My Backyard Update April 16, 2011

It snowed.  Need I say more?  In case you missed it, it snowed. But, it's mostly gone, for now.

The deer came again, today, as they do everyday, but while I was out this morning photographing them in the fresh..snow..I heard a pileated woodpecker near by, so I stood quietly behind a tree and waited a few minutes. I was a bit surprised to see her swoop in, land and stay on the feeder as long as she did.

While watching the pileated I heard a group of Cedar Waxwings in the pine tree.  They burst out of the tree at a break-neck speed, flew over my head and landed on the top of a Silver Maple where they sat filling the sky with their high pitched trill.

I went for a walk in the woods a few days ago, the snow was gone..fat the time.. and the trail was fairly easy to navigate.  I brought a plastic bag along to fill with the garbage left by those less mindful of mother nature. People, please! It weighs less going in.

Anyway, I caught a glimpse of some wood ducks,

and a chickadee 

a downy

and a cool looking fungus

Back at the ranch..we have a crow that thinks he's a woodpecker for all his attempts at hanging from the suet feeder, using all his clever skills to eat the suet.  I've yet to get a photo of him on the feeder..crows are as skitterish as pileated woodpeckers.  But I do have a few of him making a fast getaway.

And, of course there is the not so wild dog that is very happy to have the grass beneath her feet.  I introduce, Coco, the smartest dog in the universe!

And a parting shot... the tail wave goodbye!