Birding vacations...

 It has been a good year for seeing birds while on trips.  Since I have not posted in a long time I thought I would just post a few of my favorites.  Way back in February we went to Tucson and my favorite was the very cute little Vermillion flycatcher.

 

Vermillion Flycatcher.....just love this little red bird!

 

Gila Woodpecker and youngster

Cooper's Hawk?

Broad billed Hummingbird....I think?

Costa's Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird....a life bird for me.

Phainopepla

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Black-Throated Gray Warbler

Chased this little guy around all week trying for photos.  Another life bird for me.

Then in June we helped our son move to Colorado and I discovered another new bird...the Magpie.  They are so pretty!  I really enjoyed them, although I am sure people who live with them find them a bit of a nuisance.  For me another life bird for the year.

Just look at that tail!

These were hanging out near the dumpsters of a restaurant.

Much prettier in the grass and flowers :-)

On the way to Colorado, we went through Kansas and there I saw the Western Kingbird at every rest stop we pulled into.

Another handsome bird and another life bird for me this year.

In August we went to Michigan to meet up with our daughter.  My hope here were to see some shore birds, but I'm never good at identifying them.

Semi-palmated Plover

                        Didn't get to see the Plover I hoped for, but this one was nice anyway.

On the way home a stop at Muskegon, Michigan provided some real finds and at least one new life bird for me.  These birds were all seen at the Muskegon Wastewater Treatment facility which is over 11,000 acres.  We were only there 2 hours on two days and only covered one small area.

Kingfisher

Female non/breeding Bobolink....a life bird for me.

Some swallows in the rain

Osprey and willing to pose very nicely for me.

Immature starlings

A Kestrel that didn't fly away because it was busy eating a Katydid?

Those were my birding vacations for this year so far!

I have some more photos from a local birding spot of migrating birds which I will post another day.

Hawk

 I have had a hawk hanging around my feeders lately, so thought I would post a few photos of him.

Not sure if he is Sharp-shinned or Coopers.

He is pretty small.  He sits on the ground by this bush (off camera on right) sometimes.  Mike saw him chase a small bird into the bush.  Than he hit the bush a couple times until the bird flew out again and chased it.  I thought I saw him actually try to get in the bush one day.  It is a holly and is prickly and I don't think he can get a bird there if it stays put.  The squirrels sit nearby eating and aren't the least bit concerned.

Hope to have some western photos to post soon!

Hawks and Heron....the fishermen in my creek

 I like to post here occasionally to let people know that I'm still alive and kicking :-)  We survived the pandemic and are both vaccinated.  COVID numbers have gone down rapidly.

This spring I sat and watched the creek that runs by our condo quite a bit.  There is a pump that brings water from the lake and runs it through the creek all day over little rock spills and waterfalls.  Around 5:00 in the evening the pump shuts down and the water level drops.  Small fish get caught in the pools of water where it is deeper and can't get to the big pool at the end of the creek.

A beautiful Red-shouldered hawk began to show up every evening as the creek shut down.

He obviously knew what time the pump shut down and the fish were trapped and the water level low.  He would sit over the little island and then drop down and get fish trapped in the shallows.

Here he is holding a big one he caught.  He would peck at them some and usually fly off with them eventually.  I don't think he liked me watching him, but he didn't let it stop him.

A close up of the fish....pretty big!

This went on for a week or more.  I think that he must have had a family he was fishing for.  He always flew off in the same direction with his fish.

One day another type of hawk showed up after we had a big rain storm and there were puddles under the trees on the other side of the creek.  He came to bathe as shown below.  I think it is a Cooper's Hawk.

Then about the time the hawk stopped coming, the heron showed up.  He liked to stand at the little waterfall while it was still running and wait for the fish there.

This is right outside my sewing room window, so I didn't even have to creep outside to try to watch.  The heron is a lot more nervous about people than the hawk was.

He got some pretty good sized fish.  

Bulging neck.....I think he needs to swallow.

Brought this one ashore.  Spit it out and picked it back up.  Don't know what the problem was.

Sitting by the lake across our road.  He can't fish as well there because the sides are too steep and maybe the water is too deep.

There is always something going on along the water.

My Christmas birds...

Here are some of the birds that have been visiting recently with their Christmas decorations.

The Carolina Wren

Downy

The White-throated Sparrow with a "Charlie Brown" style of decoration.

Titmouse

The Blue Jay stealing peanuts

Mr. Cardinal brings his own Christmas color

Blue Jay

The Red-breasted nuthatches have been welcome this year.  I have at least two.  They are so fast I don't get a lot of photos.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

White-breasted nuthatch

Downy.....they all love these peanut butter cylinders

Junco

Bluebird

Mockingbird

Pair of bluebirds.  They are the only birds I see sharing the food.

Wren

That peanut is almost bigger than the titmouse is, but he really loves them.

Titmouse

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

"Do not be afraid!  I bring you good news of great joy, that will be  for all the people.  Born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!

Luke 2:10