Unusual sighting for February

You can tell I wasn't ready for these shots.....but I got them.
I was getting ready to go out, and there he was perched on a chair by
the feeder. I couldn't believe a Red Winged Blackbird could be
here in February. I am used to seeing them in the fields in
the spring while trolling for deer pictures.

Definitely not good shots, but you can sure tell it is what it is.

That wing patch is a dead giveaway. This bird eats seeds
and bugs and berries and fruit so I don't have a clue what it
would be doing here in cold weather with snow cover on the ground

photos with my New lens

I purchased a 1.7x conversion lens for my H9 and I can see
the biggest difference in my photographs already. The red
belly woodpecker did not have to be cropped and the detail
around the face and clarity of the eye is so much better.

Likewise this female downy looks better.

I did crop these female cardinal picts but was pleased
with the detail in them also.

And for the funny shot of the day.... check out the red belly
on the right side of the feeder almost lying on it's side to get seeds

Lunar Eclipse

Where were you last night between 8:43 and 12:09?
I'm usually parked in front of the computer or snoozing in
front of the tv...until 10 and then off to bed.
But last night I was in the back bedroom with the
tripod all set up waiting on the expected lunar
eclipse. In the Northeast the temperatures were
dipping to 2, so I did not want to move outdoors.

My first photo was at 8:01 before the event began.

An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow. That shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.

You will see the progression as you scroll down.

A total lunar eclipse can put on quite a show. Dramatic colors from bright
orange to bright red and dark brown -- even shards of dark
grey --could peek out.

As the shadow moved over the surface of the moon, the orange
glow begins.

In it's totality it is very much orange and red.

Then it starts to move away and reveal some of the moon's light

It didn't take long for the white of the moon to return.

taken at 12:06...

After the eclipse everything
outside was illuminated by the full moon and it
was shining ever so bright once again.

If you missed it..... maybe my photos will give
you a glimpse of something that won't happen again
for three years.We had two last year, but another will
not occur until December 10, 2010.

Week end Happenings

For some reason the cardinals just love to hang out in
my pussy willow. There is just something about
the cardinal among the buds that I love.

My grand daughter, Ali was home for a visit, and took
advantage of the snow we had on the ground. She
and her daddy built a very tall snowman.

Two smiling faces

And lastly, on the way to my dad's we spotted a hawk in
a tree alongside the road. While I was snapping pictures
Ali was sighting him in my binoculars. She's a good
little 'bird watcher'