Thursday, May 9, 2013

May 9th, 2013: Multiple Locations...

Today I got up really early and took my camera out for some fun. I was out from 7am to 9:30am. It was such a beautiful morning. We have had hot weather lately and so I wanted to be out when it was a little cooler. By 9:30am it was already getting quite hot. It was 6 Celsius /42 Fahrenheit when I left and 15 Celsius / 59 Fahrenheit when I got home.

I started my day out at a lake that I like to visit in the spring / summer. I was hoping to see some goslings but all I found was 1 goose who appeared to be on a nest possibly.




After that I went to another larger lake nearby. No goslings here either. But I found another goose who appeared to be on a nest. They sure got upset when they saw me lol Today was a great day for reflections in the water. Just beautiful.




I saw a lot of different types of birds, and 1 deer. They are not in order, I decided it was just easier to group them by type.

Canada Geese











Mallard Ducks
(females are brown / males have green heads)














Canvasback Ducks
(females are brown / males have brown heads)




Unknown Duck
(I have no idea what these are, I see them at every pond, only saw 1 today though!)



Red-Winged Black Birds
(females are brown / males are black with red heads)









Northern Flicker Woodpecker
(male)




American Robins
(females are paler, but hard to tell on these guys)





Starlings




Seagulls




Franklin's Gull
Not a common sight here, I have never seen one before.



Great Blue Herons
I saw 2 today, at 2 different locations, flying over me.





Common Grackles
I think I may have heard a nest with babies near these guys, I couldn't see one but it sounded like it, and when the robins got close they made a big fuss.




Mourning Dove



Belted Kingfishers
I have seen them twice before, 1 each time over about 3 or 4 years. I love this bird. They are so fast I never get a great photo of them, as they are always flying by.




Pheasants
I saw 5 today, they sure know how to give a girl a heart attack lol, they fly up from the ground when you get close. At least I got a few pictures this time.







American Crow
Had to take his or her picture for my friend Stacy. :)


Wren of some type ?
I am really not sure, I just got this picture and it was gone.



Yellow-Rumped Warbler



Red-Tailed Hawk ? & an American Crow
And now for some excitement. I was at the first lake and heard a big argument between birds, looked up and saw a crow pestering this poor hawk. He chased him out of the tree and then they fought in the air for a few minutes until they both went separate ways.












And later on I saw this Starling (I think?) chasing a crow lol



Mule Deer
I also saw this beautiful deer today. Hiding from the busy construction area in a peaceful area in front of the lake.



6 comments:

  1. What a great trip - excellent shots on the wing! I don't get to see herons in flight so those shots are my favorite - and the reflections :D

    Very productive trip, Pam. Thanks for sharing them.

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  2. YAY!!! I'm the first to leave a comment :)

    Do you ever get nervous to be out and about taking pictures? I know you often go with someone, but when you're by yourself, are you ever nervous that some unsavory person might be about? Deep in the woods up the road from my house is the beginning stream that later leads into a big pond. I love to bring my little kids in there to see what's about, but I'm always nervous of somebody being in there to start trouble. You never know these days, unfortunately :(

    It amazes me how much you know about birds. You are truly and beautifully passionate about them. Do you HAVE one, as a pet? I know my kids would probably like to have a turtle, but I'd feel bad... even the best tank is STILL a tank. I just would feel it's unfair. My Mom works at an animal farm and they've had a hawk there for years. The cage it resides in is expansive and has two mock tree branches that it can fly back and forth between, but it knows it's in a cage. It's not the same as being free.

    And I am so jealous of the angles and extraordinary zoom you're able to achieve with your camera! I know that professional photographers are able to do that, but still... it's something I'm in awe of. Your pictures are really spot on.

    Wow, I ranted for a while... but I really love this post. Glad you had such a wonderful time!!!

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  3. Lee & Jen - Thank you so much!

    Lee - I have only seen herons flying over me, or behind branches where I can't really see them. or at 10pm at night when I can't see them either lol... I'd love to see one across from me one day, maybe in some water.

    Jen - lol Lee probably posted while you were reading my blog post.

    No, I don't worry too much. I am very aware of my surroundings. I am just very careful.

    Yes, I do have a small parrot, he has cages but when we are home is hardly in them.

    All pets are in a cage of some sort, even dogs and cats, being confined to a house. I think as long as you give that pet as much love as you can... give it lots of time outside of that cage. I am not sure...

    Thank you, I really did have such a fun outing!

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  4. Wow! What wonderful photos! I love Redwing Blackbirds and haven't seen any around here in ages.

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  5. Pam, you had an adventure! Wow, amazing photos! I love the reflection pictures! And, of course I love my crow ;o) LOL! The call of the red wing black bird is so beautiful! I miss hearing them! Take Care and hugs ;o)

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  6. Thank you Kathy! I love the red-winged blackbirds. We have so many here!

    Thank you Stacy! Your right, their call is beautiful. I have a thing for reflections... they were so beautiful on that day!

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