Birds

Riding the wave!.  This swan was having a great day in the hot weather. There is a waterfall at the community where my Dad lives, and this swan found it was great to sit undr the fall, and just ride the waves!

Here is this cute baby robin. I happened to see a spot in the grass and went to investigate. Here he was just sitting there. My guess was that he was resting after his first flight.  So precious.

Great Blue Heron. These birds can grow to 52 inches tall. The male and female look the same.  They build their nest lake a platform, or on platforms. The heron lakes 3 to 5 eggs and it will ake 56 to 60 days for incubation. There is a reserve near Joliet that has an island that the herons and  egrets flock to.  They are beautiful birds. 

Flowers and Robins

Easter lilies

Black-eyed Susan's

Sweet Peas

We have a robin's nest in our crabapple tree in the front yard.  I have seen 2 baby robin's in the nest.

Mom just flew back to the nest to feed the babies.

Flowers, Feathers, and a little bit of Fur

Going to start adding more pictures as I locate them. This one was from last fall.  I will have to update when I find out the name. It is just so vibrant.

This is wild aster that I found while walking in the woods..  They are just so pretty in the fall.

Sunflower, the yellow is such a pretty color.

A doe, that was so kind to pose for me.

The fawn, I think thought he was hiding from me.  You can still see his spots. This picture was taken in September of last year.

Pileated Woodpecker.  that was pecking on an old tree stump.  Tried to get him in a different position, but he would not cooperate. They are a large crow-sized black backed woodpecker with bright red crest on head.  He has a long gray bill with red mustache. You can hear them when they are pecking at an old tree.  This one was seen in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in early fall.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes. These birds can grow to between 40 and 48 inches tall, and have a wing span of up to 6-7 feet.
They really are an elegant gray bird, with long legs and neck.  Their wings and body are often stained a rusty brown. They have a scarlet red cap on their head and red eyes.

Here is another sunflower, this time with a bee working his magic.  I love sunflowers.  They are cheerful because of their color.

This is a Black-capped Chickadee. He is gray with a black cap and throat patch. Has a white chest and tan belly, with small white marks on his wings.

Mute Swan and a Muskrat

Here is a Mom with her 2 babies. The babies are about 2 weeks old. One is gray in color and the other white. The male and female help in the incubation, and then with the feeding and training.  They are called mute swans, but will make a hissing  or a barking noise when disturbed or threatened.

This is the male.  Just look at the size of his head. 

The same day I took the pictures of this pair of swans, I noticed this young fellow, too.  It is a baby muskrat.  He lives in the same pond as the swans.

Have a great day.  Listen to the birds, there are beautiful songs in the air.

Mary 

New Beginnings

I have been kicking an idea around in my head for a while about creating a new blog using the pictures of birds, animals and flowers that I have taken pictures of. I think my photography skills have improved over time, and would like to keep a record of some of the interesting things I have seen. 

I like the idea of keeping a visual record  of some of the beautiful, and interesting creatures I have discovered.

Welcome to my journey!