Winter has reared it's ugly .....

This is what I woke up to this morning.  Ice everywhere.  It is pretty but oh my....

Dripping from tree branches to bird feeders...it covered everything!

The weather man said that it should be gone tomorrow as we are going to get up into the 40's but for today...a winter ice land.

Even too icy for the birds..didn't see one.  Put food out so maybe when it warms up a little they will come eat.

This branch is coated with ice...but it looks so pretty.

The winter honeysuckle blooms will survive.  They are hardy.

My clothes line is covered too.  Good thing I have a dryer!

Even the favorite place of my backyard birds, the neighbor's pine tree was quiet.

Just enjoy while it is here, it won't last long.  I still think Spring is on the way!!!

Cold, Rainy, January Drive!

The cabin fever got me good.  My sister and I took off just for a drive in the cold, cloudy, rainy, MLK Holiday.
Our first stop was the City Park.....

It was pretty in the park and the ducks seemed happy.  Some were taking baths in the open part of the ice.
Then I spotted something unusual!!!!

A white tailed squirrel.  He was very fast running away from me and my camera, but I finally got a decent picture of him and his white tail!




Next we decided to check our the eagles nest, to see if there was any action going on.

We spotted both Eagles near their nest.  This isn't very clear as the wind was blowing and I do not have the steadiest hand anymore. I believe this is the female, she was larger than the other one.
So our day was brightening as the skies were darkening....Next stop..Charlie's Pond.

Looked cold and bleak out there.  We saw some American Sparrows and then we saw this orange thing at the end of the road...??? The closer we got the more puzzled we were until....we saw what it was...

An orangutan (stuffed) and a dead skunk with an air freshener at it's head....LOL....was so funny!  Not what you expect to find out in the country while looking for birds. 
Next we headed for Deer Creek.

The water levels are very low, just the creek running threw.

We began to see some birds....

American Tree Sparrow.  They were everywhere, chirping and hopping around.

Song Sparrow.
















This Broad-winged Hawk (I think)

This Rough-legged Hawk (I think)..

Black-faced Vulture.
We saw about 7 of them along the road having a fest of a poor dead deer.
When I stopped to get a picture...they flew off.
Camera shy, I think...

 This Downy Woodpecker and the Red-bellied Woodpecker were in the same area.

This Heron was at Deer Creek.  He looked so cold standing there.

 These two Herons were at Paint Creek.  We saw 4 there.  They were flying around, just having fun.

Dark-eyed Junco.  There was a whole group of them.








Then the most exciting thing happened as we were driving down the road at Deer Creek...

These birds started landing on the road in front of us. At first we thought they were Starlings....

They just kept coming and filled the field on the right.

Then they all flew up into the air and then landed again.

We then realized they were Common Grackles...hundreds of them....

They flew up into the trees and filled them up...Was an amazing site. I turned off the car and we sat and watched and I took pictures.  

At Paint Creek the water levels were way down to.  This is the marina.

The view from the bridge is still beautiful at Paint Creek.  Then we turned for home as the sunlight was fading...We had a wonderful drive today.!

Signs of Spring!

Bird prints in the snow.  Could he be looking for the same thing I am?   "Spring"   I know, crazy you say...but there are signs!

The first sign is the daffodils coming up.  For middle of January they are really up!!


So I kept searching for more signs.  I know they are out there......

Oh, the lilac bush has these cute little green buds, just waiting for Spring......

This winter honeysuckle is blooming and it doesn't seem too bothered with the cold weather we have had the past week.....These little blooms smell so sweet.

This pink hellebore is blooming too.  Lots of flowers and the snow has it a bent over.

But the sun is shining today and from what I found in my backyard....."Spring" can't be too far away!!!!!

American Bittern

April of 2011, we were driving around Charlie's Pond in the early evening.  All of a sudden I spotted something, we stopped and watched and there he was blending into the surrounds we almost missed him.  Our first American Bittern.  We were so excited, we just sat there and watched as he stood still and didn't move at all.

I think he knew we were there watching him.  He just stayed where he was and we stayed where we were, waiting...

I am taking pictures and hoping the light holds for a little longer....

Got a good close up of him.

Then all of a sudden he stretches his neck straight up.  I have learned that they do this when they are alarmed and will sometimes sway in the breeze like the grasses around him...

He calmed down and decided we weren't going to harm him and turned and walked away into the grasses....

I just wish he had sang for us......
That was a good day at Charlie's Pond.