The Wild Turkey

 In July 2010, my sister and I were walking along the path at Canal Rd. Park and we spotted this cat watching something.  We started looking around to see what he was watching.


It didn't take long and we spotted this beautiful Wild Turkey.

I think she noticed us about the same time we found her.  While taking pictures I noticed something at her feet.

I couldn't quite make out what it was but very soon we discovered we had found a family!

It was her baby! We were so excited!  But as we were watching them......

Little heads started appearing and there were 5 babies.

She started walking away and they started to follow her.  Guess she thought she had stayed long enough for pictures....

She lead them across the field, still keeping an eye on us (we had not moved) and took them behind this tree.

Then she came walking out by herself. She kept an eye on us and walked around.  We decided it was time for us to move on.  It was a thrilling experience.  So I thought this would be a good time to tell this story since Thanksgiving is so close.  Hope everyone has a great one.

Drama in the backyard!!!

This morning while on the computer, I heard the birds making alot of noise outside my window.
I went to the door and looked out and there he was sitting on my porch.  I believe he is a Sharp-shinned Hawk.  The sparrows were in the Burning bush just to his left and watching how he could fly into that bush was amazing.

I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures of
him.  He then flew into the Plum Tree and I sneaked out and sat in the swing (just across from this chair he is sitting on)








I didn't have to wait long and he was flying around again and landed on the metal arbor.

From here he flew into the bush again and this time the Sparrows got away.

That was when I noticed this Downy Woodpecker in the Dogwood and not moving.  The Downy stayed perfectly still the whole time.







Then the Hawk flew around and started to land on the porch chair when he noticed me in the swing and flew to the back of my yard in another Dogwood Tree.  I think he was a shocked to see me as I was at seeing him coming toward me!!!!

He flew around a couple of more times and wasn't successful in catching anything and flew to another yard.

What an exciting morning and I didn't have to leave my yard.

Cleveland on Lake Erie, October morn 2011

The Cleveland Skyline on a cool October morning.  I was looking for the Sea Gulls and didn't see any until I drove around to the beach area.

Oh my, they were all there on the beach.

Looked like they were playing in the waves. Was amazing. Then I looked up and saw the Canadian Geese go by.

There were quite a few hanging around the park.

Just before I got back in the car I saw these two on the ledge of the picnic shelter.  They looked so cold .

House Sparrows...but I don't know if the blue was a reflection from the building or what...

 Birding Live vs Birding the net!

The final 2  birds will be released on Monday, Nov. 7.  Birding The Net has been exciting, interesting and frustrating and I have learned a lot.  But today I had to get outside and see some real birds.  The time change thru me off so I took off to one of my favorite spots early this morning.....

Charlie's Pond

It was very quite out there is morning but then I saw the cute Horned Lark.

There were just a couple and some Starlings and some Killdeer.

I love to watch them running around.  Then a pair of Ring-necked Pheasants flew across the road and ran into the corn field and were gone!

I wasn't sad because I didn't get their picture.  I have pictures of them already.  Was nice to just watch them.  So I went and did some shopping and got lunch and took it to the Canal Road pond area and this little guy was really giving me a show!

This Belted Kingfisher was singing his heart out.  I couldn't decide if he was warning of my arrival or just having a good day.

So now I am refreshed and ready for the stress of finding those two birds on Monday.

Who is that bird visiting?

This little guy has been visiting my yard early in the morning.

This is the back of him...He enjoys the berries.

The best picture I could get. He hops around alot.
I have been unable to identify him.
Could someone help!!??
What is he?

Charlie's Pond

The first time we visited Charlie's Pond, we didn't see anything...we were very disappointed. We decided to try it again and it is now one of our favorite places to visit.



These Tree Swallows building their nest.



Letting me get a picture before he had to go back to work.

This is a Wilson's Snipe (I think).  They were so hard to see.  They blended into the ground and unless they moved, you couldn't see them.

This Horned Lark has friends everywhere. This is another bird that blends into the ground and missed.

Herons like Charlies Pond too.

Have seen them there several times.

This Chipping Sparrow was caught on the camera just a couple of weeks ago.

He was singing his heart out for us.

This odd couple, we have seen together several times. He is a Mallard, but don't know what she is.?

I think this is a Lesser Yellowlegs.  Saw this one and friends the first part of April 2011.

We have seen Vultures there too....

This little guy kept poking his head out of his hole in the groud.  Just found out that he is a Thirteen-lined Gound Squirrel.  We ran into a nice man taking pictures of him, who told us about him.

There are frogs... One day when visiting the peepers were so loud.

This isn't a very good picture of a Killdeer.

These Red-winged Blackbirds posed for me to take their picture.  There are a lot of them and Robins at Charlie's Pond.
But the most exciting sighting we had, was the Sandhill Cranes.  They were there the end of February.  We saw them on the 27th.  An amazing sight!

This is a Northern Harrier.  We have seen him several times skimming over the ground for supper.

I think this is a Savannah Sparrow.

 

There are beautiful Pheasants out there too.  We saw about 7 last night.  It is such fun to see them running thru the field.  They are fast runners and the male is so colorful.

This is an Eastern Meadowlark.  I am sorry the pictures aren't the best but he was fast and blended into the corn field. 

I hope you have enjoyed this visit to Charlie's Pond.

New sighting.....this week.....the American Bittern

We were so lucky to spot him, as you can see by the picture on the left.  He really blended into the area.  He froze and didn't more a feather.  He did sway a bit which he was imitating the blowing grass around him.  This was really a treat for us.

Here he has extended his head up to blend into the grasses more.