Another Red-winged Blackbird

A cold red-winged blackbird.

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Red Tailed-hawk

 Flying high up in the sky. I'm always on the lookout for hawks while driving the back roads. Last weekend, I found this one. He would fly and land on an electric pole, but when I got close, he would take off again. This is the best I could do. 

And then there was this one....

During a Friday very late evening ramble, I saw this red tailed-hawk flying overhead. I stopped, but he saw me and took off down a dirt road, landing on this electric pole. Of course the sun was setting in the western sky so all I could get was a silhouette. As I got closer he took off across a field where only a 4 wheeler could go. 


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The Camera Club assignment for October is Odd/Quirky. Guess whose idea that was? Yep, mine! 

So I found this oddity back in the spring. I went back a couple weeks ago and took another shot. Which is your preference? The one from spring or summer?

Happy Sunday!

Pigeon in a Fountain

This pigeon was hanging out on a fountain down on Beale Street in Memphis.

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"Help! Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"

"Anybody? Help please! You there with the camera!"

"Wait, wait, I think I'm getting it."

"Okay, okay, I'm fine!"

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Inspired Sunday post, go to Stuff and Nonsense

Blue, Red, and Yellow Plus Some

Guess what? I didn't go to work yesterday (Saturday)! I will probably go this afternoon for a while, but NOT all day. The Democratic party has picked a candidate to run for Circuit Clerk in November.  The newly appointed clerk begins his reign next week, which means I go back to doing ONE job. Yay!!! All those other responsibilities are gone. I feel like a building has been lifted from my shoulders. I just hope, if he is good at the job, he wins in November. Otherwise we will be back to another new clerk.

Of course, I didn't get to lounge around on my day off. I spent the entire day dancing with Mrs. Mop! Have I mentioned how much I dislike housework? I used to enjoy it, now I would much rather play.

 The sunflowers were a busy place Friday night. Indigo Bunting.

Mr. Cardinal and his wife, but she wouldn't show herself.

 The Goldfinches were dining, as well. Again, the Mrs. was camera shy. 

The pretty yellow petals are all falling onto the ground. I'm not sure if it is the birds landing on them and knocking them off or if they are merely falling off. They are not as pretty as they were. But the birds make up for the missing petals.

 I planted some sunflowers in our garden, but they are slow to bloom. This is the first.

I also planted zinnias and they are in full bloom.

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

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Blue, Yellow, Black

Warning, may need your magnifier of choice. The first two shots were taken while we were parked on a bridge where we always look for a Blue Heron who once hung out in this spot.

 Indigo Bunting

 Goldfinch

 And what would one of my bird posts be without a Red-winged Blackbird. Male.

Female. What the heck is she doing? Guess she had an itch. 

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Saturday night, date night at the garden. Woo Hoo! Excitement! I haven't been able to see many variety of birds so far this year, so on this night I was expecting more of the same. Nothing! However, I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to add a few pictures to my collection of really bad bird shots.

There is a bridge where we often see a blue heron, so we stop on the bridge and look closely to make sure he isn't hiding in the shadows like he is known to do. He wasn't there. As we prepared to drive on, I happened to look up and saw Mr. Baltimore Oriole watching us from his perch high up in the top of a tree.

We saw several indigo buntings, but they didn't pause long enough for a picture. We also saw 4 Goldfinches. I did get some really bad shots of them through the fantastically filthy truck windshield. They are sad excuses for pictures, but will post them later anyway. 

 As we pulled into the driveway and drove around back of Bro O's house, I saw this Cardinale inspecting the backhoe. Wonder what he needed to dig up ormaybe he was looking to uproot a tree due to feud with neighbors. Anyway, this is another shot through the dirty windshield. He flew before I could get out of the truck.

Then there was the usual red-winged blackbird—scolding me for being near their nest. I was about to put my camera back in the truck and go help Hubs pick zucchini when Hubs said, "Stand still and look over there." I followed his finger and saw...

... Mr. Heron trying to hide on the far side of the pond. Shockingly, he stayed put while I took about 100 really bad shots with my poor excuse for a zoom. After deciding I had enough poor photos, I wandered over to the garden and helped Hubs.  

 Since Mr. Heron was still there, I decided to try sneaking a little closer. My slow, steady footsteps gave me this shot. I turned my attention to the view of an elderberry bush and the grain bin. I moved the auto setting to landscape and took the shot. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Heron taking off. I whipped my camera around and got this...

...a really bad shot of Mr. Heron flying away. I almost wish I had just watched him in real life instead of through the camera.

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So why is it the only birds I can get a halfway decent picture of are red-winged blackbirds! I guess it's because they don't mind getting close enough to yell at me. Here she is, at it again!

This same evening, I saw a Scarlett Tanager in the mulberry tree, but of course, no proof!

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Buzzards!

Camera Club's assignment for June is, American Flag—tattered and torn. Since I don't have a picture, Fergus and i went for another ramble through the countryside. I did find a flag, but I won't post it until after Wednesday in case someone is practicing the art of espionage.

I did see a cardinale, a bluebird, and a few doves. Will I be posting pics of those? Nope. They were all too fast for me. Instead I will be posting pics of one of the few birds I seem to be able to get in front of my lens.

 As I drove up toward Lerna, I saw buzzards on the roof of this shed.

 This one...

 ...and that one...

...and these two. Ugly old things don't you think?

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The One That Almost Was

 Eastern Phoebe...oops! Thanks Tex...Eastern Kingbird. I always get those two mixed up.

 Eastern Kingbird glaring at me.

Baltimore Oriole. I have seen several posts featuring this bird and I have commented that I haven't seen one around here in years. Last night, I saw one. All I could see was a glob of orange in a tree far far away. Even with the camera zoomed to the max, this is all the better I could do. I almost got a shot of him, but at least I have proof I did actually see one. :)

I like finding wildflowers almost as much as birds. So, I'm ending with a common variety around here.

Happy Sunday!!!

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Another Crabby Critter

After the squirrel gave me a tongue lashing (see the post below), probably because there were babies in their nest and LL and Fergus were being too noisy, I got another scolding last evening down at the garden.

Not by a squirrel this time, but by a red-winged blackbird. I was minding my own business, putting tomato plants in the garden when this guy kept flying over with his mean bird chirp on. After I finished with the tomatoes, okra, yellow squash and zucchinni, and while I waited for Hubs to finish tilling a row for the hot peppers, I got out my camera. Here he is trying to decide whether or not I dug the 410 out of the gun rack or if the contraption pointed at him was harmless.

Guess he thought he could scare me away with this red shoulders. Little did he know that if I really had a 410 and was of the sort to shoot birds, his goose would have been cooked. Fortunately for him, I don't shoot birds with anything other than my camera.

Since the Mister wasn't having much luck scaring me away, Mrs decided to give it a try.  She wasn't successful either, but Hubs had the garden ready for more plants, so I left them alone. Mister, however, kept flying over with his crabby on.

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A Gull of sorts?

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Bird Bird Bird Bird Dog?

Some people have exotic birds flitting to and fro in their back yard. Me? I have sparrows. Hubs built this birdhouse originally for blue birds. Sadly, they moved in to a posh penthouse next door. After the sparrows moved in, Hubs gave up and added a perch.

Looks like Mama found something good.

Num num num num num.....

"Hey! What 'cha lookin' at?"

"Can't you take a hint? Go! Get out of here!"

Okay, so this isn't a bird, but he's so cute I couldn't resist.

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Mom and me...

Happy Mother's Day!