Icy backyard art

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We had just enough ice last week to give the backyard a very different look, and it was fun to get out and look around. The wire fence around the compost pile was strung with crystal beads that struck me as somewhat ‘arty’.beads of ice on wire fence

I found the ice-covered fruit and buds of the red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) quite beautiful.

Ice covered red chokeberries

The nut feeder with its fringe of small icicles reminded me of a crystal chandelier, but the ice didn’t keep our male downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) from feeding as usual.

Downy woodpect at feeder

We’ve experienced ice storms that were destructive and scary. This time we got the beauty without any broken tree limbs or icy roads, and I enjoyed the temporary backyard ‘artwork’.

18 thoughts on “Icy backyard art”

  1. Great photos, Betty – particularly like the one of the nutfeeder. I’ve got a downy woodpecker that visits my yard as well, he eats out of the sunflower feeder. By the way – I’ve got a thistle feeder for the finches, but haven’t had any visitors this season. Any suggestions? Maybe I should move it – or maybe the thistle seed I bought is old?

    1. Glad to know you, too, have downy woodpeckers, Kathy. Have never seen one at our sunflower feeder. They often hunt the bark crevices – for insects, I assume. We are not getting any goldfinches at our thistle feeder either. I know they don’t like old or moldy seed and sometimes we see more of them when Harry puts in new seeds.

  2. The ice-decorated backyard photos certainly open
    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’s door into my imagination
    of Narnia’s winter but nothing could be more perfect than your picture
    and identification of the “crystal chandelier” over a bird’s version of
    his/her banquet table 🙂

    1. Beth, I love you connecting a Narnia winter, the crystal chandelier, a bird’s banquet table. And the red spot on the head indicates ‘his’ banquet table.

    1. Glad you like it, Judy. Hadn’t thought about it but it does also resembles a lamp shade with fringe, doesn’t it?

  3. Keli told me all about your site. I am so glad she did, I love the photography I have seen so far and look forward to much much more.

    I am off to check out some of your older posts.

    Bert’s Vickie

    1. Vickie,delighted that Keli told you of my Kentucky backyard blog and that you’re willing to take a look. I’ve just checked your blog and am quite impressed with your photography. Looks like we’re both interested in four-legged creatures- though most of mine are a big smaller than yours. (smile)

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