SkyWatch Friday.....

My SkyWatch today is over Ellis Park Race Track in Henderson, KY.

The only reason I happen to be there, was because as we drove by, I spotted two white heads in the shallow water along the edge of the property. Ellis Park is is one of Kentucky's horse racing tracks.
The two white heads turned out to be two Egrets....something I have never seen in Evansville before.
I think they were looking for little minnows in this flooded grass area.

This is an area close to the Ohio River and high water causes flooding in a very large area close by.

We were returning from checking on the eagles on the other side of the river. Papa eagle still standing guard when we arrived, but he took off soon afterwards.

We think that is the chick's head in front of the mother bird.

I'm so tired of looking at photos trying to spot the chick! It's amazing how many twigs look like they could be a chick's head from this distance.

Right across from the race track is a Tobacco Road gas station and I have seen this groundhog there several times.

I think I will call him "Smokey" since he lives at Tobacco Road.

He sure likes the clover!
That is my SkyWatch and other photos for today!

For more SkyWatch click on the icon on my sidebar.

There is always something new to see in the sky!

BABY CHICKADEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait until tomorrow to post these! I've got baby chickadees.....yeah! 2 at least!I want out!

Chick pileup

Foooooooooood!

Mom...Dad....where are you, we're hungry ?????

Peek-a-boo

First baby of spring.....

It may be "just a House Sparrow"....but it sure is the cutest little thing! It sat there on the branch looking so forlorn.
I'm hungry

Where's mom?

Can you feed me?

I think I feel a nap coming on......

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Splashes of color everywhere you look.....

Spring is so great....everywhere you look there is color popping out!You have no idea how glad I was to see this Meadowlark! The last time we drove by this field...on old landfill that is off limits to humans....it had been MOWED! I was horrified wondering if the nests or chicks had been run over. I was so depressed that I have not gone back for several weeks. Today the grass is tall again and there was at least one Meadowlark peering out of the grass....thankfully.....until the next mowing.

I actually got closer to this one than the past ones I've seen.

At home my peonies are beginning to bloom! The pink is always first.

Peony....State Flower of Indiana

A larger one already full. Lots of buds. Of course, we are getting a lot of rain, which always beats them down and ruins how nice they look, so I'm glad I got at least one photo!

The Mock Orange has one or two flowers open.

Mrs. Rosie is trying to tell me that she can't get those last 2-3 seeds....please refill.

She looks rather wistful as she studies the problem.

I almost forgot about these dragonflies mating at the wetlands....not a very close shot. If I remember from last year these are Eastern Pondhawks.

While watching the eagles the roadside was full of wildflowers. I bought a wonderful book put out my John, in Maine so I would be able to identify them this year.....and guess what....I can't find it!!!! Sigh.

2 different white ones

A very common yellow....I see it everywhere I go.

Some very tiny purple flowers

A pair of Rosie's peeking at me.

My beautiful summer Goldfinches.

A House Finch male that I fear may have that eye disease already.

A little finch or sparrow trying to pretend it is part of the feeder?

Checking on the eagles...baby maybe?

These are from two different days of eagle watching. We had heard the chick was hatched and were hoping to see it. The first set of photos are from April 26. One eagle was soaring overhead and the other was on the nest when we got there.
He joined her on the nest and both are here although one is hard to see.

The one on the edge has his mouth open. Mike can hear them scream, but I can't.

They changed places and the one flew to the ground. I don't know why....getting a drink? Then after about 5 minutes it went to a nearby tree and sat for awhile. Before we left, it traded places again. I think it was the female and she didn't want to be away for long.

Here the one on the nest is calling the other one back, I think.

Back she came.

We went back yesterday....May 4.

This time he was sitting on the top of a tree very close by.

The other was on the nest. Tending the chick?

I took dozens of photos hoping to see the chick. We thought we kept seeing a little head bob up. I think that little lump right in front of the parent is the baby, because in the following photos it is gone. I wish I had even more power for seeing this! You can click on the photos to try to see them better, but I can't crop any more and see anything.

The one in the tree was making the herons very uneasy. I believe in this photo that they have their wings spread over their nests in a protective gesture! The eagle screamed a couple of times and took off circling the tree with the eagle nest....apparently a heron got too close! I took a video to try to hear their cry and then like the IDIOT that I am, I talked the whole time...duh! They finally all seemed to settle down and decide to get along. We keep looking for heron babies, too, but haven't seen any yet.

The heron sitting on the closest nest kept its head looking up the whole time he sat there.