Nice Afternoon For Birding

I see a lot of birds everyday. I watch them at the feeders on the deck only a few feet outside my window. Even though I already have many, many pictures of the birds around our house, every year when they return in the spring, I take more.

This morning it was the Red-Headed Woodpecker.

A Brown Thrasher - the birds I was scared of as a child because Mom warned us "they will peck your eyes out."

And the Canada Goslings - four of them this year.

This afternoon we drove out to Green Valley State Park to see if we could spot anything new.

Right away we saw a number of swallows flying about, landing briefly and then flying around again.
I thought they were Tree Swallows, but had to look them up when I got home to be certain. They are very pretty.

I kept seeing a number of very small birds flying in and out of tall grass but couldn't see them close enough for identification.

One finally flew up into a tree and stayed long enough for a snapshot. But what was it? After searching online, I finally decided it is a Savannah Sparrow. At least that's what I think it may be.

I could hear some little Wrens before I saw them. Are they still called House Wrens if there aren't any houses near by?

This one seemed to be thinking about moving into a Blue Bird box.

Birds weren't all that caught my eye - these young Red Bud trees did....

....as well as the new growth -

- on an old Sycamore.

I almost didn't see the deep purple of these wild violets, hiding as they were.

The wind was sending the lake water lapping over the rocks - a sound that drew me.

It was also blowing the cottonwood leaves, causing the tips to shimmer in the sun shine.

Almost back to the car, admiring the soft silvery gray-green of a pine tree.

A close up of the pine needles.

The bright yellow of a Dandelion. Do you like butter? (Did you ask a friend that when you were a child?)

A short trip from home, but so worthwhile - and before the rains begin. It is already clouding up and getting dark off in the west. Doesn't look good for any sunset photos tonight.

So I'll leave with this picture of a thunderhead from early this morning and the sun hitting it and reflecting off the water.

Peace.