Checking on the Snow Geese in Henderson, KY.....

Yesterday, we drove over to Henderson, KY to check on the Snow Geese and other geese and ducks.  We were thrilled to find that plenty of geese had arrived already!

 There were a large mass of them sitting in the grass and low water behind where one of the viewing stands is located.  So I was able to get these massed shots.  Hmmmm....how many geese per square foot?  I really wish I had a way to count them sometime!  I'm curious as to just how many are really there.

 Something stirred them up and they all took to the air.  I don't think it was anything I did :-)  The viewing stand is at least 200 yards from where they were.

 Trying to get a wide shot that shows all of them in the air is hard.  This does give an idea of how far away we were.

 The ducks stayed behind on the water when the geese took off.

Lots of geese!

 They came to rest in the next field over, where they have flooded areas of the field for them.  Looks like a big swimming pool full of geese here :-)

 We were about 200 yards away still, so these aren't real close shots.

 I try to get a mixture of all the types.   There are two phases:  The pure white Snow Geese and the dark Snow Geese with white heads.  The juveniles are somewhere in between....the pale gray ones are the white juveniles and the all dark are the dark juveniles.

 But there are also Greater White-fronted Geese mixed throughout.  They usually sort of stay at one end by themselves, but they do mix somewhat with the Snow Geese.

 Enjoying the water.

 There was a lot of wing flapping going on after they landed.  They seemed restless.  Maybe they were just trying to get some space from their neighbors :-)

 A bunch of the Greater White-fronted Geese on one end.

Landing

 We weren't the only ones watching the geese from a distance.  I think these are two immature eagles.  They were way out in the trees beyond the geese...watching.

 Some of the Mallards on a smaller pond in the area.

I never get tired of seeing these geese and ducks!  We'll probably make a trip over here at about once a week.   I don't know if this all that are coming this year, or if this is just the beginning.

This and That......

Most of these are feeder shots at home, but at least a greater variety of birds is beginning to show up with winter approaching.

 This little Goldfinch looks like the water didn't agree with her :-)  I took the frog ball off of the fountain, and replaced it with a dish and a heating element for winter.

 I drove through Mouteau Park on the way home yesterday and saw these two Kestrels at the top of a big Sweet Gum tree.  I was surprised they didn't fly further away, but the tree was pretty far from the edge of the raod and very tall and I guess they didn't feel intimidated by me.  I seldom see two together!

 Not much of a shot, but I don't see the back view very often.

 I wondered if they were a mated pair.....couldn't see much difference in their color, but it isn't mating season. 

 This is Kiwi....the cat that thinks she belongs to us.  When she drinks water, she often dips her paw in the water and brings it to her mouth.  I have not seen any other cat do that!  I was trying to catch her with her paw in the water.

 I haven't seen squirrels around much this summer, but now that winter is coming, they have remembered where the feeders are located :-)  We have a bunch of walnut trees, and they have been collecting walnuts and hiding them.  Mike says he finds crushed shells along the edge of the road.  Maybe they set them there so the cars will run over them and do the crushing for them :-)  LOL

 A Titmouse peeking at me from the feeder.

 A Carolina Wren showed up....always welcome!

 "There's that lady with the camera again.....she never lets us eat in peace."

Our weather is a bit gloomy at the moment.  But not too cold, thankfully and the bad storms have missed us so far.

Mockingbird....

I've probably never posted just one photo before, but it is all I have at the moment :-)

Mockingbird stretching for the suet.

  I took pity on him and put a stick in the bottom of the wire cage so he could stand a little closer the next time he visits.

Back over to Henderson, KY and the "snipe hunt".......

Friday was a beautiful sunny day, so we headed back over to Henderson, KY to check on the migratory water fowl that gather there at the refuge along the Ohio River.  The river is just beyond the trees that you can see in that first photo.

 Most of the birds were in a flooded field along one side of the road.  There are some viewing stands that you can climb up and even at this great distance can get some good photos with a good zoom lens.

There were a bunch of Coots at one end of the gathering of birds along with assorted ducks.

 I'm not good at some of the ducks from this distance, but think the ones in the middle are Gadwalls.  I think there are some other kinds, but don't know what they are.  The geese here are all Greater White-fronted Geese.

A few more Snow Geese have arrived, but the huge numbers haven't shown up yet. 

On the left middle of this photo is one of the dark phase of the Snow Geese.....sitting tall with just the white head.  Some of the Greater White-fronts are juveniles and don't have the white around the bill. 

 This area is safe for them, but the hunters are beginning to set out their decoys in the private fields around the preserve area.  There will be 1000's more birds arriving in the next couple of months.

 The geese all mixed together in this cluster.

 In another pond along the road I usually find a Grebe all by itself and sure enough....there were two this year!  Such cute little things.

Mike spotted this Red Tailed Hawk in the tree watching the birds.  He took the photo, too. 

 A Kestrel that didn't fly away the minute we parked the car.  We had stopped to look for snipe at one of the viewing stands and I guess we were parked far enough away, he didn't feel threatened.  I usually don't even  try to take photos of Kestrels, because the take off the minute I raise the camera.

 One last duck photo.....a couple of Shovelers in the rear.

 This is a better idea of the distance.  It takes a long lens when the birds are this far away.  I like how the smokestacks look reflecting on the water.

*******

Then there were the Wilson's Snipe.......

I told Mike, "I don't know if I'm taking photos of birds pretending to be clumps of grass, or clumps of grass pretending to be birds!"  I know I got some of both!  LOL  These guys really know how to hide!  I could find this one by the reflection on the water.....and that long bill.

I took quite a few photos of just clumps of grass and leaves.....but there are some actual birds in this photo as well all hunkered down at rest :-) 

 Snipe....really, I'm not kidding.....several!

More hiding birds.  They were all resting when I happened to be there Friday, and not as easy to see as when they are wading and feeding.  In the past I have been lucky enough to find them along the edge of the road in a wet field, where we could sit in the car real quietly and they didn't mind us being there....... 

 ......this year they have chosen this shallow flooded field and are scattered all along the edges in the dirt and grass clumps.  I only could find them when they moved a bit!  I am standing on a viewing stand once again.

One last bunch hiding from me...... 

.....a few standing tall.

I love this season and this wonderful place to find birds!  Can't wait to go back.  I just wish it was a little closer!  We live on the other side of the river and "as the crow flies" not that far....but when you have to drive through Evansville to a bridge over the Ohio and then through Henderson and back track along the river, it is a lot longer getting there.  Otherwise, I would be there every day!

Anyone who lives remotely close to Henderson, KY....this opportunity to see all these water fowl lasts throughout the winter months.  I highly recommend it, but can't promise what you will see on any given day.  There are areas where they can hide further from the road, but once the huge numbers arrive, there are always some close to the road or swarming overhead at times.