Snow Geese, Pileated, Red Tail....Goats?........

These photos go back to Friday....I'm behind.

On Friday morning the local newspaper, The Evansville Courier Press had an story and photo of 1000's of the Snow Geese at a new location....a lake near Griffin, IN which is right up the road a few miles from where we live.So of course we hopped in the car and went to look for them. We didn't see the numbers they reported and only in the air, but I'm sure it was the time of day that we arrived.
The sun was in my eye and I kept having trouble holding the camera with one hand, focusing and keeping it steady, and shading my eyes......not so good at multi-tasking! So these aren't quite focused right and I didn't get a lot. However, now we know a new place to look for them!

After watching the geese we decided to drive into nearby New Harmony. While there, I spotted a Pileated Woodpecker up on a light pole. Mike is getting real good at turning around and heading back when I spot something :-) I have a very nice husband! Again, the sun was giving me trouble and I got my best photos when he moved down to a tree stump in someones yard.

This was the first one that I've seen this year. The pair that have visited our yard in the past did not come around this winter.

Peeking over the stump. I just love how huge they are and that red crested head.

Heading down a side road we had never traveled, I saw a Red Tailed Hawk on a limb. He was so white sitting there, with the light blue sky behind him, that I almost didn't notice him.

He let me take several photos.

Giving me a shake of the tail feathers before leaving.

I probably would miss all sorts of photos if it wasn't for Mike! I was so busy looking up for hawks, that I didn't even see these goats in someones front yard until Mike started turning around to go back.

They were out grazing what little grass was peeking through the snow. 6-7 total. I was a bit surprised they were allowed to just roam around in the yard with no fence.

Don't ask about the "wings".....I didn't even see them until we got home. A yard statue, I assume. I was too busy looking at the cute little goats :-)

Focused a little too close on this one, but it was click the photo or not get the shot at all.

The little one sure was cute.

"Who...me?"

Another elder goat slowly coming out to join the others.

I think this is the first time we have found goats while out birding! We will have to head back there another time and see if they are always out in the yard. It made a nice change of subject!

Squirrel Sunday.....

This is a continuation of last week.....after the lower attack method didn't work, Star went up the pole and tried the hanging method. These would work good as one of the "flip books" kids play with :-)"I think I can get in this way"
"Hang 10!"
(actually I don't think squirrels have 10 toes)

"Hang 5?...4?"

"My feet are killing me!"

"Desperate measures called for.....Hang 3!"

"I'm slipping!"

"Maybe this will work"

"Got it!"

(I think this is a new Olympic sport just for squirrels)

"Would you just put the seeds on the rail next time? This is too much work!"

Finishing up Henderson photos....

We really saw quite a few birds....geese mixture, ducks, hawks, kestrels, lots of blackbirds, an eagle in the tree, but mostly they were at great distances. More of a day to just look and observe than take good photos. My favorite shot of the day was just the way the light looked on the frozen water in the field.
Back along the farthest edges the geese and ducks were swimming or sitting.

The flooded area was a little closer, but still hard to get good bird shots.

No birds...just grass and snow and water :-)

Grackle at the edge of a field.

Mallards made up a lot of the ducks we could see. They were in the corn field area and a little easier to get photos.

They were even giving some nice reflections in the water....but a little far away.

Off of a side road we could see 3-4 pair of Shovelers mixed in with the Mallards in one flooded area. That white really makes them show up!

We see this same Kestrel every time we travel this road :-) He is usually on the overhead wires watching one particular field. When he sees us creeping along, he flies off. This time he just flew to this oil well and was willing to let me take a photo from that distance.

I believe this barn has seen better days!

Driving back through Henderson, KY we made a couple stops.

This stop was at a traffic light and I couldn't resist trying to quickly get a photo of this sparrow on the letters on the side of this church.

We drove through Audubon State Park and saw this Robin on a branch at one stop. I hope that means spring is on the way!

The bridge home seen through the trees at the rookery area.

Just a shot of the water around the cypress trees at the rookery.

Another sunny day on Friday and we went out again in a different direction. I'll get to that Monday, I guess.

SkyWatch Friday.....

It's SkyWatch Friday and once again, I had some blue sky yesterday!

Our sky was full of birds yesterday!

We drove over to the Henderson Slough area to check on the migrating geese and ducks. You can always see the steam from the A.B. Brown Power Plant between Evansville and Mount Vernon on the Indiana side of the Ohio River from the slough. There were numerous swarms of blackbirds in the air all the time we were there. I liked how they looked against the steam in the distance!
If I zoom in, it looks more like ash falling from the sky.....but trust me, it's blackbirds and nice clean steam!

I really like how the white steam shooting upwards looks.

We were afraid that the Snow Geese might be pretty well gone by now. We could see Canadas and lots of Mallards on the water in the fields.

Suddenly a flock of white rose into the air, and we knew the Snow Geese were still there....they were just further back in behind where the water is.

That's a lot of birds! These are geese and ducks, but there were easily this many blackbirds around, too.

We followed one road that led to a boat ramp on the Ohio River. We accidentally spooked two hawks from the trees along the river......but no photos.

If you click on this you can pick out some Red Wing Blackbirds mixed in this bunch. The only spots of color in the sea of black.

I just like this shot of a couple of Grackles in a tree.

We stopped at the old rookery area to see if there were any signs of eagles back yet.

The eagle's nest sits empty....waiting....along with all the Heron nests for spring!

Then on the way home we took a road searching for another slough area and came to this.....

.....what is in the tree out here in the middle of nowhere????

Shoes! LOL!

What an ending for SkyWatch Friday this week!

(and what a waste of some nice looking shoes!)

More photos from the ground parts of the trip tomorrow.

For more skies from all over the world, click the icon on my sidebar.

What's in your sky????.......birds??......shoes???

Check out this unusual bird...

Peggy at My Empty Nest has photos of an almost black Goldfinch! Check it out! How unusual! I'm so glad she got a photo of this unusual bird.