Tags
american robin, carolina chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, goldfinch, jane magnolia, Judy Zug Magnolia, Northen Cardinal, photography, postaday, red-tailed hawk
The weatherman says it has never been this cold on this day in our town. This morning the temperature is at 31°F or -0.5°C. With a strong breeze, it feels like 24 °F or -4.4°C. I will have to go out to the garden and see whether the tomato plants grown from seeds and put into the ground last week survived.
Three years ago I planted a yellow magnolia tree named Judy Zuk Magnolia, in honor of a former President of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It grew one flower the first year, none the second year, and this year it is displaying a dozen of bright yellow flowers mixed with small streaks of orange-red. Here are some shots of the flowers which are bigger than those of the Butterfly Magnolia from last month.
Here’s another kind of Magnolia that is blooming late in the season. In fact, it keeps blooming during a good part of the summer when all other magnolias have come and gone.
I’ll finish this post with photos of our backyard birds who have been quite busy during this spring mating season.
Then someone who thinks it is a bird.
Finally, a shot of a Red-tailed Hawk at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on February 22, before the coronavirus lockdown.
bluebrightly said:
I love the way this post paints a picture of a specific time and place. Your Magnolia photos are perfection! I’m glad the yellow one is doing well. Seeing the Goldfinch right after the Magnolias was a treat – they seem to share something – color, but something else, too. The balancing squirrel is funny, and the Red-tail, circling above it all, adds another dimension. Wonderful, Hien!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Lynn! This pandemic crisis has forced me to stay home and concentrate on photographing around the house, except for the Red-tailed Hawk which I saw on my last trip to the refuge before it closed down.
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Amy said:
I have heard about the unusual weather. Here we have more rain than normal.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful series. Stay safe, Hien.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Amy! You be safe also. Let’s hope it won’t last much longer.
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Julie@frogpondfarm said:
Beautiful flowers and then I saw your birds. Just stunning! Sounds very cold .. hope those tomatoes were ok
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Julie! As of today, the tomatoes are still alive. Temperatures climbed into the 80’s. We may still get some cool days, but I think winter finally took its leave.
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Geri Lawhon said:
Thank you for the beautiful nature shots.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you for visiting and commenting!
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RV John said:
Nice variety of birds, beautiful flowers too.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you John!
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Anonymous said:
The red tailed hawk shot is beautiful, it will be nice if I can share the sky with him ( just in my dream!)
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neihtn2012 said:
Hawks are beautiful in flight!
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lolaWi said:
the magnolias are beautiful and the gallery of birds are stunning! 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
I’m happy that you like both flowers and birds!
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Eliza Waters said:
Wonderful wildlife shots, Hien. I hope your tender plants survive these frigid winds!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Eliza! I checked the tomato plants. They are still alive today, but they haven’t grown any taller at all. Maybe by the end of this week, when temperatures go back to normal Spring levels.
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Emma Cownie said:
The magnolias are lovely, especially the yellow one, I am used the pink variety.
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neihtn2012 said:
I look at the tree every day. It looks like it is decorated with big yellow lights.
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Emma Cownie said:
How wonderful!
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katelon said:
Great shots!
I finally identified the goose I’d been attempting to identify. He is almost identical to a Swan Goose, with a little more black on its face rather than brown. It is normally only found in Mongolia, Siberia, etc.
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neihtn2012 said:
Wow, I’ve never hear of Swan Geese! But there are so many other things I don’t know about. Thank you, Katelon!
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katelon said:
I found it online during another search to identify the goose I found here.
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C.S. Young Jr. said:
Lovely photos Hien, good to see you back on WordPress!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you! It’s good to be back.
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T Ibara Photo said:
I have read about the unusual cold weather. I hope you are continuing to stay safe. And as always, it’s a real treat to view your beautiful photos.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you, Takami, for your kind thoughts. I hope New Jersey will open up soon for more photo trips.
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rabirius said:
Wow. Brilliant picture.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you!
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Kim Height said:
Wow!!! Beautiful pictures 😊
kim
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neihtn2012 said:
Glad you like these photos, Kim! Thank you.
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loisajay said:
That little ruffled goldfinch looks so cute. And that squirrel–he looks like he’s begging you to take his photo! We don’t have near as many types of birds as you do. Just this week I have seen more blue jays and cardinals than ever before. My cats sit on the windowsill and alert me whenever there is a bird swooping down–which lately, is quite often. You captures are beautiful. So glad you are back, Hien.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Lois! The birds around here make this lock down more bearable.
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alavenderplace said:
Lovely photography!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks! Glad you like these photos.
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