Unwound

The weather remains mostly cold, but no snow lately and the sun is out so I really should not complain eh?  It's been a long time since I drove out to Carolina Sandhills NWR, it's about a 20 mi drive for me.  I finally went into the new Headquarters building and got a passport stamp from them! I was the first one of the year to ask for their stamp! The lady who helped me told me their stamp year only went to 2017 so she had to write in the year for me.  So it may end up being one of a kind as she is checking for a new Year wheel for the ink stamper so if she gets it before anyone asks for a stamp I have a Rare Stamping!

I didn't see a whole lot on this day but I had a great day! I did find about 120 in total Canada Geese in 3 different bodies of water. Most of the geese were in Martin's Lake, at the very back where the water is shallow. 

There was room for more, 

...a few Mallards (about 30 in total) were in the mix along with way in back at least one pair of Wood Duck.  I really need a scope! The birds were way OUT there...I drove up alongside that narrow spot where the shore comes in.  There is a photo blind, but I didn't think I had enough daylight left to hike to the blind...and back!  Usually Mom is with me and with her handicap pass we can drive right up the blind.  

A lot of Song Sparrows on the ground this was through the windshield.

Also had some Swamp, and Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, American Kestrel, Turkey Vulture, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, and one Northern Harrier.  Back at HQ they told me they had a Golden Eagle here this past summer,  why didn't I hear about that...OH yeah I was in Colorado! Duh. 

I had the whole place to myself, I love that, when I can stop in the middle of the road and just walk away from my van and not even close the door! This is what I call unwinding!
I got a late start and the light vanished pretty fast..

I was far off the main refuge road so I headed out to get back home before dark thirty I had to bring wood in for the nightly fire...and feed my dogs of course.
And even tho my sightings list was small I really enjoyed the easy slow pace of this visit to the refuge. 

I want to make another trip soon and get there early and try for some better sparrow looking...there is a Le Conte's on the rare bird list not far away but it's on Private Land...Some sort of a sand and gravel place, the submitter's had permission to trespass to see the bird.  I got something cool in my little piece of the world...Recall me telling y'all I had been hearing an Eastern Screech Owl...in the yard and I did a cavity search....well today the other birds in the yard alerted me to his location!  

Well hellooooo there.  Owls have used this tree before for roosting, the camo is excellent!  My Camera is getting so funky now it doesn't want to focus on digital zooms, so these are not up close...you see him/her?

Those eyes are so intense and yellow!

I see red and grey...but I think there is enough red to call it a red phase...unless I see the rest of the body and it is all grey.  I knew I wasn't hearing things so I'm glad to get this confirmation! And I hope he hangs around...the feeder birds were very upset so they may not allow him to be this close to them and the feeder area.  He is literally 10 ft from the house, in the front yard. 

Totally thrilled about it!  

I went in search of a new thermostat for my dryer in town...the repair guy said it's $40! WHAT? It's a tiny little thing about the size of a man's watch dial...I found one on ebay for $13.00 free shipping.  Maybe I can reassemble the dryer soon! If you need to take your's apart just look it up on You Tube, was easy to take apart!

I am painting it too....so hopefully I will do a blog about this soon...another thing I finally finished is putting up the remaining rails on the deck!  I just need to trim off those 3 ends. 

Can you believe Casey jumped off this deck? OMG And Flossy nearly rolled off...so now hopefully it will be safe for dog use. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Sandhills Nat'l Wildlife Refuge --no labor at all!

2 posts in almost as many days? What's going on? Anyways yesterday we went to Sandhills NWLR.  We really are fortunate to have a state park and a wildlife refuge within a few miles of our home! It wasn't too hot so off we went--the hope was to see wildflowers and butterflies..we saw some of each a bit too early for the full force of the wildflowers and the butterflies seemed to be having tequila shots or something they were so buzzed they wouldn't sit still...but Mom has to pack today she is headed to my sisters for 2 weeks...so it was now or 2 weeks from now and we decided to do both What the heck!

the lillies are in bloom so little white dots along the edges of the ponds..the water was so warm...a footsoak was in order Mom sure enjoyed it--

Little shiners came to nibble at her toes..lol I was busy photographing the wildflowers weeds and such while she soaked...

 

                                   Tall Iron-Weed 

Joe Pye Weed

 

                                                                            Eastern Kingbird

 

                                                                           Button Bush really cute

  

                                     

This was my favorite shot of the day!!

I always make a mistake trying to I'd dragonflies...

more sightings included....  

buckeye butterfly

                                                     

Got a pretty good look at some blue grosbeaks and one posed for a somewhat distant photo..his breeding color fading a bit now to drab I am digging his big beak tho!

Just so you can see how vast the landscape is...

I caught a glimpse of an egret near the backside of one of the ponds...and then I saw she was not alone..

 Pretty far away but I think that is her  a white form little blue,  with her and they are traveling with a domestic duck they def. were all 3 together! They moved around as one unit not getting too far from each other...sorry the whites are so blown out...I'm still trying to figure out this camera..I am NOT a fan of digital buttons!! I'd rather have analog for that--one button for F-stops one for SS, etc..the good ole days but the film I can do without...do love the digital format for that!  Anyways this is like the incredible journey...it was 2 dogs and a cat right? How cool is that??

Then we carried on into a different area of the park...stopped to check on a few other sites..

Mom looking for more wildlife...once in the forested area I spotted this...and please do convince me it is a willow flycatcher cause that would be a new lifer for me!

not great crisp shots as he was high up in the tree...but here is what I see: Un-remarkable eye-ring,  whitish throat, orangey color to the slender beak, has some pale wing bars, buffy-breast, notched tail, and that flycatcher hair-do!

I put it on Ebird they will probably scream at me...but so be it!

Safe Travels on Labor Day!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Carolina Sandhills Visit

The weather is so nice we wanted to see what we could find in a nearby wildlife refuge.

Carolina Sandhills NWR is a spot we visit several times through out the year. Its very close by... I never see any wading birds as they keep the water too deep for that.  I wish it could be better regulated for wading birds and waterfowl. It seems they worry more about the long leaf pine trees.  That's all good and well but doesn't all this burning make the water acidic? I'm just wondering out loud...cause I don't know.

a recent burn area

Around the ponds I can hear lots of songbirds, and some allow a photo...but most are hiding...

A curious Pine warbler came out to see me, but hiding way back where no clear photo was possible was the Common Yellow Throat. One area has a photo blind, I flushed some wood duck upon arrival no shot of them...but these geese were floating nearby.

These geese are wild and migrate, not like the geese at Oak Grove Lake who nearly knock you down for a hand out...the woods are coming alive with all the color its almost like fall with the maples, and oaks budding out.

The Yellow Jasmine is our state flower its in full blossom now...usually it creeps up a tree to the top and blooms high up...this one is out on the edge of the woods.

 A little chipping sparrow got curious and wasn't too scared to get his picture made!!

  The fields are getting green, yellow, and lavender from the small meadow flowers that emerge very early... One bird that was out and about was the Kestrel.  I saw several, so I guess they are looking for small rodents and insects. 

He wanted nada to do with me, 

a crop here of his fly by...

Back by the ponds, the Eastern Kingbird loves to go after the flies over the water...here's a great look at his feathers! 

and his front side...

And we ran this fox squirrel up a tree sometimes these are solid black, or we get this grey/red/black/white variety! They are bigger than the normal grey's and they have a longgg fluffy tail, and move along in an undulating fashion.  See his masked face? These fox squirrels are not as well adapted to interaction with humans I've never had one let me get close...

Had a cool bird in the yard this week, the Black and White Warbler. 

I've got a bad case of spring fever!! Pollen is everywhere that lends to a physical case of spring fever 

aaaa-choooooo

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.