Blue skies are always welcome -- especially in late February. And especially when much of the rest of the country and even much of our State is under severe weather watch. But in truth blue skies don't always make the most interesting pictures.
On one day last week though, the blue skies were as intriguing as they were welcome. It's rare that I can't stop taking pictures of a blue sky. It's usually just "there" and unchanging. On this day though these clouds just scudded across the sky painting pretty patterns as they traveled.
All these sky pictures were taken from one small area in the "way-back" of our daughter and son-in-laws home. It was kind of a chilly day (for here). The scrub jay didn't mind the cold. His blue color doesn't show up against the sky as much as it would on a gray day.
And I got this wonderful surprise that I almost didn't notice while sky-watching. These are the first pussy willows I've seen in years. We've spent February in warmer climates since the turn of the century* when we sold our Oregon home to travel. *(I've always wanted to use that phrase!) And very early spring flowers don't bloom in sub-tropical climates.
It hasn't even rained hard enough to knock down the daffodils . These first-of- the-year flowers are always kind of a gamble. Way back (yup, back in the last century) when we gardened, they were my favorite flowers of all just because they are so welcome. But hard rains can decimate them quickly. We have been very very lucky in our weather this year. So far, at least. Family and friends remind me that in the past year or two (while we were away) our valley had a snowfall on the first day of Spring. We're grateful for every blue sky day!
Here in our present Oregon backyard, there are no flowers blooming yet, but the red-bellied sapsucker keeps us entertained most mornings when we're at home. (Of course I pretend to be sure it is always the same one -- really, we never do see more than one.)
My bird book says that in addition to enjoying sap from the trees, these birds feed on insects extracted from the bark. And that helps to keep down the number of boring-type insects that destroy healthy trees. I hope that is true because Eugene needs trees! And this tree is right next to the one that gave up completely and fell down last year (this post from last September).
Linking this week to these sharing opportunities. Thank you to the hosts.
MOSAIC MONDAY; NATURE NOTES; THROUGH MY LENS; OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; FRIDAY BLISS; SATURDAY CRITTERS; and RATHER B' BIRDING
Lovely photos Sallie...
Posted by: Michelle Banks | February 28, 2021 at 12:42 PM
Besides the unusual warm weather up to 20° which had never happened in Belgium only the weeds come out slowly !No flowers yet it is too early ! I enjoy our sunshine flooded apartment and am happy to have moved before this all happened !
Posted by: Gattina | February 28, 2021 at 07:10 AM
Love how you framed the Jay in your collage! And the sapsucker is beautiful!!!
Thanks for choosing to share this post with us birders!
Posted by: Anni | February 28, 2021 at 02:11 AM
Lovely pictures!
Posted by: Shiju Sugunan | February 27, 2021 at 06:55 PM
Your photos are very pretty, especially the sapsucker pics.
be safe... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Posted by: mae | February 27, 2021 at 03:18 PM
I love your blue skies with white "wash" treatment. I can't wait for the daffodils, they should be up here any time.
Posted by: Alan Bates | February 27, 2021 at 01:28 PM
Gorgeous blue skies. I get the sapsucker at my feeders occasionally.
Posted by: Judy | February 27, 2021 at 12:16 PM
Hello Sallie, it's been a long time since I visited, but so glad I managed to insert my URL, with success this time. Love your blue skies, pretty flowers, and woodpecker images, and thanks for the info about them. Have a lovely day, and stay safe.
Posted by: Breathtaking | February 27, 2021 at 07:18 AM
Gorgeous blue sky photos ~ love our feathered friends and the pussy willows too ~ looking like Spring ^_^
Living moment by moment,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Posted by: A ShutterBug Explores | February 27, 2021 at 06:39 AM
Living on the East Coast, I'm a beginning birder (thanks to the pandemic) and enjoyed seeing your pictures. Blue skies are always welcome, especially in the winter. Enjoyable post!
Posted by: RamblinGarden | February 27, 2021 at 05:47 AM
Hello Sallie,
I love your birds, great sightings of the Scrub Jay and the pretty Sapsucker. The flowers are a beautiful sight too. Beautiful views of the sky! I am looking forward to the spring blooms. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care and stay safe. Enjoy your day, happy weekend! PS, I appreciate your visit and comment on my blog..
Posted by: EileeninMD | February 27, 2021 at 02:43 AM
Thank you, Sallie 🤗
for your lovely comment.
Best wishes from Augsburg,
Heidrun
Posted by: Heidrun | February 27, 2021 at 02:33 AM
Hi Sallie, I sure enjoyed your blue sky photos. We share a love of skies, birds, and plants. Your photos are excellent! Great shots of the red-bellied sapsucker. I admire your location in Oregon. Thank you for sharing your blog and for your kind comments on mine. Have a great weekend and stay safe. John
Posted by: John's Island | February 26, 2021 at 08:35 PM
hi sallie - to answer the question you left on my blog, we are 10 minutes from the beach!!
Posted by: Debbie | February 26, 2021 at 05:59 PM
Good to hear from you. We are doing fine. We just got back to Bellingham this week after six weeks in southern Arizona in our RV. I haven't been blogging about out trip, we decided it was best with some of the negative feelings about travel at this time. We have one more leg to our trip in April and hopefully can get home to Canada in May. While I'm here I'll get caught up on your posts. Hope you are doing well in Oregon. - Margy
Posted by: Margy | February 26, 2021 at 05:32 PM
Love seeing the flowers and your blue skies. I am so ready for spring. It will be a while before any flowers bloom here, but we did finally get a good amount of sun this week, thank goodness. Thanks for linking up and have a great weekend!
Posted by: Michelle Keltner | February 26, 2021 at 05:00 PM
Perfect blue skies Sallie! I loved all the spring flowers and the birds. Looking forward to the spring :) Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Denise A Gullickson | February 26, 2021 at 01:39 PM
This week, we have seen several blue sky days here in Nashua, NH, Sallie and thankfully no severe weather but rain is forecast for most of the weekend. It will surely wash away what little remaining snow is on the ground. Pussy willows are such a fun bloom to see and it has been years since I have seen any as well, so good for you in spotting them. As for daffodils, it will be quite some time before they are in bloom here.
Posted by: Beatrice | February 26, 2021 at 10:29 AM
Brilliant Sallie, the wisp clouds and a Red-bellied Sapsucker, always photogenic.
Posted by: Bob Bushell | February 26, 2021 at 07:34 AM
...thank for the preview of what our spring will look lie.
Posted by: tomthebackroadstraveller | February 26, 2021 at 06:17 AM
Blue skies always delight me, but I am a bit like you: photograph but am not satisfied with the result :) Yours look fabulous today! A seldom bird visitor you have, we have only common tits and blackbirds. Great that we are soon in March, every week the spring (and the sun) are closer!
Posted by: riitta k | February 26, 2021 at 05:24 AM
Gorgeous! Or should I say: blue-tiful!
Posted by: Lady Fi | February 26, 2021 at 12:23 AM
We have yellow bellied sapsuckers. They look similar but don't have much red.
Posted by: Linda Walcroft | February 25, 2021 at 11:00 PM
It's exciting to see some beauty in the sky and some awesome signs of spring! Gorgeous birds, too, Sallie :)
Your link is a great addition to 'My Corner of the World' this week!
Posted by: My Corner of the World | February 25, 2021 at 07:41 PM
Lovely shot of the sapsucker. It sounds like soooooo long ago to talk about "the turn of the century"! I'll have to remember to use the phrase.
Posted by: Peter B. | February 25, 2021 at 02:46 PM
i don't see red-bellied sapsuckers here, it is a cute little bird that i am sure stands out in the landscape!! those blue skies would take my breath away they are so pretty. and spring flowers already?? how can that be?? i have not seen pussy willows in years either, this year i am going to look for them!!
Posted by: Debbie | February 25, 2021 at 12:58 PM
Great sky.
Posted by: Jim, Sydney, Australia | February 25, 2021 at 12:50 PM
Very interesting blue skies. Looks like Spring is not far away. So you have survived a winter back home. Must be nice to be close to family.
Posted by: Diane Bohlen | February 24, 2021 at 10:10 PM
I can't believe you're seeing harbingers of spring already! I love pussy willow. I have some daffs planted but they won't bloom until late June when the snow is finally melted and days stay above freezing. Are you missing FL?
Posted by: Barb | February 24, 2021 at 02:19 PM
love all your photos, but especially the red-bellied sapsucker. I don't remember ever seeing one before.
Posted by: Yvonne | February 24, 2021 at 10:58 AM
The Spring flowers are always a treat.
Posted by: Fun60 | February 24, 2021 at 08:05 AM
The sky blue color is so beautiful! Here, it's rather foggy these days. Nice bird.
Posted by: Villroses hage | February 24, 2021 at 07:06 AM
I think it's looking like Spring in your neck of the woods!...love the photos.
Posted by: Suzy Godfrey | February 24, 2021 at 04:25 AM
Lovely photographs
All the best Jan
Posted by: lowcarbdiabeticJan | February 23, 2021 at 04:28 PM
Hurray for the pussy willows that you have been able to enjoy! Since the turn of the century! That is a fun phrase to throw around. That bird looks like it has had it's fair share of sap. :) So chubby.
Hope the end of February remains kind with fair weather and blue skies thrown in.
Posted by: ellen b. | February 23, 2021 at 02:52 PM
Today, Feb 23, is a glorious blue sky 75F day in my neck of NorCal. Hope you are having a fabulous day too.
Worth a Thousand Words
Posted by: Photo Cache | February 23, 2021 at 02:16 PM
I'd be taking dozens of photos, too, Sallie, if I saw that sky. I like the way you describe it: "On this day though these clouds just scudded across the sky painting pretty patterns as they traveled." So magical.
I wish some of your rain would make it down our way.
Posted by: Su-sieee! Mac | February 23, 2021 at 12:38 PM
I love the way you describe the motion of the clouds as "scudding". They are beautiful. Great photo of the sapsucker. We just get yellow-bellied ones here in the East. I need to be on the lookout for a red-bellied sapsucker the next time I come out to Oregon (I hope this summer).
Posted by: Laurie | February 23, 2021 at 09:36 AM
Those blue skies are always uplifting aren’t they? Great photos! I did not realize all the benefits the red-bellied sapsucker gave us, and probably a lot of those birds too. Guess there’s a connection with all things. Thanks Sallie, enjoy your week.
Posted by: DeniseinVA | February 23, 2021 at 08:48 AM
It must be pleasing to see the Spring flowers that are appearing in Oregon in contrast to the tropical types you find in Florida. Blue skies are always uplifting and even when it's cold it's healthier. On such days it's good to wrap up warmly and go for a walk. The sapsucker not only looks attractive it's good to know it feeds on the insects that can damage the trees. Interesting.
Posted by: Linda P | February 23, 2021 at 02:30 AM
Beautiful blue sky. Many houses used to place pussy willows in vases during the Lunar New Year.
Posted by: Nancy Chan | February 23, 2021 at 12:08 AM
The sapsucker is a pretty bird.
Posted by: William Kendall | February 22, 2021 at 06:36 PM
Lovely skies and flower, love the sapsucker...I know you meant to say red breasted....I get confused too, red headed, red bellied, red breasted, red cockaded...SO many REDS out there. I Love blue sky because it means the SuN is out there shining. Hope you have a gorgeous week.
Posted by: Sondra | February 22, 2021 at 03:58 PM
I love this post. Love the blue skies with wisps of clouds. And I haven't seen pussywillows since the last century. (That was fun.) Plus I grew up with daffodils. Glad it's been a rather mild winter for you, and us, to enjoy Oregon.
Posted by: Gaelyn | February 22, 2021 at 03:24 PM
A lovely set of photos. I would be delighted to see blue skies. Although it is warming up here the skies remain grey at present!
Hope all is well, Diane
Posted by: Diane Stuckey | February 22, 2021 at 11:43 AM
Beautiful sky and flowers and sapsucker. The weather this winter has been very unusual but it looks like spring has already arrived where you are, Sallie. Colorado kind of skips spring and goes from winter to summer. We still need more snow but thankfully snowpack is getting towards normal in the mountains. I was happy to see sub-zero temps go away.
Posted by: Pat | February 22, 2021 at 08:31 AM
The blue of the sky is amazing. Your spring is way ahead of here in the midwest of USA. Have a great week!
Posted by: Jeanne S | February 22, 2021 at 07:59 AM
That woodpecker looks very fat and happy! Love the blue skies, I'm always looking up! It's beautiful here this week but we already have pollen! lol Always something...even when it's perfect! Enjoy your week!
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | February 22, 2021 at 07:35 AM
beautiful photos! The sapsucker is a lovely bird!
Posted by: craftygreenpoet | February 22, 2021 at 06:51 AM
Very neat photo of the sapsucker!! I love your sky shots. A blue sky feels peaceful to me. That first photo is amazing with those clouds!!
Posted by: Rain Frances | February 22, 2021 at 06:45 AM
Indeed, springtime is more than intriguing, especially in this hard times. I enjoyed reading, Sallie.
We need the fresh nature, the blooms and of course the green gras. The awaking nature is a gift.
Happy MosaicMonday
Posted by: Heidrun STALLWANGER | February 22, 2021 at 04:35 AM
Fantastic photos Sallie! Those sky shots really are beautiful. I love all the pretty flowers and little birds too. Of course it's the same red-bellied sapsucker you see. He has adopted you :)
Posted by: Martha | February 22, 2021 at 04:32 AM
Luv your blue skies and other photos. Happy Monday
much love...
Posted by: Gillena Cox | February 22, 2021 at 03:32 AM
Hello Sallie,
Love the pretty blue skies, the Red-bellied Sapsucker and the Scrub Jay. The Spring flowers are a beautiful sight. We have snow everywhere here, hoping for a big melt down. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy new week!
Posted by: EileeninMD | February 22, 2021 at 02:12 AM
This reminds me of a The Simpsons-episode where Lisa stands in church and yells a phrase and adds, "I always wanted to yell this in church".
Beautiful pics, sky and flowers... and that cute bird, too.
Posted by: Iris Flavia | February 21, 2021 at 10:38 PM
Sallie - clouds make the sky, I think. You aptly demonstrated this with your whimsical photos! And congrats on the pussy willows -- so exciting. We are weeks and weeks from any kind of flowering here, so it is nice to see what's happening in other climes. And have you ever wondered why the red-bellied sapsucker has that name? Is there any red on its belly? Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday, my friend!
Posted by: Angie | February 21, 2021 at 07:18 PM
so much beauty in that backyard - love the yellow daffodils and of course the birds
Posted by: Carol | February 21, 2021 at 03:49 PM