Pileated Woodpecker

Sometimes we get a special bird to visit our backyard here in Paducah. On Friday, Wayne caught this Pileated Woodpecker on the tree next to our bird feeders. The clothelines are in the way, but you can see what a large bird this is. Wayne shot the photo through our sliding glass door so he wouldn't disturb it.

One other time I saw a Pileated Woodpecker in the tree by the driveway - he got my attention because he was pecking away at the tree and making a lot of noise doing it.

The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America. Their bright red pointed crest makes them very distinguishable.

Cardinals

We feed the birds all year long, so have a lot of wintering cardinals that hang out in our back yard. The cardinals love to sit in the wisteria bush. All of those curves of the branches give them some protection, and they look beautiful against the icy branches.

Winter

The weather has been crazy all across the country this past week. We had something that we don't get very often - icicles. On Wednesday morning about 7:15 a.m., I stepped out on the back porch to take this photo of the icicles hanging there. The sun was shining through them, and I couldn't resist snapping this photo. The roads were a bit slick that morning but Wayne got me to work just fine. They do a lot of spraying a salt brine on the streets here when they know ice is coming. So if you live in the south...farther south than we do....here's some icicles for you. Let's hope this is our last cold spell, and that spring will be on its way soon.

And while I am on an animal kick, we've been having rain, cold, yukky weather, which neither of our cats like very much. They will trek out in the snow, but when it rains, they are like little kids -- Dad, can't you make it quite raining? Here's Tuffy standing at the door meowing - like please make the rain go away.

The Blackbirds

You've undoubtedly seen those masses of blackbirds flying together overhead. Well, it was quite a surprise when I got up on Sunday morning and saw the entire backyard covered with blackbirds. Me, being me, grabbed my camera and started shooting through the sliding glass door. I knew if I tried to open it, the birds would be gone before I had my camera focused. They didn't stay long, but here is one of my shots.

Adult & Immature Eagles

This is an adult and an immature eagle. It is very easy to tell the difference even when they are flying -- the white head of the adults make them stick out like a beacon. We could spot the adults with the naked eye -- without binoculars or camera lens. Sometimes it was harder to spot the immature eagles if they were among the trees by themselves because they blend into the background.

When I used my 300x zoom, it was like they were right next to me.

Adult Eagle Soaring

Some of the eagles flew not far from the boat. I shot this one from the back deck.

They told us the wing span can be 72" from tip to tip. I was surprised at how the feathers separate on the tips of the wings.

Eagle Landing

Adult eagle coming in for landing. It's always fun to download your photos because you never know exactly what is on the camera when you are shooting wildlife. This one was a surprise.

Eagle Cruise on Kentucky Lake

Today Wayne and I went on the Eagle Cruise at Kentucky Lake. We saw more than 30 eagles. My, what magestic bird they are. Did you know that the female eagle is larger than the male? I don't know if this is a male or female -- would have to see them together to know.

We went on the CQ Princess double decker boat, and we could watch from inside through the large windows or go outside on the deck. I spent about an hour outside shooting photos. I sure was glad that I took along my neck scarf to wrap over my head to keep my ears warm - it was only about 40 degrees. Gloves were a must too. We also enjoyed a nice lunch on the cruise.

If you are ever in the vicinity of Kentucky Lake in January or February, this is a fun way to spend the day. And if you haven't been to see the Elk & Bison Prairie at the Land Between the Lakes, that is just down the road from where you board the boat.

Our Group #22 - 28

Our Group $22 - 28 (Amy is the missing one here)

Our Group #15 - 21

Our Group #15 - 21

Our Group #8 - 14

Our Group #8 - 14

Our Group @1 - 7

Our group #1 - 7

Kehen Temple - Preparing for Festival

Men were carrying firewood up the steps next to the banyan tree in preparation for a festival at the Temple.

Kehen Temple - Altars

Altars inside Kehen Temple.

Notice the tree-covered mountain behind the temple.

Kehen Temple in Bangli

Mountainous Bangli, Bali's only landlocked regency, compensates for its coastal deficit with some of the most spectacular scenery on the island. Bangli town is also home to the island's second largest temple, the beautiful 11th-century Pura Kehen. Its location is dramatic, perched on the edge of a high cliff with a picturesque sunset view. The temple is carved from an enormous limestone rock.

It has three courtyards connected by steps, and is decorated with carvings and statues. In the first courtyard is a huge Banyan tree, surrounded by walls inlaid with Chinese porcelain. In the next courtyard, multi-roofed shrines (merus) dominate the area. On the right side of this inner courtyard are three throne shrines representing the Hindu Trinity, Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa.

I took a photo of our group on the steps of the temple, accompanied by Mawa, our guide. Since more than 90% of the people on Bali are Hindu, Mawa shared information on their religion with us as we passed many different temples on our travels.

Terraced Fields

The tillable land in the mountains was terraced to make room for growing all kinds of crops - fruit, vegetables like corn and lettuce, and flowers of all kinds. We passed some men carrying huge baskets of cut hydrangeas - sorry I didn't get a photo of them but the flowers were really pretty purples and blue.

It is hard to imagine cutting all of those terraces by hand. And the fields were immaculate - no weeds that we could see.

View from the Mountains

We stopped at a restaurant -- with great views of the land below.

Lake Tamblingan

As we headed down the mountain, we stopped for a spectacular view of Lake Tamblingan. Water from this lake and a couple others in the mountains provide water for people from here to the city.

Clouds in the Mountains

As we left the coffee plantation, the clouds settled right down on the road. It looked like we were driving through heavy fog -- but we were in the clouds.

This is the view out the front window of our bus.