Snow Geese on the ground part #2.....

(These photos look better if you click on them to make them full size...at least on my computer!)

And coming down out of the air.....

"Get out of the way....get out of the way!"

 Makes you wonder how they keep from landing on top of each other, or break a wing or something!

 Besides the Snow Geese there were lots of Greater White-fronted Geese in the mix.

I tried to crop a few photos to show the 4 different Snow Geese color phases......

1. all white adults, 

2. dark adults with white heads, 

3. juvenile white phase that look light grey with striped wings, 

4. and the juvenile dark phase that is all dark looking. (one of these top left) 

All 4 are in this photo.

 A gaggle of geese....and then some!

 They chose a field to land in that I could stand on the road and see them well.

 A sea of white.

 The whites against the water isn't very clear.

In the water

 A couple of dark ones landing.

 They were filling two areas....behind the water and in front.  The group behind the water got very large by the time they all landed.

"Is it cold?  Move out further!" 

Chorus line in the water :-)

They were making a nice reflection.

More shots of the White-fronts, Mallards and such that were there in the next post.

Snow Geese part 1......

We went looking for Snow Geese today......

 .......I think we found a few!

 I love when they take to the air in large groups!

 I can usually manage some shots when there are this many :-)

 Cropping in for a better look.

Lots and lots of geese!

I have scads more shots of them on the ground for other posts, but I am tired and not going to mess with them tonight.  Time to go watch tennis :-)

I had enough sense to take a couple of quick videos when they took off.  This was the best one.

Birds vs. tennis.......

Well, it is Australian Tennis Open time, so the birds are having to compete for my watching time :-)  I may not post a lot in the next couple of weeks depending on the matches.

"Is this for me????"

The Titmouse always looks like a happy child that is excited with whatever it finds in the feeders.

Mrs. Cardinal looking for some seeds.

Mr. Cardinal nearby

 That brief bit of snow brought a couple of Robins who were hoping there might still be a pear or two on the ornamental pear tree.....no such luck.  They cleaned them out months ago.

 A female Cowbird dropped by with her mate.

 My daily Downy.....one of them anyway.

 Mrs. Red-bellied........still no sign of a male hanging around.

I just thought this view was funny :-)

******

OK.....back to tennis and quilting and maybe I'll even eat breakfast first.

Blue Jay......

I've had four Blue Jays hanging around since it got colder.  They love to steal a peanut any chance they get.

 Beautiful birds with beautiful colors, but a bit aggressive at the feeders.

One eye on the food dish waiting a chance to drop down for a peanut.

They sometimes hold and peck their seeds just like the Chickadees and Titmice, but I see them fill their mouths with peanuts.  They eat just about anything.

 I would prefer the other view, but they seem to always be sitting facing away from me :-)

 Found a peanut!

In the box eating a few seeds.

Snowing and blowing........brrrrrrrrrrr!

Winter finally arrived here in the tri-state.....brrrrrrrr!  It was spitting snow and blowing real hard all day.  The birds were frantic for food and the food kept blowing out of the feeders and off the railing, so mostly I just threw it in the bushes and on the ground where it was going to end up anyway.

I thought it was rather fun that the Goldfinches were eating their seed on the goldfinch stained glass garden stone :-)  Here we have at least 7 Goldfinches, 1 Cardinal male, 1 House Finch male, and 2 Juncos.

 Lots of Goldfinches!

 A closer look.

The Carolina Wren joined them on the stone.

 Mrs. Cardinal.  Usually the minute I appear with a camera at the window, the cardinals take off....very jumpy!  But when it is really cold like this, they are a little more willing to take a chance so they won't miss out on the food.

 Mrs. C up in the tree waiting her turn at the feeder.

 Mr. C on the iris garden stone.

Another Mr. C..........I have at least 6 pair, maybe more.

A ruffled looking downy.  You can see how the wind is blowing her feathers.  Poor things must be so cold!

Two females....they won't share, but I think they all get an opportunity eventually.  I try to have suet in several places.

 A Song Sparrow showed up for the goodies.

Another shot of it.

This is the female Towhee to go with yesterday's male.  You probably can't tell in this photo that she is much more brown in color.  The male was nearby in the bushes, but not in a good photo spot.

Several White-Throated Sparrows have shown up with the Cardinals.

And of course my little fat and fluffed up Wren :-)

The "ruffled" rear view :-)

Hope it isn't as cold tomorrow and maybe some sunshine!  I will have to go buy more seed when the weather gets like this.  At least the huge flocks of blackbirds that are zooming around the area have been easy to chase away so far.  We have a corn field next door to our neighborhood, and so far they are staying in the fields mostly.  I have had to yell, "shoo" a couple times at them when they started to settle in my trees.