Sunday, January 11, 2009

Out of the Garden 1-11-09

This morning as we were heading toward our birding destination I could tell that we were going to have a good day of birding because as you can see there was a break in the clouds and the sun was shining. The Sun was playing peek a boo through the clouds all day.My Dearly Beloved took all of the following photos. I want to thank him for sharing these with us.

Driving through Saunders Woods on our way to the power plant area we were delighted to see a Barred Owl sitting not too far off the road. He gave us the evil eye before he took off for a quiet place to rest for the day.
Standing sentinel as we entered the power plant area was a dapper Great Blue Heron. He is beginning to sport his breeding plummage as you can see the feathers out the back of his head and the feathers on his chest blowing in the wind that kept it cold today despite the sun.
We came upon this American Kesteral with his breakfast. He must have been hungry to allow us to get close enough to take his picture. Normally they fly when you get very close at all.He went on with his meal as we didn't want to disturb him.
Another great look was give to us by a male Common Goldeneye. They are such beautiful ducks. We usually don't get this close to them either. He was another hungy soul. Now you see him... bloop, now you don't. They are diving ducks and he went under all the way. DB caught him mid dive. Toward the end of our birding day we drove by the Bald Eagles nest. We knew there was something there because another car was stopped in the road near by. Sure enough there was a pair of adult Bald Eagles sitting side by side near the nest. This is a sight you usually only see during mating season. They pair up and remodel the nest together while bonding.
This was such a great way to end the day, the weekend. I hope you all had a great weekend and are well rested.

32 comments:

  1. Lisa -- wow. All I can say is, wow. Your DH's photos are amazing and I can't imagine what a wonderful time you must have, birding on a nice day and catching a glimpse of all these beautiful creatures. They are so exotic. The owl is stunning and the sight of the two lone eagles on those bare branches is so cool. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Wow, what a bunch of magnificent birds you saw and captured on "film." I love the owl pic especially.

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  3. What a terrific day of birding you had, and our thanks to your Dearly Beloved for sharing the photos with all of us. You've reminded me that the Eagle Watch weekends start here at the end of the month, and those are always fun.

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  4. What a great birdwatching day you had Lisa! Great pictures. Owl looks sweet and so does the little tweety with his breakfast.

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  5. Well what can I say Lisa....I have just died and gone to heaven....owls kestrals heron and then finally eagles....joy absolute joy....thank you so much for sharing.......

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  6. Great view of these little birds. I love the last photo where this happy couple (bird) sits still on the tree branch, resting and ready for their next journey.
    Yeah, I had a good rest during the weekend. Thanks Lisa.

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  7. What a prosperous day you had. I would love to see eagles!The birds around here spit just as soon as they see you.

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  8. Wonderful photos. I saw a kesteral on a power line eating a mouse yesterday. Aren't they the most colorful of our predatory birds?
    Marnie

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  9. Lisa, Your DB got some great pictures! I would say you had a very successful day of birding. The two bald eagles are awesome!

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  10. Hi again Lisa :-)

    Oh my… you did have a good day. Great photos too, I loved them all but the image of the bald eagle pair really caught my eye! Yes, indeed, what an end to the day :-D

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  11. I overlooked the Eagle, now that I look at the pair, it's so sweet! I love Eagles and its family.

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  12. Lovely pics! I just got a new fancy REAL camera for Christmas and am looking forward to trying it out in the garden this year. As for your previous post, don't forget Canadian geese were almost extinct as recently as the 1960s due to hunting, and that the only reason they flourish now is because of suburban sprawl--lawns, golf courses, large open places, or environmental destruction. I live near a large park with several ponds, and every evening at dusk a hundred geese fly over the house on their way to sleep for the night. It reminds me of growing up in Minnesota--their calls to each other are always my call home.

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  13. These are amazing pictures- your DH is really great with the camera!

    Thanks for sharing!!

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  14. Dear Lisa,
    You had a great birding adventure.
    "Thank you" to your DH for photographs.
    I love the Owl. I hear them once in awhile in my neighborhood but seldom see any.
    Sherry

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  15. WOW!!!! Such great pics of wonderful birds. I'm very fond of Owls and other birds of prey so the pics of those birds were a real treat. Love that American Kestrel, very pretty. Thanks Lisa!

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  16. I love that photo of the owl, and then the two eagles were really cool. Looks like you had an enjoyable day.

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  17. What wonderful photos you were able to take! Thank you for sharing your day and sights!!

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  18. Great Birding day!! Thanks for taking us along!

    Amazing shots of the Kestral (been a few years since I've seen one!)

    Eagles are pairing up on the river here too. It's January...it's time!

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  19. Great pictures Lisa! I specially like the one with the Barred Owl.

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  20. Lisa, I love your field trips. Fantastic shots of owl, kesteral and eagles. How exciting it must be when you spot them! Thank you! gail

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  21. wow, you got some great photos!

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  22. I think the owl always has a rather scary scowl. Great pictures!

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  23. You've really had some great birding days lately! Glad the sun shone for you. It makes such a difference, doesn't it?
    Wonderful bunch of photos your hubby took. The owl let you get close! Great shot!
    How neat to see the kestrel and golden eye, but the eagle pair...wow! What a lucky day!

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  24. Love these photos
    :)

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  25. Great pictures! I especially like the shots of the Goldeneye and Barred Owl.

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  26. Hi Lisa, I always look forward to your out of the garden posts so I can view these birds from the warmth and comfort of the lazyboy. Thanks to you and DB for braving the elements. I especially love when you find an owl, any owl, they hypnotize me! :-)
    Frances

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  27. You have photographed some amazing birds Lisa! What a great birding day!

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  28. Lisa what a wonderful day you had and sharing it with your husband. Awesome.

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  29. I just love owls Lisa I could have stayed there all day just looking at the one you've captured, just stunning.

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  30. I enjoyed looking at your awesome bird photos!

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  31. Wow, Lisa! You have some fabulous photos of birds here! And TWO eagles! I love the owl photo especially. You really had a good day!

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