December 1, 2021 23 minutes ago, joc said: We have red tailed hawks as well...also Coopers Hawks...masters at ambush...I've lost a few Purple Martins to them.... ....I believe it was a Coopers Hawk that I watched Thanksgiving Morning as it feasted on one of my red hens. That’s always sad when you lose one of your own birds/pets to a hawk. I lost this beauty last year. I was told it’s a Birmingham Roller. It showed up at my house one day and lived on my roof under the dormer eaves. It was very tame, but it wouldn’t let me pick it up so I could read the number on its leg band. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted December 1, 2021 #49 Share Posted December 1, 2021 20 minutes ago, Timothy said: I resent the 250kb limit. @Timothy I just discovered this website for re-sizing photos. The ‘800’ setting works perfectly for UM posts. http://www.resize-photos.com/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplybill Posted December 2, 2021 #50 Share Posted December 2, 2021 One of the greatest hiking trails in the Pacific Northwest: Dog Mountain, in the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington state. The mountainside is covered in wildflowers in the springtime. The views are magnificent. 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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