It’s National Poetry Month!
What’s inspiring you? ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
Inspired!
While sipping breakfast tea and finishing a journal entry, I glanced up at the window and spotted striking black and white flutters darting among the lilac branches. The first feathered friend was a downy woodpecker. By the time I grabbed the camera, he had disappeared and a nearly identical but larger version, a hairy woodpecker, hung upside down, pecking the last of winter’s crumbs from the suet cage. They’re sure to be back to dine, but next time it will be on succulent spring favorites—buds and bugs. Inspiring. Ah, spring! ~ Bette A. Stevens
What’s inspiring you?
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Comments on: "Hairy Woodpecker HAIKU by Bette A. Stevens" (32)
Well captured, Bette and a lovely haiku! 😀 Bet they’re onto the live food now! I once spent an afternoon trying to take photos of a glorious woodpecker in Sweden but only managed a colourful blur!
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Thanks, Annika. Bugs and buds are soon to be the main fare for many of our feathered friends, including the Hairy and Downy Woodpecker pairs that visit the lilac tree so often. They are very shy and should they catch of glimpse of me or camera, they skip out of sight in an instant. I’ve captured plenty of blurs… Have a wonderful week enjoying all of those amazing spring things! 🙂 ❤ xo
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It’s beautiful watching the rawness of all birds 🙂 thank i loved the post
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More stopping here for a rest along their journey each day. It is such a treat to watch and listen. Thanks so much for stopping to enjoy one of ours who will be nesting nearby before long. 🙂
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You explained the details so vividly I could almost see it all. Lovely. 👍🏼
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Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. Have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Pleasure 😊
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The return of the chipmunk that lives under my house always make spring a reality for me.
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Lady bugs and flies are even waking from winter dreams here in Central Maine where spring temps have risen to near 70 degrees F. today… Celebrating new and awaking life! Have a fabulous day, enjoying the wonders of it all, Bernadette! 🙂 xo
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Happy Spring Bette.
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They are beautiful birds and such a welcome sign of spring, Sharon. Have a lovely week! 🙂 xo
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One of my favorite birds, only to be outranked by the downy woodpecker as far as woodpeckers go. 😀
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Jumped over from the Senior Salon
~~~~~~~~~~~
When I first left NYC I was stunned by the number of birds, even in populated areas – and it took me a while to acclimate to all the varied “noises” they make. Manhattan birds seem only to twitter or coo – and pigeons dominate the landscape.
I revisited that memory again today as I walked my little Shih Tzu back from a nearby park and heard what sounded most like a cellphone ringing at the top of a tree. Even though I never saw the source of the song or recognized the singer, and was a bit chilly in only a light jacket over my sweater, it was a sign that old man winter was on his way out, making way for mistress spring. And now this. Thank you for sharing – especially the photos.
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to educate a world!”
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Hi, Madelyn. Thanks so much for stopping by to share the sensational sights and sounds of spring in your neighborhood. A pair of Hairy Woodpeckers were dancing and chattering together in the lilac tree today. A delightful sign that ‘love’ is in the air. I’m thrilled that the snow is melting and I’ll soon be able to walk outdoors and discover the wonders up close and personal. Have a wonderful week and enjoy your discovery walks. 🙂 xo
“A writer Inspired by nature and human nature”
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My pleasure – thanks for sharing yours with me.
xx,
mgh
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Lovely poem. We have pilleated woodpeckers here, and it’s always a treat to see them.
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Thanks, Cathleen. We were ‘gifted’ with another 3″ of snow overnight–bringing a pair of slate juncos, and a lone female gold finch to the feeder today. SPRING is letting us know it’s near! Blessings and love to you and yours. 🙂 xo
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Thanks so much, Mae!
I can just picture Raven in the window…:) Midnight’s in her glory-gazing out her window aviary too. 🙂 Fortunately, the birds know how to outsmart her when she’s outdoors; so, she generally settles for snatching a mouse or two from the woodpile out back and chasing turkeys through the pines. Although, she’s been acting as neighborhood sentinel lately, scouting for a local fox. Middy had to survive on her own for many years before she found our barn and eventually adopted us.
Mix of snow and freezing rain here today. Hubby says we’ll be lucky if the snowbanks are gone by July at this rate. 🙂 The 2 ft snowbanks up against the house have melted back enough that we can see bare ground and some greenery magically appearing. Hopefully, we’ll have a most marvelous spring soon. Can hardly wait!
HUGS & HAPPY WRITING & READING,
Bette
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What a great treat for national poetry month, Bette!
I can’t wait for spring to finally arrive. We’re beginning to see some trees blossom which is making me impatient as the temperature is still on the chilly side.
My cat (though indoors) has been glued to the bow window, entertained by the birds. 🙂
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A lovely way to start your day, Bette. We have woodpeckers, but not the hairy woodpeckers. They are fascinating. We had one woodpecker that drove us crazy as he had an affinity for the aluminum gutters on our house.
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My head is hammering just thinking about those poor gutters… Dan put a vinyl gutter up over the entrance to our breezeway last year. I sure hope “Hairy” and “Harrietta” don’t get any bright ideas… 🙂 Thanks so much for the visit, my friend. Have a wonderful week, Michelle, with your beautiful Grand Girls! 🙂 ❤
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Thanks, Bette. I will be with them today. Hugs.
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Lovely thoughts Bette. Just today we were hearing the sounds of woodpecker boring a hole in a tree in the neighbor’s house but couldn’t see it and my little grandson kept repeating…why can’t we see it, let’s go to the neighbor’s house and see. 🙂
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Thanks, Balroop. Oh, how exciting…the rapid hammer of beak on tree. Grab you camera and take grandson along–bet your neighbor won’t mind a bit. You’re sure to make memories! 🙂 ❤
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I never get to see the big woodpeckers. I hear them, but they are always hidden in the trees. ONCE I saw one of the big hairy guys. Of course, I didn’t have the camera either 🙂
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It must have been about three years ago on my daily (then) walk down the hill and back that I kept hearing sqeaking in the top of a hollowed out birch. Went back to get the camera and got there in time to see a Woodpecker parent fly into the hidden nest. Unfortunately did not get a picture of that. But, the experience was magical. Leave it to the birds! 🙂
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Loved this, Bette. We’ve had a pair of hairy woodpeckers (male and female) all winter. I think since we are so far into spring now, they are finding lots of bugs to dig out. They love our suet!
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Winters we get mostly Chickadees and Blue Jays at the suet feeder. Other feathered friends, enjoy crab apples au naturel. We are delighted when our migrating songbirds drop in for treat or two. Have a fantastic week enjoying the wonders of spring in your neck of the woods, Noelle! 🙂 xo
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Lovely, Bette! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Thank you, Natalie. May your week be filled with wonders! 🙂 xo
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The Change of seasons is symbolic and inspiring. We started off with sun today- so that made us happy! Thanks for the photo
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Sunshine and birds at the feeder today…still plenty of snow to melt, but the edged of the garden are growing green! Have a great week, Jena. 🙂
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