Birds were everywhere! Two of my favorites that I have no picture of were a Golden Eagle that liked to hunt over the ponds, and often in the evenings, Nighthawks would gather and fill the sky. They were catching insects. I actually thought that was more interesting than the eagle.
My other favorite was the Yellow-headed Blackbirds. This was the first time I'd ever seen them, and they were everywhere. My pictures aren't very good. The camera I had then had no zoom capability. I got a much better picture of a male in North Dakota on the big hike. But here's what I do have.
And his Mrs.
Now, let's go back to those nodding thistles. They may be alien, but the Goldfinches sure loved the seeds.
Birds ruled, but there were plenty of other representatives of the animal kingdom. I've already mentioned the beavers that I never saw! This garter snake got himself into one of the culverts. They can swim, but I'm not sure s/he would have liked the steep sides. I don't remember if I helped it out. Pretty sure it's just an Eastern Garter Snake.
Here's a Soldier Beetle. Probably a Goldenrod Soldier Beetle. But it's teasing you, by being on a teasel. They are pollinators, and supposedly prefer yellow flowers. I guess this one didn't get the memo.
Now for a test. Where is the wildlife in this picture?
Did you find them? Mama Killdeer chose the middle of the driveway for her nest. Fortunately, they hatch and start running in just a few days. Thankfully, we found these, and blocked off that area until they were hatched.
You know I have to end with my very favorite critter. This is one of my all-time favorite puppy pictures of Chips.
In other news: I edited/formatted, I worked on my own book (working on the campsite section), I went to bell practice. It was a nasty, cold rainy day outside.
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