Up on the treetops and wires.....

It seems like most of the birds I saw and tried to photograph this week were way up over my head.  Not the best angle for shots!  However, I did see a lot of nice birds this way.

 At home, while sitting in the swing out front, I caught the movement of birds over head in the ash tree.  This little Red-bellied woodpecker was scooting around while waiting for dad to come feed him.  I could barely spot him, he blended in so well.

 Dad brings some food!

We also have several Downy woodpeckers constantly flitting in and out of the trees.  This little Downy was right over my head and splayed out his tail nicely for me.  I don't usually see those feathers when the Downy is on the suet.

At Mouteau Park, we found this Kingbird way at the top of a tree waiting to grab some insects.

 We drove down to Henderson, KY to the river-bottoms area and found this surprise!  Mike saw about 6 Egrets flying towards some trees and we were able to get close enough to get some photos of them perching in the treetops.  They really like the high spots :-)

... and on the wires overhead....a Dickcissel.

I finally found a Dicksisel down low, but didn't focus this very well.

 Another high wire lover....Indigo Bunting.

 On some dead trees in a swampy area, we saw this Swallow outside its nest.

 Tree Swallow

And finally....a few "critters" who like the low places instead of the high ones!  Several dragonflies were accommodating with their posing. 

 Eastern Pondhawk male

Amberwing 

Blue Dasher male 

 There were tiny frogs hopping all over the road in the puddles from a recent rain.

 Red Admiral

I love these wild roses, brambles, whatever they are called. 

 Silver-spotted Skipper

 One turtle in the road....

....and one crossing a field that was just plowed.

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.