Chipping Sparrow

OK bird nerds, correct me here if I'm wrong. The problem with sparrows is that there is so many different kinds  And so many of them look so much alike. I'm am deeming these Chipping Sparrow.

Red Bud

Oh yeah, the Red Buds are blooming.

Day 1, Year 7

Six years. Who'da thunk? This blog has been at it now for six years and starting into number 7. Sure it slowed some in the past year but I've recovered and am back at a, more or less, daily routine. This past year saw me spend a lot of work time in the Philadelphia and southeastern Chester County (SE Pa.) areas. I added one new ball field in Wilmington Delaware. At the Vigilant Hose Company in Shippensburg we opened our new fire station. Two trips up to the City, one saw me cruising around Yonkers and the other to catch the Lunar New Years Firecracker ceremony in Chinatown. More birds, more flowers, more sunrises. Back to Chincoteague Island, Virginia where I finally went up into the lighthouse. Back to Colorado to chase elk and only catching them with my trail camera. Ballonfest in Greencastle. I even went to the picture vault for a week of throwbacks. And an unscheduled trip to South Carolina to say goodbye.

One can always hope next year is better. I don't think I have any specific plans for the next year, so we'll all play it by ear. Wish me luck and follow along.

Here are some statistics from the Outskirts... In 6 years there have been 2034 post with 78003 post views. Top 5 countries viewing... US, Russia, Germany, the UK and Canada. I even had hits from Bulgaria and Pakistan in the past 24 hours. And the number 4 phrase Googled to find my site? "World of Pigeons Pennsylvania".

Header Review 12

When I change a header on this here blog, the picture I have created goes away. So twice a year I post them and tell you a little about them. Here we go...

• November 2012 - This on is our tent sweet tent from last fall's expensive camping trip. aka last fall's Colorado elk hunt. This was the first tent I've been in out west with a floor. Elevation 10,700.
• December 2012 - This picture is from a couple years ago at the tree farm we've been haunting for 10 or 15 years or more. They're fans of mine, you can tell.
• January 2013 - A panorama shot from Colorado. Looking towards Derby Peak and over top of camp.
• February 2013 - Full moon in my back yard. I think this one is when I was playing with my new Rebel x4i.
• March 2013 - This is the headquarters building for all that is the Outskirts of Suburbia. aka  The Bowery Savings Bank in lower Manhattan, NYC.
• April 2013 - A touch of spring for you. My mother-in-laws crocuses.

Azalea Buds

Color seems to be popping up everywhere this past week. The cherry tree is in full bloom now and the azaleas will be out any time now. Tulips are mostly blooming. Stopped at the greenhouse last evening and was admiring the columbine, might've been a color I don't have. Still haven't found the blue ones yet, though.

House Finch

The house finch is a funny bird. I sat and watched him root around until he found what he was looking for. Throw out the old stuff to get the good stuff. A bit of a bully when the goldfinches are already at the thistle feeder though.

Pill-Barf-Man, NYC

This is along the Bowery in NYC. This really isn't graffiti, it's like a poster or something glued to the wall. So is the guy with something in his hands up above pill-barf-man. I'm sure there is a message here somewhere. I guess this is what you get when you take away someone's paint cans. And Big Gulps.

Rocky Mountain Majesty

Why do I keep going back to Colorado? Need I say more? There is a hunter in this picture. Good Luck.

Getting the Gold

My new feeder paid off in just one week. Beside the stupid grackles, who try to sit at this feeder and fall off, these are the first finches I've gotten into the thistle feeder. Goldfinches rule. I hope they hang out all summer.

It seems that all I shot lately are birds and flowers, I hope you don't mind.

Sweet Magnolia Blossoms

Magnolia trees look so pretty when the are blooming and once they come to full bloom. Then they drop those big pedals. Everywhere. Then a spring frost hits and the big pink tree becomes this big wilted brown tree. I'm glad my neighbor has one. I'm glad I don't.

The Grape Hyacinths

Well the grape hyacinths have popped. And I mean popped all over my flower beds, my yard, the farmers field out back, everywhere. A lot of the other flowers are doing just as well. The cherry tree will be full in a few days, the bleeding hearts have buds, the columbine are getting taller and the lupine will be better than ever.

The Tufted Titmouse

I sat on my mother-in-laws front porch last night and shot the birds coming into her feeders. Some of them got away, some I had to work for. This Tufted Titmouse was evasive. My first handful of shots looked like the last picture. Finally as I was losing light fast it stopped long enough for a couple shots, but my settings were a little dark.  Change the settings and wait. Ahhh Hahhh, it got hunger again and ventured over from the rhododendron. Success.

Still Magnolias' Coca-Cola (PG 186)

If you are a die hard Outskirts of Suburbia Painted Gentleman stalker you too would have noticed this Coke sign as soon as you saw it. I saw it and was ready to hop out and catch up later. But waited 'til after lunch while everyone else was wandering around the town square. Who knows how long it's been there? That building at 302 has been there a long time. The building at 300 Main Street in Edgefield, SC, whatever it once was, is now Still Magnolias. By their facebook page it looks like a crafty variety kind of store.