Winter!!

Tuesday was the shortest day of the year less than 8 hrs of daylight...unless you live in Fairbanks Alaska, where it was only 3 hours and 42 minutes. 

 Hello fellow bloggers, this blog will post on the eve of the holiday so I wanted to get it written up a little early so I could just chill and enjoy my eve with nothing pending, it has been an easy week but I will share some bits of my week with you all...

(dont forget to hover for more captions)

I have been cutting some of my home grown salad greens here and there although winter is not my favorite time of year for greens, but I grew all this so I need to start eating it, so I made up a salad...the Arugula is very hot so it has be tempered with some other green like Spinach, Simpson, and Romaine.

The pot of Cilantro is also an added benefit, I add it to soups, chili, and sometimes in the salad as well it provides a nice punch for the pallet.  I enjoy having a little food growing around my place even if its only greens.  

A sunny days brings every one out to warm up...

I'm over run by these chubby critters...this is why you see wire cages around all my pots

Sweet Annie

One day I drove out to one of my favorite fields...Its full of dried Sunflower heads, 

I picked one up off the ground...

I see various birds but it's private property so I normally can't get much of a look at the birds just distant views, 

this come came home with me...

Didn't take long....

And I keep hoping some Goldfinch will come by...

One dirt road goes through the field area so I can bird from the van window This is part of my 5 mile radius 

Back at home...

A window shot of the Hermit Thrush 

The Wise One

You can always count on finding some beautiful flowers at the cemetery  

Not to mention some fun birds hanging out 

This cemetery is a rural one and the land next to it, the AG fields back up to, and on this day I found a bright spot in the brown drab....

The Little Palm Warbler...even tho this is not the State bird of Florida it should be..they are so plentiful there and I'm glad to see them increasing in numbers here also. 

This photo has two kinglets in it, hope you can find them....hover to discover

And a curious Eastern Bluebird ....

One of my very favorite Sparrows can you guess what it is? 

Hover for the answer. 

We expect a high of 70 on Christmas day sooo that sounds perfect to me. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Local Patch checks..

On Sunday  the 21st, another gorgeous day happened a little breezy and cold so I figured my old stand by Sandhills would be good I can warm up when needed in the van.  I decided to spent my time at Martin's lake area...So first I stopped at the far end and walked down to the dam.   Along the way I pass the Holdover Pond, which lately for some reason has not been a pond.  But more like a mud puddle area.  And I found it with this weird stuff on it, no clue what this is. Here a Song Sparrow is perched above it. 

It was very curious....the birds didn't seem to mind whatever it is I hope it's not toxic....it can't be a spider unless its one of that escaped from Jurassic Park. 

Eastern bluebird was successfully finding food on the edges...

They have recently cut the fields back and they may be planning a burn...

Im heading to the lake in the distance but of course I find birds along the way....this little White Breasted Nuthatch was reminding me of what a chattery call they have.

He runs up and down the trunk of the tree gleaning insects from under the edges of the bark...

His back is so blue, a really gorgeous bird. 

I hear the trilling call of the Pine Warbler, they are everywhere right now...just look up and you will probably see one...

Never tire of them 

As I get closer to the lake, and scare off a few Killdeer...

The mowers left some stems  in place and the Eastern Phoebe perches to have a look for insects..

These Northern Mockingbirds, seem to be a couple...defending this one willow tree...

And not far from them in the heavier cover was several Swamp Sparrow, one of my favorite sparrows, they are so colorful out in the sun. 

Then I spied a nest from last year....no clue what bird made it. 

And finally I arrive lake side...Im the only human there, so Im free to ramble, take my time and act as weird as I wish. I can talk to myself, stop and turn in circles, look up at trees, and make weird noises with no one to judge. 

BY the dam there was a lot of action I think the sun reflected warmth back up off the cement spillway.  

The Northern Cardinal looking more Orange than red today...

this little cove area by the dam is protected from the breeze the water was pretty awesome. 

There was a few Canadians out swimming around..

More willows near the lake edge had Field Sparrow another one of my favorite Sparrows, in fact I love sparrows.  

More Song and Swamp Sparrow

Then before you know it a couple hours had passed....so headed back to the van to warm up and had a snack then headed to the Photo blind,  while peering out one of the openings, I heard a little cooing sound...def an Eastern Screech Owl was nearby so I followed the sound to this Wood Duck box.  There was some vegetation in the way but I saw the owl he was sunning in the entrance to the box...

Could just make him out in there with one sleepy eye closed ...what a great surprise,
the red morph. 

My last good thing of the day leaving the park I spotted  not one but 3 Red Cockaded Woodpeckers  up pretty high but I got a shot of one of them...

Had a great time...then on Monday I checked out Goodale Lake before I ran errands in town.  

Hiked the Lake Trail 

It was good to see some Mallard there and who knows, maybe a nesting can happen? 

Along the trail still many Ruby Crowned Kinglets making a fuss as I pass by them..

And the perfect ending to a nice walk around the lake before other people began to stir was seeing this immature Bald Eagle, soar overheard,  

It was a good start to the last week of February. Since the birding is picking up I am making a mid week post so I don't get too far behind with my chronicles.  Have a great week. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.