Sunset Bay

Due to Roy and I being tired and being tempted to just be bumps on a log for the whole evening, we decided to head out to the lake if for no other purpose than to keep us awake! While we didn't see anything too exciting, there were a lot of ducks and geese. And by a lot, I mean hundreds! Most of the babies are grown by this point in the year, but we happened to see two baby mallards that swam over to the dock where we stood.



They are just so incredibly cute and fuzzy! I wished I could have picked them up right out of the water and taken them home with me!




Someone was putting down pounds and pounds of cracked corn for all of the ducks and geese to eat on the shore. This goose at his fill and stood nearby, waiting for his portrait to be taken before moving on with his goose friends.



This Chinese Swan Goose was digging around in the dirt for stuff to eat, which seemed kind of silly considering there were pounds of food on the ground nearby... and he's like at least three to four times bigger than every other duck around! Check out those beastly legs!

Work and Home

One of my favorite types of birds is the swallow. Whether it be barn swallows or tree swallows, I love to watch them. They display brilliant and sometimes iridescent colors that cannot be matched even in the 96 count Crayola box. But even more than their colors, I love watching them fly. Swallows can be seen at dawn and dusk flying high above the ground providing a spectacular show of acrobatics while they catch their next meal.

I had heard of purple martins, a relative of the swallows, but had yet to see any in my lifetime. I would even see their large apartment-like bird houses mounted on high posts. But I never saw any martins. Until this spring.

At the retirement community where I work, some residents keep up with many martin houses all over the property. And boy do those little "apartments" house a lot of martins! Everyday as I drive in to work, I'm greeted by the acrobatic display of these little birds. There are often dozens soaring above, attempting to snatch the best bugs from the sky.

The other day, Roy came to have lunch with me at work. The martins are not as active during the middle of the day, but we walked by some of their houses anyway to see if any of them were out. A couple were flying way out over the field, but this little guy was waiting for us. He posed for several minutes for us to take his picture.

Yesterday morning, I was sitting on the couch and reading a book to help me wake up. Roy was out for a walk, and it was peacefully quiet. Something caught my attention on the balcony, and I could see a bird on one of our feeders. Because of the blinds and the lighting, I couldn't tell what it was right away. Another one landed on our tray feeder, and just about the time I could see his black-capped head and bib, he let out the familiar song of a chickadee. I tried to get some pictures, but the blinds and the lighting made it difficult. I enjoyed watching the two chickadees fly back and forth from the feeders for several minutes before returning to the trees to sing their songs.



As I sat and watched the chickadees eat, play, and sing, tears came to my eyes. We're moving to a new apartment next month, one that doesn't have a balcony or anywhere to hang bird feeders. And while I'm very excited about our new place, I am going to miss our little feathered friends from our first home. They have been a gift from God as I've adjusted to this new chapter in my life, and I'm truly grateful for the joy they bring to me each day.

The thoughts of a birder...

Awhile back, I decided that it would be nice someday to have a birding journal. One place where I can record all the birds that I see and any information I may want to remember. Then I realized, if I journal my birding experiences on a blog, I can easily include my pictures! So that is what this is.

My love of birds and photography, although both of those hobbies may still be in amateur stages. But I desire to learn in my knowledge of both. And keeping track of all we see is going to be a help in that endeavor!

May 12, 2011 - White Rock Lake

We visited White Rock Lake yesterday evening and enjoyed the perfect spring weather. It was so refreshing to be outside, breathing in fresh air and letting my creative juices flow with some photography!

Red-winged blackbirds were out in full force, rustling around in the reeds and making loud, screeching calls to find mates.






The scissor-tailed flycatchers are back for the summer. We love watching their acrobatics as they take to the sky in search of their next snack. This one posed on the wire for us.




One of my favorite parts of spring is new life...and this means baby ducks! We enjoyed watching these baby wood ducks explore.




We saw this kestrel perched on the power lines, scanning the ground for dinner.


The monk parakeets build their nests on these power line towers, so we avoided the mud and made our way toward their screeching calls. While watching from a distance, several decided that the standing water right next to us looked like a good place to get a drink.



They have to be the happiest looking birds I've ever seen.


As we headed back toward our car, this great egret was trying to hide in the brush. Sometimes I think they forget they're white!