Busy Week

So this week I decided Im ready to take the bike beyond the yard.  

Safety First

I went to Sandhills, it's quiet, no cars, or rarely and there is Paved  dirt and gravel roads to practice on as well so my first day ended up being like a 10 mile day!  But I didn't like pedal to metal do 10 miles, I did it in 4 different section rides including 2 dirt/gravel roads...I did about 5 miles of each. 

I absolutely need a new front gear shifter.  I tried to buy one on Amazon, but they insist on putting Amazon Prime in my shopping cart so I dumped the whole damn thing right there in the virtual aisle.  WTH, that should be illegal.  Lately Im just grumpy and my patience has worn not thin...but out.  So I went to Walmart.com bought the thing free shipping and no dirty tricks. 

IT was so good to be moving through the air with the only sound is the gentle click of the wheels I really enjoyed it and I want to do that again.  

Red Headed Woodpecker

Brown Headed Cowbird

I took a muddy hike to see the Pitcher Plants up close they are in bloom now.  These ones get quite tall and they love this boggy hillside.  

This Wood Duck pair had 2 ducklings, so very cute..

And the Geese had some Goslings  from the opposite side of the pond.

The Orchard Orioles have arrived and I added a new FOY bird...

Another day I went to Bramblewood and took a nice long walk around...The Clover is in bloom and it's so pretty.  

It attracts some cool insects, 

And the big mature hardwoods bring in some migrants.  

The Painted Bunting, 

The Prothonotary Warbler, 

The greens along the edge of the river soooo inviting. 

Red Winged Blackbird 

And around the yard some good going's on...

Floss "show your surprised face." 

A new Guard at the door, 

The Myrtle Yellow Rump in the trees, 

Along with a singing Black and White Warbler 

 

And a brilliant Prairie Warbler

The Red Breasted Nuthatch still in the yard...a pair actually.

And a new Rose Bush Inspector...

And my latest project is UP in the Air! 

Barn Owl Box!!

That was a full week we have a cold front passing through then some rain we actually need it even tho we had a rainy winter the air is very dry right now...AND one more the lady RB Nuthatch 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

RIP Little Bunnies 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Hike to the Photo Blind

This week's blog is going to be a VLOG of a little hike I took a couple weeks ago at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge.  I've been trying to hike some of their trials this spring, it's such a big place all spread out so normally I drive through and due to that I miss out on the up close and personal experience.  So I hope you see something you enjoy. You won't be able to watch it on You Tube until later this is a Premier...lol 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Everything comes in 3's

One thing I'm learning is we must keep our minds and bodies busy to move past tragedy.  I've had 3 straight years of loss, I will say I'm a little bitter about it, but it is something I have to come to terms with somehow....This blog was scheduled to post the day Casey's life ended, so It's getting to be really old news by now.  I am trying to come to grips with not having my little friend, I hear him snoring, and I hear  his nails clicking on the floor, and yet he is not there...he is in my psyche and it's just gonna take time to adjust I still say, "come on you three." That's how I addressed my canine family, not its back to just the two...

 
                                                          My little family of 3

So 3 weeks ago....
GO HOME.....

 That's what the Text I got last Tuesday at 5 PM said! It was sent as an Emergency Alert, like an Amber Alert...it was from the State of SC it said GO HOME, AND STAY THERE, THE STATE IS UNDER A MANDATORY ORDER TO STAY AT HOME.  Can you believe that??   And half the people are walking around with bandanna's covering their lower face...so it looks like Dodge City. (auto fill tried to type banana's covering their lower face)...I think that would be way cooler what say you?

Before we went on lock down....I went here:

That Sunday we were not under any orders so I drove down to Santee NWR the Pine Island Unit, which I had not visited before.   It's a big place and a great place.  It was sort of crowded so I had to cross to the other side of the trail a couple times, and once a dog got after me, it was a Chihuahua so I wasn't scared, but the owner informed me that he thinks (the dog) that I am carrying a stolen backpack...OKAY some human traits do cross to other species.  The thing was the ankle biter made me miss a good Swamp Sparrow shot and honestly should they allow that small dog to run off leash?

this guy is at least 8 maybe 9 ft long he could take out a normal human  a small dog would be no contest...

 There was good birds and lots of walking I put in about 7+ miles mainly because I got on the wrong trail on the way back to the parking area...DUH...I think some signage would be helpful..the handout had a not to scale and completely useless diagram of the trail.

Santee Lake

This could be an Osprey feather...

I took the woods trail in, and got my FOY Prothonotary Warbler along the way...

And before the day was done I had spotted or heard 3 more...

I got very few birds in my viewfinder that day but I had a wonderful hike

 and ended up with 50 species of bird.  There was a large colony of nesting Tree Swallow...so since I have all this time on my hands I put together a quick piece of Media of the Tree Swallows...

Many of them have leg bands Red and White and one other had an aluminum band on one leg...They put out many nest boxes and the Swallows are busy moving in.  I enjoyed a rest by this area where bull frogs were doing what they do and Wood Ducks were nesting one spooked out of a box when I approached she went into panic mode and her partner came to check on her...





There was 3  Common Gallinule in this one area...

This guy decided to drive his boat through a flock of 300 double Crested Cormorants...

Poor things had to fly for their lives...

All in All it was a good day, I ended up meeting a guy whose name I see almost every other day on our Rare Bird Lister...he is #1 in our State according to Species seen, I think I'm 69 At least in the top 100.  Harold is a really nice person, and I remember emailing him once to ask where exactly he found a bird he reported and he gave me exact good directions  and was just really helpful.  That was a long time back and as soon as I saw him on Sunday he right away started sharing what he had found and where on that day.  I really can't deal with snooty birders.  Thankfully he does not fall in that category. 

Anyways as I said I didn't get too many birds in photos this Turkey Vulture allowed a snapshot of his backside.   So you'll be glad to learn I found a short supply of single TP rolls at the IGA limit 4, so I  grabbed up 3 single  rolls.   I think in this time we all need to show some restraint! 

Whats Blooming in the yard??



The knock out roses are opening up...



I have 4 or 5 bearded  iris that will bloom this year, and each one will have 3 or 4 flowers on when they open I hope they will all open together...

These butterfly will enjoy visiting

Red Spotted Purple

Painted Lady

Aquilegia

Black Swallowtail 

Clematis Henryi 

What's blooming in your neck of the woods??
Happy Earth Day and Happy Birthday John. 💙


                                                                   

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.