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.

A-Birding I did Go...

...in continuance of the trip to see the waterfalls I thought I'd share the birds I enjoyed seeing. 

First in my sisters back yard she gets birds on her feeders I never get even tho those species are in my yard...Like Blue Birds!

a small family of them are always eating at my sis's feeders! I've tried buying the same seed, but still I don't get bluebirds show up to eat it...then an American Robin jumped on for snacks...

a red-bellied woodpecker waited in the wings for a turn at the feeder...

and I saw several yellow rump warblers at the feeders too!

Then over at Oak Grove and the lake there from Oak Creek...I saw the usual fare of ducks this one gave me a decent bath sequence...which was fun 

Then he glided off with a friend...

then.......The Race WAS ON....

The Geese are nesting so any intrusion was not tolerated and a chase ensued....only the fastest would escape without a honking big bite on the rear!!
I've been bitten by a goose it does hurt...

...and this red tail was making sure everyone stayed on their toes!!

The large flock of ring billed gulls that was around on my last visit has dwindled down to only one or two...I like gulls because they tolerate humans pretty well...

Brown headed cowbirds were around as well as Carolina Wrens..

More Eastern Bluebirds....

                  These guys were so back-lit I couldn't tell if they're barn, bank, or other! Either way they're swallows!

I wanted this to be a Eastern Wood Peewee but I think its an Eastern Phoebe..

...and its just not birding without a northern cardinal to brighten things up

Spring arrival....

and this killdeer wad very leery of my intentions...

and several hundred people flew over the lake....

and one totally aggravating Belted Kingfisher who wouldn't be still long enough for any kind of shot... so ended up with this extreme crop job...

How annoying is that? All in all it was a good day of birding for me!!

PEACE

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