From season to season the park is constantly changing, but sometime it changes drastically overnight – as it did when we received a foot of snow in a couple of days.
Category Archives: Birds
Eyes on the Ground
Filed under Birds, Photography, Poetry, Typecasting, Uncategorized, Wildlife, winter
Grey Sky, White Field
Filed under Birds, Poetry, Typecasting, Uncategorized, Wildlife, winter
‘Tis the Season
Sold another typewriter this week, a 1966 Smith Corona Sterling. In fact, just a Silent Super with a different name on it. Smith Corona was still making the 5 series in 1966, long after they introduced series 6. I have a 1959 series 6 to prove it! This one is a present for a youngster. Lucky kid to have a cool grandmother! I’m thrilled to see this going to a young writer.
I got out my “Christmas” typewriter, a red Remington Rand (spray painted ). My grandson spotted it and immediately began to press on the keys. It’s never too early to start typing lessons.
Another sign of the season is the abundance of raptors about. This eagle dove towards the lake and then we saw it fly off into a tree. When we got close, we could see it eating what it had caught. Then it wiped its beak on a branch. There were no napkins available.
Filed under Birds, Photography, Typewriters, Wildlife, winter
Hummingbird Update
Late this afternoon I walked over to inspect the nest and saw only one baby. I had to use the flash to get a picture as the nest was in deep shadow. Two days ago there were still two in there:
Late afternoon light is a good time for pictures as the low sun makes for dramatic contrast.
Filed under Birds, Photography, Wildlife
How to Grow a Bird
The babies are 10 days old now, and have increased in size enormously. They should be in the nest for another 10 days before they can fly. When I arrived the pair were sitting with beaks up, and no mother in sight. Then a squeak and she appeared on the nest. A quick feed and then she was gone. One baby got up and stretched, then they went back to their repose with beaks up.

momma arrives

baby stands up for a stretch and a look around

hey, there’s a world out there

back to sleep again
Filed under Birds, Photography, Wildlife
The Hatching
The baby hummingbirds arrived either Sunday April 8, or Monday the 9th. Anyways, on Monday the mother was feeding and the day before she was not. She keeps her back to the sun and so when I shoot from the east side my camera can’t deal with the brightness of the sky and the dim light within the tree.
I managed to fix them up as best I can, and they do give an idea of what’s going on. I was lucky to get a shot of the mother’s long tongue quite by luck.
Coincident with the hatched hummers, comes the first turtle of the season.
Filed under Birds, Photography, Wildlife
On the 7th Day
The hummingbird sits patiently still. No babies yet to be seen. Nearby we see some other birds, no doubt thinking about nesting, or are they?
I visited 2 days ago, and it was raining.
I thought the nest was empty:
On closer inspection I saw that the mother was there, when she decided to shift position.
Filed under Birds, Poetry, Uncategorized, Wildlife