A Stand-off . . .

and Lucy's obedience

The Rabbitt saw Lucy

Lucy saw the Rabbitt

  The Rabbitt didn't know

Lucy had been commanded to stay.

All's well that end well . . .

in everyone's eyes but Lucy's ;)

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Trust . . .

She knew he would come.

Lucy waits patiently

Her smile says it all.

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Uh Oh

The view of our neighbor's roof 

was pretty run of the mill.

Until last week when this bird

stopped for a break in flight

and we wondered where it was nesting.

And then yesterday . . . Uh Oh.

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Saturday's Critters w/Eileen

Guess We're Not Speaking . . .

or simply disgruntled by the late snowfall.

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Saturday's Critters w/Eileen

Out of Hiding

 Robins - a sign of Spring.

They don't migrate south.

They take to the deep woods.

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Skywatch Friday

Saturday Critters

Not an Unusual Sight . . .

With the Meadows Racetrack and Casino to the south.

What a beautiful horse.

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Saturday Critters w/Eileen

A Critter and Its Shadow

Shadow Shot photo compliments of the RG

at a local Winterfest

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Saturday Critters

Shadow Shot Sunday

Here a Chick

There a Chick

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Sturdy Looking . . .

well cared for and patient

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Day Trip on a Snowy Morning

and a Mystery Visitor at Home

spied these two horses with there wooly winter coats

as we rode through the countryside about an hour north.

and a mystery visitor at the feeding station this morning.

Solid black all over with a gray bill.

Slightly smaller than a robin and slightly larger than a junco.

Can anyone identify it?

"Animals Usher Us to Grace"

----Roselyn Elliott

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But His Tail is Hidden

How to tell a Hairy Woodpecker from a Downy Woodpecker

Size and tail color are two of the biggest clues 

when deciphering these two backyard regulars.

This is a Downy

Wishing everyone the merriest of Christmases

and looking forward to all the Critters in 2017.

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A Change of Outlook

There it was; bright eyed and busy tailed.

And I suddenly had a new outlook.

 Somewhere along the line I had been conditioned

to view squirrels as invaders

Probably because the food was put there for the birds.

But as I put things into perspective today,
 I thought; well they have to eat too.

And I really do enjoy watching them

with their tiny 'hands' at work

and bright eyes on the outlook

And really, does one squirrel eat anymore 

than a whole flock of birds?

Eastern gray squirrels forage for nuts, seeds, buds, and flowers of trees. Like other tree squirrels, the eastern gray squirrel plays an important role in what’s known as seed dispersal. As winter approaches, squirrels carry their food and bury it in several locations. They hide more food than they will recover or eat. The buried seeds and nuts sprout and begin to grow in these locations the following spring. 

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A Free Running Crowd

Wait up Guys

 Hey, are you following me?

UhOh, there's a crowd forming down at the road.

I can't make head or tails of what they are doing over there.

Let's just mind our own business

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Somebody's Been Playing With My Camera

Found this on my Camera

But how did Lucy get in the entertainment center?

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Weekend Reflections

and

Saturday Critters.

The Winter Crowd

is gathering

 Nuthatch

Chickadee 

House Finch

Table for Two please.

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Ah, There They Are

The Elk were being illusive that day.

And we had begun to think these ones 

at the Elk Country Visitor Center

would be the only ones to see that day.

They are a mighty beast.

But the minute we stopped looking; there they were.

Two young bucks having lunch.

• Keep a Safe Distance — Elk are wild animals. Always observe from a safe distance, and at the minimum of 100 yards (the length of a football field). Risk of serious injury or death can occur if a safe distance is not observed. If you cause the animal to move, you are too close.
• Do Not Block Traffic — When viewing elk from your vehicle, park completely off the roadway or view elk from designated Wildlife Viewing Areas.
• Respect Private Property — Elk know no boundaries. Please respect private property when viewing elk.
• Be Mindful of Rutting Season — Mid-September through October is elk mating season. During this time bull elk are very protective of their harems and can be extremely aggressive.
• Do Not Feed Elk — Feeding elk in Pennsylvania is illegal.

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A True Tree Frog

As we followed the path away from the fire tower at Cook Forest,

'kids' big and small were exclaiming

'can you see', can you see it?'

The subject of their excitement was a frog parked inside the base of a tree.

This was the best I could do in the excitement with little ones waiting to get a look.

He's in the shadows at the upper left.

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Muldoon Mortie

Punxsutawney Phil's cousin, Muldoon Mortie

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Alas

This Cicada never finished the cycle. We found it on the driveway.

No more night time serenade from high in a tree.

Such unbelievable detail!

Once roots are found the cicada will stay underground from 2 to 17 years depending on the species. Cicadas are active underground, tunneling and feeding. After the long 2 to 17 years, cicadas emerge from the ground as nymphs. Nymphs climb the nearest available tree, and begin to shed their nymph exoskeleton.

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Mystery Photos

From time to time I find a couple mystery photos on my camera. 

Does that ever happen to you?

So since the RG has been snapping again . . .

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