Day in the Park

We got up at 5:30, fed the bluebirds, walked the dog, and headed for Shenandoah. We didn't have real high hopes, but we love it there even when we don't have great photo-ops. I wasn't sure about the ID of this little guy until I could enlarge a bit.

He definitely had a yellow back and head, and flitted around warbler-style.
Just so little and happy!

The little chestnut colored patches are beginning...chestnut-sided warbler!

Darn branch!

Look at his right foot. Don't know if he's dancing or about to take off.

And the towhees were still every place.

The female towhee was about to take a bath.

Butterflies were everywhere! So many that it was hard to watch for bird movement.

What's a day without bluebirds? These, of course, aren't quite as gorgeous as "mine."

Rainy Sunday

Rainy day - thank goodness - we really needed rain and it stormed all afternoon - I slept! Mostly hummers today: sipping and squabbling!

This one looks blissful, doesn't she? ...Or maybe she's saying grace: " ....Thank you for the food we eat......"

(My verse is "Thank you for the birds that sing." (or buzz or chirp)

Very handsome - he just showed up a few days ago - now he's fighting the femle over the feeders.

Juvenile catbird - Could he possibly be tired of me and my camera?

This makes a great perch!

And of course, had to get pix of these!

BLUEBIRD EXTRORDINAIRE!!

Promise

Have been on the road with no time to stop and enjoy - chased this home and it was almost gone by then - it was complete and totally awesome from the highway.

Sunday Morning

I have to work today, and John leaves this afternoon for Jax, so not much time. All is well on the spycam - the 3 babies are getting the start of little feathers down the middle of their heads and backs; they're still pretty floppy. Ollie and Camille are so diligent about feeding and cleaning them. It's 9:30 now and dark, and Camille is on the nest and the babies are quiet. My camera isn't quite in focus, but the recordings still are wonderful and exciting.

Camille is looking pretty good for this time of year and 13 babies since April!

They're he-ere.................

This is a Canyon Trading Co. hand-made copper feeder. It's really nice, because extra tubes can be filled ahead and kept in the fridge, so that when one gets a bit low, you can just replace it and put the tube in the DW. Other good things about it are that you can actually see through the glass the hummers' tongues lapping...and the birds love them.

Busy little thing -



They go from tube to tube, just as they do flowers - I think that's probably why they seem to prefer this feeder to others.

He likes the Coles suet kibble - it has insects in it and is in small pieces, so it's easy for him to pick up. He likes it so much he's willing to come to the porch to get some.

This is Mr. C - He and his lady have 3 (I think) babies out in the trees....I haven't had a real good look at them, but have heard them and seen them fleetingly. This tray is fastened to my porch rail...It is wonderful to be able to bring the birds so close. Maybe the baby cardinals will come....Oooooo!

We started today's wanderings at Sky Meadow State Park...The wind was fierce, and we decided we really didn't want to do the VERY steep trail on a day that we weren't likely to find many birds out where we could photograph them.

This indigo bunting was about the only bird, other than blackbirds and house sparrows that we saw at Sky Meadow. And he was far, far away!

So back to Shenandoah! Limberlost is at least sheltered from the wind, and we didn't want to just go home. We got there close to noon - so there wasn't too much going on...and it was crowded and loud! We don't usually go on week-ends and this reminded us why. Of course the first thing we heard was towhees. Down at the bridge, this one decided to take a bath while we were there.

Hard to tell what's going on, with the black feathers, dark rocks and water splashing everywhere.

Gotta get his face clean.


Just splashin' in the "tub".....

A final shake.

Yesterday when we saw the bee balm, I said the hummingbirds would love that - One must have overheard, because today she came and visited each one. So beautiful.

TGIF

We left very early this morning for Shenandoah. On the way we noticed this white pigeon sitting in a line with the others. On inspection, it looks like a true albino - his eye looks pretty pink to me.

Pretty lowsy photo, but when I enlarge it, the eye looks pink.
John, with his new Olympus 510 and 300MM 2.8 lens (600MM equivalent.)
Bee balm under the bridge on Limber Lost.

I guess this is some sort of lupine - it was in Big Meadow...I thought it was pretty.

Got several not-too great shots of this lady I actually thought I was shooting a northern parula, but turns out it was a female redstart.

Sitting pretty.

Shake your tail feathers baby!

"Hello...you're a little bit plain, seems to me."

I'm thinking they should change the name of the park to Towhee Park!

"Drink your tea."

How sweet is this?

So curious!

I love you.

The babies haven't learned yet to be afraid. This little one bounded right up to me - I had to back off to get his picture.

Peek-a-boo!

We were just commenting that Ollie and Camille were letting this last brood stay longer than they usually do after a new brood hatches, and.......

Uh, oh. Camille says it's time for them to go.

Reflections..

Flight of fancy.