Cold Week!

Last  week and this week was colder than it should  be for this time of year with a chilly north-westerly wind...So I didn't get out much to go exploring...and it was time to finish up some yard work...BUT I did get out on a few short runs. 

A Pied Billed Grebe glides in front of the Cyprus reflections  at Goodale park...this is a breeding adult due to the Black Line on the beak. There is no difference between males and females just looking at the coloration of the bird.. 

The weather is going to change next week so they say...soon I m sure you will hear me grumbling about the heat! That's just the way I roll.  

These 2 Pileated Woodpeckers could be mates...I think the one on the Left

 I can barely see a little red stripe on the cheek area and the crest is bigger..

"HE went that a way..." 

The Eastern Phoebe was busy with some preening!

Another Yellow Throated Warbler this week...again the numbers seem lower than normal so far...

And then he got down out of the wind, to relax a few minutes...

I think I have been mis-IDing the female, as a Pine Warbler, I must be sure to take a look at the eye area, as these birds could look similar from underneath....

Eastern Bluebird...

A Great Egret, this bird seemed to be eating the tassels on this tree top...

This Goose had a couple Killdeer invade his personal space...

A Goose couple floating around...

I stopped at the tennis & pickle ball center to use the facilities so I thought I would check for some birds...the restrooms were immaculately clean.  Im happy to find that cause when Im at Bramblewood nearby they have NO facilities, this is within a 5 minute drive. 

And I found a few...like this Brown Thrasher who did his best to hide and get a look at me at the same time...

A Northern Mockingbird was building a nest in this small cedar tree...

In  5 mins I found 5 species of bird...If I had stayed a little longer I may have found more...I will go again and walk the whole perimeter...there is a fantastic drainage ditch, good habitat for birds.  Ive been doing more urban birding because Im combining  trips to grocery stores and doing errands with birding, all in one trip.  

Over at Bramblewood a Palm Warbler perched  for my attention...

At the stop light on the way home I see the Historic Battle Mural is getting a spruce up...It had faded out and now it's getting a facelift. 

Back at home,  I like this packaging, just the product in a biodegradable box!! No plastic.  Tasty croissants, delicious...I've been doing the "shake test" I can hear if there is plastic inside...

A yummy way to end of my first week of Spring...and the first Hummer was spotted in the yard no photo yet but soon I hope!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

My Five Miles!

So it's my first post of 2019...wish it could be more exciting...but it is what it is till it ain't anymore...lol That's a line from a song I heard.  Still many ups n downs going on Ill try to share the ups.
Im participating in Jen's of I Used to Hate Birds (check my right side bar) 5 Mile Radius Challenge. (5MR) it's a year long challenge! SO  a short description...Jen is the superstar who came up with this whole idea and I hope soon it will be a part of ebird and she will get the credit for it!  So you figure out an area and using map tools you draw out a 5 mile radius and you bird the hell outta it! LoL...Join in the fun if you like!

Hope I can follow through.  I'm not good at following directions.  But I think this month's challenge is to fill in the gaps on hotspots within my 5MR.  There is only one in my radius.  So I need to go over at least once a week to fill in January!   So here is my circle. 

Sorry it's blurry I took it with my phone  my laptop won't do a screen shot...As you can see it's void of pretty much everything! Down at 8 o'clock is my hotspot, Goodale State Park.  

It's notorious for NOT having many birds!! My check list was 14 species and included one immature Bald Eagle.  He was wayyy across the lake...and at first I thought "Osprey" 

But those big orange feet gave him away...once I put my binoculars up to my eyes.

So that was fun to see.  I have seen mature ones here from time to time.  

It was a misty day but heavy rain held off while I birded.  

The wooded path around the lake...

One of 4 Ruby Crowned Kinglets I spotted...

Checked on the pitcher plants that grow by the water's edge...

Another lake view...

A double crested cormorant in silhouette

 

The most popular bird by far was the yellow rumped warblers..I think my count ended up at 8. 

of the Myrtle variety..

So I plan to go once a week this month..and fill in some gaps, at first I thought it was to fill in the gaps of my own bar graph but it is the bar graph for the Hotspot it'self.  There is def some gaps in the 2nd and 3rd weeks of Jan...but I don't think I will fill in many different species for Jan...

but we'll see.  It's popular with Warblers in Fall n Spring.   

This is something I have to avoid while birding here and not just here but across the southern USA.   If you should fall in one of these imagine how quickly they would be on you, BITING...or step on this with flip flops on, which happens to me many time per year. The bite is very painful and sometimes causes an allergic reaction and almost always an itchy red pimple.  They will swarm up onto your feet and begin to climb your body!   You must immediately begin to do the Dixxe Doodle Dance! Looks similar to a Rain Dance!

Fire Ants

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.