A visit to Blue Grass FWA and the "bird bathing beach".....

It was a beautiful evening, so we drove out to Blue Grass FWA to see what birds might be hanging around the stripper pit lakes there.  We saw some Bob-whites for the first time, but I wasn't quick enough to get photos before they scurried into the low grass along the road.

One of the more shallow lakes has a "beach" where the birds love to come and drink and bathe if no fishermen are around.  We got lucky and the place was deserted of humans and the birds were all in a mood to get in the water.  This Killdeer was the most persistent of the bathers. 

 I loved his style and should have taken a video.  He bobs his whole body up and down on the water before plunging his head in briefly.  Bob...bob...bob...plunge!

 And a good shake out afterward!  When fluffed up like this his head looks so small.

 Another shake.

 A Red-winged Blackbird came to join him.  I was a little surprised that two such different species would stand around so close to each other while they bathed.

His style was the more typical bend and dunk.  They seem to be having so much fun when they do this.  I saw the female Red-wing, too.

 There are always Goldfinches on the beach.

 Up in the small willow? trees along the edge of the lake I saw this male Orchard Oriole.

 I'm so glad he came down for a plunge!  What a pretty bird, and what a sharp looking beak.  I have seen the female there before and she is very different.....more a dull yellow like a female Goldfinch.

 Then the American Robin arrived to bathe.

 This little sparrow was very quick in and out, and I only got two shots of it.  I'm not sure what kind of sparrow it is, so I won't make any guesses.  It had a heavily streaked breast and a light grey eyebrow....that fits several sparrows.

The Brown Thrasher showed up....always an exciting bird to see for me. 

Unfortunately, humans leave their trash behind, and the Thrasher kept getting behind it.

That is a total of 7 different species that all showed up in the short time we were there!  I was having so much fun watching them, I didn't want to leave.

 This bird high up in a tree was singing his heart out.  He wasn't any of the birds we usually see singing in the tree tops!  I think that it is a Towhee.  I have seen many Towhees, but never singing in the trees like this.  At my house they are always on the ground doing the "chicken scratch" among the seeds.  I can't see the orange sides on this much, but nothing else I know of has that black throat area, white belly, and long tail and a bit of white on the wing.  We went on-line and listened to the song it sings and think it is what we heard......who remembers once you are back home???

 I guess this is a Cabbage White butterfly on the thistles.  Saw a lot of them out there.

 A female duck in the mud under some trees.

Goldfinch stealing some thistle seeds 

 This is back at home, but I wanted to include these photos of the Red-bellied woodpecker.

Azalea Walk: Part 2.....

A few more photos of the azaleas and all the wood carvings and statues scattered among them.

 I like the combinations of different colors throughout the woods.

 a carved owl

Two heron? cranes? 

 Angels in the hostas

 Don't know what this large piece was originally, but thought it might have come off a building?  It's now a table with these ferns in the middle.

 A Green Man carving with a little gnome character at the top.

 The woodpeckers don't know the difference between dead trees and dead statues, unfortunately.  This turkey had a rather large hole pecked in it.

Another one attacked by the woodpeckers. 

 A Tree of Life quilt square.

 A nice little double waterfall with lots of color around it.

 Birdhouse?

Owls.

Azalea Path: Part 1.....

We went to a beautiful place near Princeton, IN called the Azalea Path Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.  They have lovely walks around two small lakes and some woods filled with azaleas, rhododendrons, and other plants....hostas, lilies, iris that weren't currently in bloom.

The colors were beautiful and of great variety. 

 Love this purple one.

Scattered among the flowers are sculptures, wood carvings, architectural bits and pieces, quilt squares and other interesting things. 

The yellow one was very pretty. 

This lake has a reception center built next to it where private parties can be held.  They are getting ready to create a water fall running under the center flowing into this lake.  It is a beautiful setting.  Would be great for weddings, etc. 

A pretty peony and hostas. 

Does this look inviting? 

 A quilt square....rather hidden.

 This orange stood out nice next to the fountain.

This one above is one of my favorites.....pale but tinged with a darker pink. 

A couple of bears I came across :-)

More flowers and such in Part 2 in a couple of days.

Odds and ends.....

A few misc. shots from at home and another wetlands walk.

 A Red-headed Woodpecker! 

 This is the first time for one of these to come to my home feeders.  I see them in the wild, but have never had one visit.  It came several times, so it must have a nest nearby.

At the wetlands, we saw these soft shelled turtles. 

 That is a second one in the water beside it.

 A dogwood tree along the creek.

 A Canada Goose on its own.

The Great Blue Heron 

Lift-off! 

Back at home, the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have arrived on their migration north. I look forward to these beauties stopping by briefly each year.

A couple of males.  The female hasn't posed for me yet. 

 A Hairy Woodpecker found the new suet hang-up.

A female Red-winged Blackbird.

A male Goldfinch in his lovely yellow coat with black head.