Hovey Lake and surrounding area.....

We were in Mt. Vernon, Indiana to pick up a used SUV we bought (better for birding on gravel roads!), so we figured we should give it a "test drive" by heading to Hovey Lake on the southwest side of Mt. Vernon.  Hovey Lake is a 1,400 acre ox-bow lake in the bottom lands along the Ohio River near where it meets the Wabash River.  In the early spring the area can be highly flooded if we get a lot of rain.

These images are in no particular order....I get lazy trying to arrange them :-)  This little Eastern-tailed Blue butterfly was enjoying some clover where we stopped to take photos.  I always seem to get the edge of the butterfly, but liked it anyway. 

 This box turtle was along the edge of the road.  He was wet and his markings looked very pretty.  Almost like someone had painted them......I guess God did just that!

This Cabbage White was enjoying the remains of someone's campfire........getting minerals? 

 We drove down a gravel farm road that gave the SUV a good workout.  We were trying to see if it would take us around the lake to the river, but never got that far.  This Dickcissel was singing his song for us.

 We stopped at one viewing spot along the lake edge and saw an adult eagle flying over the water.  So we started looking for a nest in the area it came from......yes!  Not only a nest, but with two young eagles on it!  This nest is on the far side of the lake from where we were......at least 400 yards.  My new camera did pretty well, considering the distance!

The gravel road took us between some corn fields and this Horned Lark was sitting on a little plant out in the field.  First time I have ever captured the "horns" on one! 

 Saw this bird and didn't know what it was.....I think it is a young Horned Lark.  They weren't together.

An Indigo Bunting, but you can barely see the blue color. 

 Several Killdeer were out enjoying the small flooded areas in the corn field.

 I enjoy watching them, even if they are fairly common.

 Just a view along the side of the lake.

One of the farms we passed on the way there......I love all the orange day lilies along the bank and the other flowers.  The soybeans are just getting started, but the corn across the road is already "knee high" before the 4th of July. 

Saw lots of these Morning Glories along the gravel road. 

There is one spot along Hovey Lake where we always see a Red-headed woodpecker.....sure enough!  Saw another one fly across the road.   

 Lots of Red-winged Blackbirds.  I thought this one looked a little "crazy" the way the eye is staring.  Many birds had their mouths open in the heat.

 Swallows on a barn ledge

 ......up high on the wire....

 .....more on the ledge.

One turtle along the edge of the lake.

Think I'm going to like this little SUV.....sure is better on gravel roads and I sit higher for taking photos!

Odds and ends.....

Just some odds and ends of around home mostly.

I have no idea what this little flower is, but have them all over the area when I threw down bird seed over the winter.  So, I am assuming they grew from left over seeds.  I love their delicate nature and their color, so I have let them grow. 

I tried looking up the seeds that I knew were in the mix....like milo and millet, but didn't find these flowers.
(NOTE: Thank you everyone who has identified this as Flax!)

 I happen to see this little sparrow show up yesterday with its mom to get some food.

 "Feed me, feed me, feed me!"

 Mom was very patient

The "baby" is as big as mom, but she fed it sunflower seeds. 

"There would be more seeds to feed you, if that squirrel up there would go away!" 

"I'm hungry, too!"

 Chickadee waiting his turn.

 Mrs. House Finch found a pile of seeds.

 The Goldfinch is the only one that can really eat from these feeders when the level gets low.

 Female Goldfinch on another feeder.

 Upside down or right side up......they can get their food.

 We drove to Henderson to do some car shopping, so of course we stopped by where we saw the egrets a week ago.  This time there was a deer out there nibbling on the little trees.

 It must be standing in low water, but didn't seem to mind.

Only one egret that day.  We saw a few herons, but they kept landing behind things where I couldn't get their photo.

Jewelwing.....

Not much here, but we did see this little Jewelwing damselfly on our trip to Henderson.

 I think they are so pretty.

 I kept trying to time it to get the wings open.....

 .....the best I managed.

 A Red Admiral landed on a leaf while I was watching the damselfly.

And on the way home, this Vulture was sitting up on the post as we went by.

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Been busy watching tennis....Wimbledon starts next week....and we had VBS every night this past week.  Just seems like I am not getting out to take photos anywhere right now.  I'm way behind on looking at all of your blogs, too and hope to catch up soon.

Dickcissel day......

Saturday was our 43rd anniversary and also happened to be the beginning of this year's W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Fest over in Henderson, KY, so we drove over to eat some good food and listen to some music.  However, a trip to Henderson for me always means we have to drive to the slough area, too, and look for birds and butterflies :-)  All of the above made for a nice way to spend the day.

We drove down one of the gravel roads and Dickcissels were sitting around on the little trees and plants along the fence rows.  I just love to hear them lift up their heads and sing.  This is the first female that I think I have ever seen.  It was on Mike's side of the car, so he took these photos.

 We see the males regularly, but the females usually seem to be down in the deep weeds.  This one was cleaning her feathers and quite willing to pose for Mike.

She has a yellow breast and doesn't have the black at the throat that the male has. 

"Hello!" 

 The rest of these are of males.  They are the ones that are usually singing.

He has more rust on the shoulder as well as the black throat patch. 

 Trying to catch him while he sings.

The back of this one looks pale compared to the one above it.  We saw at least 7-8 along the length of the road.  Also saw lots of Indigo Buntings, but they were not as accommodating and flitted into the bushes as we came by. 

More of a front shot up on the overhead wires.

A head shot.

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I have some other photos to post....maybe.  The W.C. Handy Blues fest lasts all week and maybe next weekend, we will have time to head back for more music and food.....and birds if the day is good!

New Harmony trip and home shots....

A few more photos from the New Harmony visit.

Before we even left home, I spotted this hawk sitting on the wires at the end of our road.  I think it might be a Coopers?

Looking both ways .....didn't seem to mind me taking its photo. Probably the one that hangs around my front yard looking for some tasty small birds to eat.

This butterfly was sitting among the cottonwood fluff that was covering the ground.  Gives it a hazy looking background.

 Puddles from the recent rain were very popular.  This little House Sparrow had just taken a bath.  You can almost hear them sigh with ecstasy when they are done.

 I think the bird on the left is an Oriole.....I don't usually see them, so not sure what kind.  Wet birds are hard to identify :-)

Two Starlings having their bath.

This squirrel found something interesting to eat....on another day....so he took it and buried it nearby.

We partly went to New Harmony because the local paper had an article about how this coffee shop/tavern was now selling a beer that was the first one made in Indiana.  The Rappites who lived in New Harmony originally produced it.  The recipe was found and is now being produced by a brewery somewhere else under several names, so they are importing it to New Harmony to be sold under this name.  Mike wanted to try it since he loves micro-brewed beers.  We had a nice lunch and the beer was pretty good.....a nice dark European type.

 A couple of shots from home to round out this post.  This woodpecker was getting a beak full of suet for her baby.  I've seen her feeding it, but have not gotten a good photo.

The House Wren sits out in this tree and sings his heart out every day.  I believe he is trying to find a mate.  He has a couple of bird houses all staked out ready to make her a home, but I don't think he has found anyone to move in yet.  I love hearing him sing.