Reviewing Calendars for Christmas Gifts

Calendars can make great gifts, particularly if you find a subject that resonates with the person that will be receiving the gift.  Do you have a bird lover on your Christmas list, then the calendar listed above may be just the thing.  The calendar above was created from photographs I took in my backyard of eastern bluebirds throughout the year.  It can be purchased at this link on Zazzle Bluebird Lovers Calendar

Lighthouses

I love lighthouses and after I retired my husband, and I traveled the country photographing lighthouses.  I have created calendars from many of those photographs.  Here is a page from my calendar on Michigan lighthouses.

You can find the above calendar at the following link. Lake Michigan Lighthouses

Travel Destination

I really enjoy traveling and sharing my travel with others through my photography.  Calendars are a great way to share places you have visited.  Here is one I made after our visit to Quebec City in Canada.  It is such a great place to visit and the old town was a great place to capture some unique photographs.

Here is a link to the above calendar, where you will be able to see 12 months of different scenes from Quebec City. Scenes from Quebec City

Covered Bridges

In our travels another subject that caught our interest was covered bridges.  These bridges are becoming a thing of America's past, but there are still many scattered around the country that give you a wonderful feeling of days gone by.  I have read that bridges were first built covered so that the horses that traveled over the bridges would not be scared by the rivers below.  In the calendar above, I have captured photos of the bridges of Madison County.  You can find a link to the calendar on Zazzle at this link Bridges of Madison County

Sports Teams

Sports calendars are favorites for fans of many teams.  Whether your team is MLB, NHL, NFL or college teams you are sure to find a calendar on Amazon.  Here is a link to a calendar of my favorite team the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinal Calendar

More Calendars on Review This

Here is a link to more calendar reviews on Review This.

Photographs on Calendars

Reviewing A Folklore Calendar

Inspirational Calendars for Women

Happy Shopping....Best wishes to find a perfect calendar or everyone on your shopping list!!

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National Bird Holidays and Awareness Days- 4thQuarter

 

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

 When I decided to write a review on bird holidays, I was surprised to find out that there are many different bird holidays.  So, I changed my thinking and decided to do four different reviews, one for each quarter of the year, and in each review, I would pick out a sampling of the holidays for that quarter.  This is now my review for the last quarter of the year.  You can find links to my first three reviews at the end of this review. This quarter I have picked a bird holiday or awareness day for each month.

October 3- Butterfly and Hummingbird Day

Butterflies on a Pink Flower

Although a butterfly is not a bird, it certainly has a lot in common with the hummingbird.  Here is a list of similarities I found on the site Bird Tipper.Com   Here is the link : National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day - BirdTipper

Hummingbird and Butterfly Similarities

• Both have nectar from flowers as a food source
• Both are attracted to certain colorful flowers   (I find in my garden that bright red or pink flowers really attract both of butterflies and hummingbirds)
• Both are very important for pollination
• Both help to provide a safe environment for local plant life
• Both  are necessary parts of our everyday life

In addition to these points I would say that both are fascinating to watch and to learn about.  As a photographer, I also find them both to be wonderful photographic subjects, although they both require patience to catch them at their best.  Here are a couple of photographs I have taken in addition to the ones above.

Choose your favorite way to celebrate Butterfly and Hummingbird day by checking out the suggestions at the bird tipper link listed above.

November is Adopt a Turkey Month

Turkey has long been the staple for the American Thanksgiving feast.  Because of this the turkey population is greatly depleted during the month.  To try to offset this and save some of the loss of the turkey population, certain groups have banded together to try to save some of the turkeys by championing an adoption process for turkeys.  The website for the Adopt a Turkey is   https://nationaltoday.com/adopt-a-turkey-month/

They suggest the following three activities to choose from in celebrating adopt-a-turkey month.

• Adopt a turkey as a pet
• Donate a turkey to an animal sanctuary
• Go meatless for Thanksgiving

For more information on the process and the history of the holiday check out the website above.

December 14 through January 5-Christmas Bird Count Week

The bird count week is celebrated annually and is a tradition that is over 100 years old.  It honors bird lovers from around the world who head out to count and record millions of bird siting's each year.

The bird count is sponsored by the National Audubon Society.  You may go to this link  https://nationaltoday.com/christmas-bird-count-week/  to find out more about the history of this count.

Three things you can do to celebrate bird count week are :

• Participate in the Bird Count
• Take up bird-watching
• Discourage hunting for pleasure

I encourage you to go to www.audubon.org to sign up to receive more information and find out how you can help.  I have just signed up and I found out from their map there is a location near me where the Christmas-bird-count will be taking place this year.  I'm looking forward to getting more information.

More of my Bird Photography from this Year

Links to Bird Holiday from the First Three Quarters

First Quarter Bird Holidays

Second Quarter Bird Holidays

Third Quarter Bird Holidays

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National Bird Holidays and Awareness Days- 2nd Quarter

 

Male Cardinal

This review will introduce you to a few of the bird holidays and awareness days for the second quarter of the year.  I have found bird watching and bird photography to be a wonderful pastime.  In addition to sharing some of the second quarter bird days, I will share a few of my photographs in this review.  All photos were taken in my backyard.

April 8- Draw a Bird Day

Draw a bird day started in the UK in the 1940's.  A young girl wanted to cheer her uncle who was wounded in the war.  When she visited him in the hospital she asked him to draw a bird.  When he finished she laughed and told him that he wasn't a great artist but then she hung the drawing on the wall.  This cheered her uncle so much that she would have him draw a bird each time she visited him, and soon his walls were full of bird drawings.  The other soldiers and nurses in the hospital were all cheered by the bird drawings.  This was the start of the holiday.

You don't need to be a great artist to participate in "Draw a Bird Day", just sketch a simple bird and spread the joy.  

April 8th is "Draw a Bird Day".  To help you with 

this project you might want to order this book.

 Draw 50 Birds: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Chickadees, Peacocks, Toucans, Mallards, and Many More of Our Feathered FriendsCheck Price

April 29th- National Go Birding Day

National Go Birding Day is a national holiday that is celebrated on the last Saturday in April.  It is a day to celebrate our feathered friends.  The Earth is home to over 10,000 different species of birds.

Some of the activities you might like to do to celebrate the day include:

• Take Photographs
• Visit a Nature Reserve or a Park
• Share your Photos and Videos on social media.

Sparrows on Deck Chair all Puffed up in Cold

May 4th- Bird Day

This holiday is the largest holiday in observance of our avian friends.  It is always held on May 4th and the US Library of Congress states that it was first observed on May 4, 1894.  This is a widely celebrated Bird Day and is often celebrated in conjunction with Arbor day.  Both days are focused on conservation and education.

Female Cardinal

To celebrate Bird Day you may want to learn more about birds.  There are lots of sites on the internet where you can learn facts about birds or you may want to look for a bird book on Amazon. Here is one for you to consider.

 Feed the Birds: Attract and Identify 196 Common North American BirdsCheck Price

May 14-World Migratory Bird Day

This holiday is an international holiday that is celebrated on the 2nd Saturday in May.  It celebrates the many miles many of our feathered friends travel each spring and fall to avoid the cold and snowy weather.  They travel thousands of miles from their breeding grounds in North America to their winter homes in Central and South America.

I am always fascinated by the migration of birds as I see the skies full of them heading south in the fall and then both north in the spring.  The one bird that I find particularly fascinating is the hummingbird.  These very small birds travel from our area in mid Missouri down to Central America for the winter months.  In about April we see the first ones heading back to our area.  I always put my feeders out about the first of April to be ready for them.

Hummingbird on our feeder last year.

June 20-National American Eagle Day

National American Eagle Day is celebrated each year on June 20th.  That is the day that in 1782 the eagle was added to the official seal of the United States.

Here is some information I found on Eagle Day.

Celebrating American Eagle Day

The first American Eagle Day was proclaimed by President Bill Clinton in 1995. Since then 41 American states have made the day an official observance. From 2007 onwards, the US Senate has also passed resolutions to mark June 20 of the year as American Eagle Day. The American Eagle Foundation is at the forefront of organizing and sponsoring events on this holiday.

American Eagle Day is an observance, which means that businesses, stores, and government offices are open.

On this day, conservation and educational organizations hold public outreach programs such as lectures, workshops, and informational sessions to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting bald eagles and other wildlife.

The holiday is sometimes known as Bald Eagle Day or National Eagle Day.

Here is a link to the site where this information is located American-Eagle-Day

For a review on the bird holidays for the first quarter of the year, go to https://www.reviewthisreviews.com/2023/01/national-bird-holidays-and-awareness.html

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ReviewThisPhotography.com

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Reviewing Hawks in my Backyard

Young Cooper's Hawk

I have always enjoyed watching the birds at the feeders in our backyard and have been told to watch out for Hawks because they can kill the birds.  Because of this, I had never really studied much about Hawks and just considered them a bird to avoid.  Recently I have photographed some Hawks in and around our backyard and now I have a new appreciation for the fascinating creatures that they are.  Up in the air they always looked menacing, but when seen up close in a photograph I realized what beautiful details they have.  In this post I will share with you some information on two of the Hawks I have photographed in our yard.  The first is the Cooper's Hawk and the second is the Red-Shouldered Hawk. 

Cooper's Hawk

I have seen Cooper's Hawks or at least what I think are Cooper's Hawks fairly often in our area.  The photo above was taken on our back fence.  It was identified by several people on bird sites online as a young Cooper's Hawk, so I feel fairly confident with that identification.  Sometimes I find hawks colorings are so similar, especially with the differences in adults and juveniles that I am not sure of my identification.  I wrote a review on one of my favorite bird books several months back.  It is the book I used to find the information on the Cooper's Hawk.  Here is a link to that review. What it's Like to be a Bird

Here is what it has to say about the bird.

• It is a medium-sized hawk at about 16 inches long.
• They often keep watch at feeders and then swoop in low hoping to surprise the flock.
• They target mid-sized birds that are slower flyers such as doves and starlings.  These birds are easier for them to grab with their talons.
• The juveniles have vertical brown streaks on their chests with brown back while the adults will have tight horizontal reddish barring on their chests with gray crowns and backs.  Both have barred tails that are rounded at the tips.

Here are a couple photos that I think fit these descriptions.

 Red-Shouldered Hawk

The photo above is a Red-Shouldered Hawk.  I captured it sitting on the satellite dish on the roof of the house behind ours.  I zoomed in and quickly took this shot before he flies away and then I carefully check my camera settings and tried to wait for him to turn his head, so I get him looking my way.  Before I could get another shot, he took off and I was able to capture him in flight.  I am particularly proud of this shot. It was the first time I had seen one of these hawks.

I looked him up in my guide to backyard birds and found the following information.

• It is a fairly common, medium to large hawk.
• The adult has reddish colored upperwing coverts and also densely barred reddish underparts. The wings and tail are dramatically barred in black and white.
• The juvenile has brown-streaked underparts and a dark tail with many pale bands.
• They make a loud screaming sound that sounds like (KEE-ahh) which is given in a series.
• They are widespread and found in well-watered woodlands and suburban areas with nearby wood lots. 
• They are a perch hunter and feed on frogs, snakes, lizards and small mammals.
• Their nests are located high in trees and are made of bulky sticks.

Here is a link to the book where I got my information.

 National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America, 2nd EditionCheck Price

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Reviewing The Joy of Bird Feeding

 

Eastern Bluebird

My husband and I enjoy watching the birds in our backyard.  We can sit at our kitchen table and watch the view through our sliding glass doors.  We were very excited when we received a Christmas gift from a friend to give us lots of great ideas for attracting and feeding our feathered friends. This gift was a book entitled The Joy of Bird Feeding. In this post I will give you a preview of the tips found in each chapter of this book.  I will also share some of the photographs that I have taken of birds in our backyard.

 The Joy of Bird Feeding: The Essential Guide to Attracting and Feeding Our Backyard BirdsCheck Price

Chapter 1: The Five Steps to Bird Feeding Mastery

The first chapter gives a thorough plan on setting up your backyard to attract the biggest variety of birds.  It helps you to set up a plan to decide what foods to serve and when to serve them.

Downy feasting on Suet Pellets

Chapter 2: Thoughtful Bird Feeding Stations Elements in Detail

Details of the elements needed for feeding birds are described in this chapter.  One of the items suggested is year-round water.  In the photo below you see a group of bluebirds enjoying fresh water from the heated dog bowl I have placed on our deck on a cold winter's day.

Chapter 3: The Birds

This chapter gives us some interesting information on the birds that are found in our backyards.  The introduction talks about year-round birds, seasonal residents and migrant birds. It is also talks about how the birds find feeders.  The chapter then goes into photos of various birds and identifying information.  It is quite comprehensive.  Here is a Carolina Wren that is a frequent visitor to my backyard.

Carolina Wren

Chapter 4: The Foods

Great detail is given on the various foods that are available for birds. There is also a section on foods from your kitchen that are good for birds and a section on fun food shapes.  Here is a bird on a Penguin feeder that we received for Christmas.

House Finch on Fun Feeder

Chapter 5: The Feeders

Are you undecided about what types of feeders to purchase?  This chapter goes into detail on each type of feeder and tells you the pros and cons of each.  I like to have a variety of feeders in my backyard. Here is a photo of some Cardinals and a finch on one of my feeders.

Cardinals and Finch

Chapter 6: Poles and Hangers

Here we find some great ideas for poles and hangers including a nifty pole system.  I will need to look into that.

Chapter 7: Critter Solutions

Unwanted critters can play havoc with your feeding stations.  This chapter gives you ideas on how to mitigate the critter issues.  We have lots of squirrels in our yard and I have some squirrel proof feeders and others that the squirrels love to visit.  We enjoy seeing their antics too.  Here is a squirrel at one of our feeders.

Chapter 8: Situations and Solutions

Have you wondered why the birds aren't coming to your feeders or what you can do about the messy deck?  The answers to these and other issues can be found in this chapter.

Chapter 9: Buying and Storing Bird Food

Here you will find lots of tips for buying the best foods and storing solutions for your bird food.

Chapter 10: Common-sense Bird Feeding Hygiene

Here I find a lot of tips for making your bird feeding stations safe for the birds.  Some I have done, but there are certainly a lot of areas where I can improve.  

Chapter 11- Fun Bird Feeding Activities

This chapter is full of some great bird feeding activities including things like hand feeding birds and watching birds when you are not at home.  The activity that most interests me is photographing birds.  I love to set up my backyard to make some good backgrounds for taking bird photos and this book had lots of tips. 

Here is a favorite photo I caught of some bluebirds turning their backs to the camera.  I thought it made a good ending for this review.

Bluebird of Happiness Card
by mbgphoto

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Reviewing a Heated Dog Bowl for Birds

 

Carolina Wren enjoying the Heated Dog Bowl

I enjoy watching and photographing birds in my back yard.  In order to attract birds to my yard I know it is important to provide a steady supply of food and fresh water. 

For food I fill several different feeders with different types of food.  I love song birds so I make sure to put out a steady supply of black oiled sunflower seeds.  I also put out nyjer seed for the little finches.  I love to attract woodpeckers so I offer both suet cakes and suet pellets.

For water I have a birdbath which the birds love both for drinks and bathing.  This winter has been particularly cold and the bird bath water is always frozen so I searched for a good way to provide fresh water.  I know there are heated birdbaths, but they were a little out of the cost range I was considering.  I read on one of my bird groups that a heated dog bowl works great for birds and is inexpensive so I decided to try that.

Heated Dog Bowl

After looking at several sites I settled on this dog bowl.

 Farm Innovators 1 Quart Plastic Heated Pet Bowl with Anti Chew Cord and 25 Watts of Power for Rabbits, Dogs, Cats, and All Breed Sizes, BlueCheck Price

This bowl had several features which I find works well.  At one quart it is a good size for my deck.  It is thermostatically controlled so that it only operates when it is necessary.  The bowl has an anti-tip construction and the cord is covered with a heavy duty protector.  It comes in several colors and I chose the bright blue because I was hoping to attract some blue birds and I thought that would look great in the photographs.

I have had the bowl for 2 months now and it has worked great.  It has really been tested the last two weeks when our temperatures have been below freezing the entire time and we've had wind chills in the -10 area.  The bowl has worked perfect and provided water for the birds in the chilling weather.  When it has snowed the snow just melts into the bowl.  I am very pleased  with my purchase and I think my birds are too!

Photographs of Birds at the Water Bowl

Here are some photographs of birds taken at the new water bowl.  First of all it did attract the Eastern Blue Birds I was hoping to get.  I love the way their coloring matches with the bowl.

Here are some of the other birds enjoying the water. The Robin looks pleased to have some fresh water and the Cardinal and House Finch also enjoy the water.  

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Review of Spring Photography

Lilacs in the Springtime

Spring is such a wonderful time for photography.  Flowers are blooming everywhere including my own backyard.  I love to go for walks in the neighborhood each day and see what new flowers and flowering trees and bushes are blooming on that day.  In the area of the country I live ,  midwest USA, the beauty begins to unfold in mid March.  From that time and for the next 2-3 months there are new delights to find each day!  On this page I will share with you, through my photography,  some of my favorite springtime flowers.

Early Bloomers

Tulips are one of my favorite early spring flowers.  There are different types of tulips that will start blooming in our area throughout April and May.  The photographs taken below were captured during the first week of April.

This next photo was taken in late April.  This tulip is fully opened and still beautiful.

Zazzle Cards from my Tulip Photos

I love creating cards to send to friends and family from my photographs.  Here are a couple I made on Zazzle.

Tulips and Scripture Card
by mbgphoto

Yellow Tulip
by mbgphoto

 

Flowering Trees and Bushes

In the springtime flowering bushes and trees are a wonderful sight to behold.  I particularly like the Lilac bush as seen in the photo at the beginning of this article.  In addition to being beautiful they have a very fragrant smell and I love cutting some off my lilac bush and bringing them in to my house. They make the whole house smell good.

The red bud tree is another beauty of springtime.  In the spring you can see them all over the hillsides in our part of the country.  Here is a photo of one that I took at a park near our home.

One of my favorite trees is the dogwood tree.  They can be found in both pink and white flowers.  Here is a photo of each.

Later Spring Flowers

Once spring is well under way, in late April or May, the Iris's start to bloom.  They are such beautiful and stately flowers.  I love to photograph them.  This first  photo is an Iris from my friend's garden.

I really like the two toned colors.  Here is another two toned Iris, this one was taken on a walk I took at the Missouri Extension garden.

A solid white Iris can be quite striking.  Here is one taken at Missouri Extension garden.

Wildflowers in the Spring

Spring is a wonderful time for wild flowers.  You can see many of these native plants along the sides of roads, in parks and in some peoples gardens.  Here are a few that I found beautiful.

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