Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge part 1....

We went for a two day visit to Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in the southeastern part of Indiana.  We have gone there every year for the last few years.  It is a lovely place and it would be wonderful to live near it.  It's about a two hour drive from where we live.  The first day was nice and sunny and we saw quite a bit.  The second day was gloomy and raining part of the time and my photos are not so hot for that day.  Gave me a chance to play with the new camera.

First day:   I'm just posting these in no particular order.  Saw lots of Red-winged Blackbirds in the high grasses along the waterways.

 I was thrilled to find this group of swallowtail butterflies!  Three Tiger Swallowtails and I think the black one is a Spicebush

Pearl Crescent?

Saw a couple of deer over the two days we were there. 

 Took one walk in the woods and these were two types of fungi we saw.

I expected to see lots of geese babies.  There was one family with 6 babies..... 

....and one family with only one.  We saw several other pairs but no babies with them. 

 Killdeer

Mockingbird 

 This raccoon ambled across the trail in front of us when we were walking in the woods.

Huge spider.....I don't know spiders, but thought it was very interesting looking! 

Brown Thrasher digging in a yard. 

 The trail we hiked.

 Just a reflection I liked.

A wildflower in the woods.  Should know the name, but can't think of it.

Will post more later.

Playing with a new camera....

I got a new camera....a Canon Power Shot SX50 HS.  Doesn't mean my photos will be any better, but my old camera was developing some problems with the focus.

 We took the camera to Mouteau Park where I can always find Kingbirds and Meadowlarks at this time of year and I played around with it.  Had some trouble getting used to the focus, but assume I will get better with time.

 I'm happy with how the photos look on the computer after I take them, but by the time I shrink them down enough to make Blogger allow them, they lose their quality.  I find that so frustrating.  I think one reason I don't post much any more is because I can tell the photos don't look good, so I assume others can tell the same thing.  Why post bad photos?

 Anyway....I do like the camera and am sure I will like it even better when I learn more about it.

 The Meadowlark was posing on this sign, but I was having trouble with the focus, since I am not used to it yet.

 This is something I drive by each day.  They tore down a house in my area and cleared some trees and carved this eagle into one of the stumps.  Don't know if they plan to rebuild the house or what, but it is interesting to drive by and see this.

 A pair of Cowbirds on the drive.

 Goldfinch

And of course a squirrel.

"The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la"........

I got home in time for the blooming of the lilacs....yeah!  My ornamental cherry was already past its prime and the yard was covered in violets.  Quite a change from the desert of Arizona!

 I have two huge lilac bushes.  They were really loaded with flowers!

When they first bloom they are this rich color of purple.  Later the get paler.

 The ornamental cherry tree has these pink blossoms and now the ground is covered in "pink snow".

 Some of the violets before Mike mowed a lot of them down.  When I mow, I just mow around huge areas :-)  I'm not greatly concerned with what my neighbors think about the neatness of my yard.

 Between my two lilacs are two Spirea bushes.  They don't always bloom at the same time, but this year they are overlapping and I tried to get some photos with both flowers.

 The purple and white together are really beautiful. The lilac color has gotten pale now, but they still look pretty.   My bushes are huge and need to be cut back, but the one time I cut one of the lilacs back, I have not felt it is as pretty any more.  The color has become lighter on that bush.

 Unfortunately, the sun is rising behind the bushes and it is hard to get a good photo right now.

 Close-up of the spirea.

I love this time of year and am glad that I didn't miss all the blooms!