Amazing Starling Murmurations: Daniel Biber Photography

The first time I saw these images I thought they were photoshopped but they are not. A German photographer, Daniel Biber, captured these starling murmurations over four days of trying. He did not even know he had succeeded until he downloaded his images from the camera. The starlings in flight have the ability to form images to scare off predators. Truth is stranger than fiction, isn't it? Read this interesting article and see more images here. I think this is thrilling, don't you? xo

UPDATE: I found an interview with Daniel Bieber, the photographer, here.

UPDATE 2: I found the video of the two girls in a canoe that Linda and Anita commented about here.

Icicle Star by Andy Goldsworthy

Ice, leaves, twigs, even dust--these are some of the things Andy Goldsworthy uses in his artworks. Real icicles are the material of Icicle Star. Goldsworthy created this piece on a rock near where he found the icicles. He thinks of his sculptures as temporary--they are called ephemeral art. Since Goldsworthy knows his artworks won’t last long, he always takes photographs of them.

A Beautiful Winter Landscape

There is beauty in the natural winter landscape if you don't cut everything back. This one is especially lovely. via

Fall in The Country

I adore this photo. The old 1909 barn on the edge of the woods is painted a deep maroon red that is set off by the evergreen tree and the overgrown straw colored grasses in the foreground. Fall is such a great time to be outside with a camera. via

Young Red Headed Woodpecker

This is adorable. I would be thrilled to see this little guy in person, with or without my camera. Too cute! via

Bees Coming Home

Worker bees lining up to deposit today's pollen collection for the hive. I love this slow motion photo. via

Flower Petals Unfurling

This is an iPhone I photo I took on Sunday morning. The petals of one of my African daisies was starting to unfurl and looked like a pinwheel. I am enjoying these flowers so much in my containers. They do require constant deadheading to keep the new blooms coming and so far I am keeping up. I think they are waiting for some really hot weather and they'll get their wish on Wednesday when it's going to be in the high 80s and I will be wilting. I posted this photo on Instagram so it's not new to some of you. Happy first day of June. xo

My Bluebirds are Building a Nest and MORE

It's a good day when the first thing you see when you first wake up is a bluebird sitting on the edge of a birdbath. His mate was entering my birdbox and they both have been busy since then setting up housekeeping. I couldn't be more thrilled. There are birds of all kinds scurrying around the lawn looking for worms, mostly robins. I have seen bluejays, cardinals, house wrens, mourning doves and chickadees too. The photo above is from Instagram and I've been saving it on my phone because I love it.  See my previous posts about bluebirds here.

My oven is preheating, the oatmeal is soaking, and I'm almost ready to stir up another batch of Oatmeal muffins that are getting rave reviews. I added 1/2 cup raisins this time.

This recipe really is forgiving. Somehow I turned off the oven when turning off the timer for the 15 minute soak. When I was ready to put my heavy vintage blue enameled cast iron muffin pan in the oven, the temperature registered 176° but I put them in anyway and turned the oven on and set it to 425° and set the timer to 25 minutes. They turned out fine and I took them out before the timer went off. I left them in the muffin pan for 10 minutes just in case. They are so good with the raisins!

This made me laugh.

Found on Instagram @retrieverloverz

Snowshoe Hare

The snowshoe hare, also called the varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks. Wikipedia

Snow.Bunny

This has got to be the most charming photograph of a snow bunny ever! via

Christmas Decor by Mother Nature

These holly leaves dusted and outlined with frost plus the blurred red berries in the background make a beautiful living Christmas card on this Christmas Eve morning. via

Nature's Christmas

How darling! via

Anne Anderson, “The Busy Bunny Book” illustration, 1916 (by Anne Anderson and Alan Wright)

Beatrix Potter Red Squirrel Watercolor

So sweet.  This is another delightful watercolor that is new to me by our favorite artist, Beatrix Potter. via

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar

This looks a lot like something from Alice in Wonderland, doesn't it? I photographed this Monarch butterfly caterpillar munching on one of my milkweed plants and I honestly did not know they had a head on both ends. No wonder they can defoliate a plant almost overnight. But the milkweed always bounces back and produces more leaves for these beautiful caterpillars. Shot with my iPhone.

Sharing is caring. 

Smooth Sailing

via

Safe and secure on Mother Swan's back. So sweet.

Bluebirds Building in A Nest Box

This photo brings joy to my heart. I fear I won't have bluebirds in my box since the wrens took over two years running. So far, it's empty and cleaned out so I still have hope. Photo and a story found here. The females do all the interior decorating!

I have had this bluebird photo saved to my desktop for a long time because it's so lovely. I cannot remember where I found it but will post the source when I find it.

Beautiful Barn Owl

via

Is she on the inside looking out or on the outside looking in? My guess is the former. Have a great first weekend of spring.

Walking on Slippery Ice

I have blue skies and bright sun this morning but it's still below the freezing mark. I MUST go out and hack up my icy patches with a pick axe so they will hopefully melt later today. More snow is on the way overnight turning to rain Monday morning with temps in the 40s and that will be good. Hopefully all will melt before nightfall since it's going down to 18° and there will be more ice. Take care if you aren't as sure-footed as these penguins.
I thoroughly enjoyed the three-episode mini series on Penguins called SPY IN THE HUDDLE. I can't remember whether it was on NatGeo or BBC America. It's on Netflix now, so if you are a penguin fan, look for it and watch it. It is a fascinating series with an up-close look as spy cam decoys are set up in the penguin colonies. BBC photo above.

Acorns and Oak Leaves

“The boughs of the oak are roaring inside the acorn shell.” ~Charles Tomlinson via

I love this photo and the quote too! xo

English Hare Portrait

Photographed by Margaret the Novice in Suffolk England. Click on the link and follow the arrows to see more delightful photos of this hare that posed for her while she sat in her car. Love! xo