Any ideas on who this bird might be? I had a terrible time seeing it in the grass. He certainly blended in well!
(Jenny has suggested a Sedge Wren and I think she may be right!)
Des Moines is the capital of Iowa and their capital building is beautiful!
Seen from a distance, the 23 carat gold dome glows in the sunshine.
I liked this sculpture
The Des Moines River
Another dome.....the Botanical Gardens near the river.
Beautiful landscaping
I had not seen these red and purple peppers before.
Happy butterflies flitting everywhere.
Monarch headed south?
Inside they had a small display that tied into the big quilt show.
Seen from a distance, the 23 carat gold dome glows in the sunshine.
I liked this sculpture
The Des Moines River
Another dome.....the Botanical Gardens near the river.
Beautiful landscaping
I had not seen these red and purple peppers before.
Happy butterflies flitting everywhere.
Monarch headed south?
Inside they had a small display that tied into the big quilt show. The following are a few of my favorite things inside the conservatory.
Below are a few more misc. shots from our drive in the countryside.
A more cropped view of one of my mystery hawks.
Some sparrows
Our host for our visit happens to work for Brownells (guns) so he took us target shooting.
Mike taking aim. I refuse to show any shots of me shooting......not flattering at all!
We didn't do too badly for not having shot a gun in probably 30 years! The bottom target we were not always aiming at the center. I'd MUCH rather shoot a camera, but this was sort of fun as long as it was just targets and not animals.
Other than sky shots of clouds and sun dogs on the way home, that is it for our trip!
Below are a few more misc. shots from our drive in the countryside.
A more cropped view of one of my mystery hawks.
Some sparrowsOur host for our visit happens to work for Brownells (guns) so he took us target shooting.
Mike taking aim. I refuse to show any shots of me shooting......not flattering at all!
We didn't do too badly for not having shot a gun in probably 30 years! The bottom target we were not always aiming at the center. I'd MUCH rather shoot a camera, but this was sort of fun as long as it was just targets and not animals.Other than sky shots of clouds and sun dogs on the way home, that is it for our trip!
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15 comments:
I agree - shooting is fun as long as you're not shooting at something alive. I used to go skeet shooting with my dad from time to time. Not often enough to get good at it, just for fun.
You got some great photos - there are so many beautiful places I haven't seen. Can't tell about the bird, but you really showed how wonderfully Nature camoflages her creatures.
Wow!! Those orchids!! All lovely shots Mary. Nice seeing the place again. I was last ther about 17 years ago.
Can't believe how well that bird is camouflaged in the grass! Your photos are wonderful. Sounds like a marvelous trip, and I truly impressed with your marksmanship after 30 years!
Waiting with baited breath for Squirrel Sunday...
YOu always visit the most interesting places. I like all the photos and that sculpture, wow,...very nice.
Great shot of Mike shooting.
That capital building is fabulous--love that cross that is built in. I guess that is how you would word it.
Lovely flowers, Lovely butterflies Mary.
Welcome back, Mary, and thank you once again for having shared with us (me) another part of your world that I have never seen and shall probably never visit. It is beautiful there and the flowers are lovely and lush. The mystery bird still remains a mystery to me. Love the hawk!
ann
Hi Mary, not completely sure about the mystery bird, but with the slight barring on the tail and the slightly blurred but fineish looking bill, I would plump for maybe a Sedge Wren. Habitat would be right too.
Seeing the capitol building brought back great memories, we had a tour of that building when we visited Iowa for the first time.
My husbands website if you want to see his furniture and metalwork is www.ArtsandCraftsDesign.com
All the best
Jen
It has been wonderful to see these areas though your camera lens.Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to visit places I might not otherwise see.Lovely photos.
Thanks everyone!
Rose: I believe the cross that you see is on the steeple in front of the capital building.
Jenny: I think you may be right about the Sedge Wren! I thought it seemed to have its tail up like a wren. The back seems to have the speckled apprearance shown in my bird book now that you've steered me in the right direction. The belly color fits too! Cool! I've never seen a Sedge Wren before!
Annie, Annie....what if the "Star" refuses to show up?? You may turn blue in the face holding your breath!
Fantastic photos Mary, you've got some beauties here. Thanks for taking us along.It's been a fun trip.
Such great photos. I really enjoyed looking at all of them. For some reason the gold dome stick out with me but I really enjoyed them all. :-)
You've been busy Mary! Where have I been! Love all the photos, Mike looks like a pro there behind that AR-15!! Ha Ha do I sound professional or what! I'm still saying Red-tail.
Denise and 2sweetnsaxy:Thanks! The dome really was beautiful and we had a lot of fun on the trip.
Eve: If you can identify the gun, then you know a lot more than I do! I had to shoot the darn thing left handed.....My right eye is the weakest and I always aim with the left, but I couldn't do it with that gun for some reason. Mike did a lot better than I did, but I did get a few in the bullseye. I'll accept your Red Tail identification. I cannot identify birds overhead....it is very frustrating. I don't photograph them very well either!
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