This weeks happenings...

Summer has arrived! Seems like it has been here a while we had 5 days over 100 degrees.  Later we did have a couple of Wonderful days with high in the 80's low humidity and bluebird skies...the perfect weather we all wish for but rarely get! 

Prairie Warbler against the blue bird sky...

Eastern Kingbird against the blue bird sky

Summer Tanager against the Blue BIRD Sky...

Blue Grosbeak against the Blue Bird Sky

We had a going away picnic and flotilla for my sis who has been here for the past 6 months...she is now back at her home in the Rocky Mountain State.  It was a fun day! 

The water was perfect on this hot sunny day!  We had eats and the dogs came along, and we had our floats! Poor man's kayak....it was a fun day!

That night we had

 the Strawberry Moon when it was almost to the point of Full 

...the sky was Indigo Blue!

..all the sounds of the night imagine if you will; the chirp of frogs, the singing of crickets, the distant
whippoorwill surrounded by the stillness that only a summer night like this one can bring!

My second sister is now here doing her part to help mom out...and so we are enjoying birding together.  We left the radius and went up to the Racetrack one of the county hotspots...we saw 19 species, including  7 cattle egret, 50 rock dove, 6 Mississippi Kites and 1 Swallow-tailed Kite!

A life bird for sis...a county bird for me!  

It was also a first sighting for this HotSpot...and only the 5th for the county since the beginning of time according to ebird... So it was fun to see it with my sis!  We were thrilled! 

That's about it for this week. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Full Swing

It's been really nice watching spring unfurl and the 5 mile radius birding has really been a big part of that this year. Day by day a new bird pops up!  I have not been too fortunate with getting photos of them..but not giving up as the season is only now coming into full swing.  

The White Eyed Vireo has been driving me crazy...while I'm trying to stalk other birds they come shouting at me they are sooo loud.  They are beauties tho so how can I ignore them? #81

...and then in the yard a (#82) Red Eyed Vireo "here I am where are you"...over and over...also avoiding my photo opts but I'll keep trying. 

I had some (#83) chimney swifts soaring high up of course no photos of that I just happened to look up and there they were.  At that moment I was in a forest clearing they soared by and gone.  Typical "flying cigar" look.  I was busy chasing a (#84) Prairie Warbler!

I could hear him all around me, and finally he landed and allowed me to see him.

  Also in the heard only so far is the (#85) Great Crested Flycatcher.  I always enjoy hearing their loud whistle.   They nest right here in the yard normally and they are showing interest in my martin house already if you came by early when I published this I didn't have a photo of the FOY bird, since the publishing time, I got one so I replaced the place holder photo with this years bird seen this morning...

 

Our Ruby Throated Hummers have arrived.  For some reason they don't like my feeder... We had a terrific thunderstorm and this one perched up on the old antenna that is still on the chimney...just a damp silhouette against the dull sky . (#86)

Over at the cow pasture I was hoping for cattle egret saw some about one mile outside the radius..but not inside..

then today saw about 50 of them still outside the radius..oh so beautiful~

...did see #87 the barn swallow swooping around the water hole in the cow pasture.  I've got a couple more pastures to check when we get a break in the rains. 

I will share this here because you who read here know my interest is purely due to the natural history around me...I was so UPSET to see this road killed beaver!!

The odd thing is there is no pond nearby where he was trying to cross this road, none visible at least! I really want to get some footage of a beaver working...this was so not good..:o(  I am at least hopefully that the numbers are increasing....and I was not able to at the time stop at a road killed armadillo within my 5 mile radius! The DNR just declared war on the coyote here so Im sure they will declare war on the armadillo as well.  :o(

  

At the Recycling center I had a great look and listen to the Eastern Meadowlark one of my favorite bird songs! Been hearing them and reported them for the radius already but finally got a decent shot of one. 

and a little song too...

I didn't make it over to the sorghum fields this week so thats going to be my concentration on Wednesday...Good week this week!! 7 Added to the radius that makes it 87 species since Jan 1st within 5 miles of home.  

And added 5 more "heard from the yard" list for the month.

30. White Eyed Vireo

31. Red Eyed Vireo

32. Ruby Throated Hummingbird

33. Great Crested Flycatcher
34. Golden Crowned Kinglet

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.