Everyday Birding

It's amazing what all this water everywhere will do! :)  I saw three very nice birds today .. two are new to me for the year .. actually, I think they are lifers! That means I've never seen them before.

Coming home from lunch with Rob, I saw this bird in the bush by the pond coming into our subdivision.

Belted Kingfisher.

and then later, when DS1 and I were leaving to get him to his Biology classe, I saw these ..

Hooded Mergansers

And then when I was coming home just a little bit later from a run to Menards and Walmart.

A Sandhill Crane.

These were all in the two ponds that flank the road coming into our subdivision!  Isn't that something!?!?

Easter Birding

Rob and I went for a walk this afternoon at Harrington Beach State Park ... it was a nice walk, especially the parts that we were blocked from the wind.  It was quite windy later this afternoon, but with all the trees at the park, it was beautiful.  While walking we talked to a couple of other walkers, and they mentioned they had seen some Swans on County Road A  just south of Belgium, so we drove the long way home so that I could see them. :)

As a bonus, we saw a couple of Redheads (ducks).  These are both new for my list for the year :)

A good "last day" of vacation with dh.

Bandera Trip Birding

I was recently in the Bandera, TX area and took several Bird photos.  I am posting some here, but you can see all of the photos in my facebook album here.

I'll tell you what I think they are, but please comment if you know something I don't, or even if you have an opinion of any kind on these photos! :)

These are ducks or geese .. really, I don't know .. the bill looks "duck" to me. It's possible these are snow geese?

 Another mystery duck.  I've been trying to find an ID using an online bird ID webpage and my Golden Field Guide, but I haven't really come up with anything.  Perhaps a whistling duck os some kind?

Here are some really interesting ducks.  Again, I think it may be a whistling duck, but it doesn't match the photos I've been looking at.  The "black eye" (it's really brownish in color) is very unique.

 
Here are some geese or ducks .. another mystery ... these birds really made me feel like I know nothing about birding IDs.

Very interesting Geese ... A variety of colorations .. Believe it's a Muscovy Duck.

There were numerous of these grackles around.  I believe they are Great-Tailed Grackles because of the females, which I didn't get a picture of.

Mourning Dove - sorry for the blurry pic .. it's taken from a video shot.

Turkey Vulture. Saw lots of these and Black Vultures (second pic) as well.

I think this is a starling .. but not sure. Pic is from a video again .. that's why it's blurry.

Some type of hawk in these next couple of photos.

I believe this is a Great Blue Heron .. didn't get a very good look at it .. but fairly sure on this one.

More of the mystery geese ... Someone help!  I do believe the leftmost and the white one are Brown Chinese Ducks (most certainly the left most one is)

Wild Turkey!

 My first thought on this one was Mocking Bird ... but it doesn't quite fit the white patches of a mocking bird on it's wings... help appreciated.

Swans .. wish I could figure out what type.

Cute squirrel pic :)

Northern Cardinal

Mystery Duck again .. possibly a Coot or a Black Duck ?

Sorry for all the non-IDs ... wish I had more knowledge about these.

Snow, Birds, misc.

As Joel was getting the empty feeders this afternoon to fill them, he noticed a little female finch under one of the feeders.  It did not fly away when Joel approached.  I was able to get a photo of it (a bad one) from inside the house.

I think the reason it didn't fly away is because it's mostly blind.  See that big white spot on it's eye?  I think there's one on the other eye too.  I got a glimpse of it as it was moving around.  It flew from the ground to the branch of the arborvitae .. so it can fly.  Wish I could do something to help it, but not sure what can be done at all. Just let nature takes it course I suppose.

A week or so ago we got a bunch of snow.  here's a few images.

Our sliding door - the screen was nearly 100% blocked with snow sticking to it when we woke up in the morning ...

Our Dutch Kids were buried .. still mostly are actually ...

Before we started shoveling, Rob measured the snow.  Right by the garage door I think it was just over 12 inches...

 He then waded out to a little bigger drift just out from the garage door.  You can see we already had a pile of snow on the end of the driveway from previous snows.  The Measurement was ... drum roll please ...

16 inches !

Glad the snow is done.  Still tons of it on the ground, but the roads are mostly dry now thanks to some sunshine and warmer temperatures.  Today it's just under 40 F .. and it's supposed to stay above freezing during the days for the forecasted 10 days .. so let's hope spring is finally on its way!

Birding Today

This morning I went out to the end of Hwy D to see what I could see of birds on Lake Michigan.  I really didn't see much .. but I did see a flock of Canadian Geese, and I saw a pair of ducks.  I believe it is a pair of Common Goldeneye :)  If I'm wrong, please let me know! It could also be a Barrow's Goldeneye.

I do know they are diving ducks as I saw one of them dive :)

Nature - Cooper's Hawk

Well, Caveat .. don't scroll or look at the pictures if you have a squeamish stomach .. I'm posting pictures of nature .. as it is ..

A Cooper's Hawk has been flying over our yard in the last month or so .. and I haven't seen any signs that it had been successful .. well, ...

Until Today ...

Right outside our windows ... He's eating now ... Here's some pictures.  Click to see them larger.

I took more than this, but this gives you an idea. If you want to see the other pics, they are in my google pics ..click here

Also - these Mourning Doves were in a Cottonwood Tree near to where the Hawk was eating ..