A Birding Saturday, Sort Of

Saturday was Global Big Day, the bird count day. 

A friend and I decided to celebrate by going to 

Wings over Weston, a gathering at Weston Bend State Park, 

just over the Missouri River from Leavenworth. 

The funny thing was, we did not take one picture of the 

actual Wings over Weston event, as it appeared to be geared to 

families with young kids. 

There were supposed to be birding hikes leaving the event, but we 

never saw one, so... we hiked on our own.  More about that in a minute. 

Operation Wildlife, where I took the turtle several weeks ago, 

was there with raptors on display. 

Most of these birds cannot be released back into the wild. 

This is a merlin, a small raptor. 

This is a peregrine falcon, who actually belonged to a falconer. 

Oh yes, one of my favorite birds was there, and was cleaning himself up 

on his perch. 

That's the merlin again, from the front.  Pretty bird. 

This woodpecker was flying back and forth from grassy area to tree. 

I guess I should tell you that this park is on a bluff overlooking the Mighty Missouri, now the muddy Missouri, after the rain we have had. 

Read this sign carefully.  We had a good laugh, it had obviously been altered, but we 

laughed our way right by the "Steep grades and inclines more than 10%.  Bluffs or drop offs next 

to trail."

Oh, boy. 

It started off looking pretty easy. 

BWHAHAHAHAHA. 

I took this from a very high point on the very narrow, on the bluff trail.  

I climbed over several downed trees... and at one point, my companion 

stood with her back to the drop off so I could inch past her.  

Whew. 

I have to tell you I have vertigo, not really badly, but enough to be frightened. 

We were in the forest primeval. 

There was beauty everywhere. 

You can see how shaded we were, it was unseasonably cool that day. 

After a bit, we ran into two young woman coming the other way.  

Then, a single man.... who told us to turn around and go back. 

I looked at my friend and said "Uh, no". 

At one point, we came upon a man in the uniform of a Missouri Dept. of Conservation agent. 

He explained he was supposed to be working at the festival... but had decided to hike for a bit. 

He looked at our map and told us what to look for. 

I asked if there was any way he could get us airlifted out.  

HAHAHA (again). 

Several other couples and one pair of parents with two little kids and a stroller 

passed us, and lo and behold, the fork came up that led out of the woods. 

I only fell twice, once going down, and the other, going UP steeply. 

That one hurt. 

It still hurts. 

I did pretty good for someone who turns 66 this summer and is a 

casual walker in the park. 

I checked my step counter on my phone when I got home, and I had walked 

nearly seven miles that day. 

We are ready for another hike in a few weeks! 

How glad I was to see the familiar sights of home! 

We have had some unusual visitors to our feeders the last few days, 

and I'll show you pictures of them tomorrow. 

It has rained all day here, so the dogs have had no exercise, nor have I. 

We will have to try to get caught up tomorrow. 

At the Park and Along the Way

My dogs are bullies. 

Keith and I have to spell P.A.R.K. and we can't spell 

W.A.L.K. any more, because they know what that means!

When they decide it's time we need to go, they start following me around and 

staring at me, or nudging me.  Lilly is the WORST. 

I had some errands to do early this morning, then came home to get the bullies. 

Happy now, because we are at the park. 

(Sorry for the date, but I need to leave it on the little point and shoot for a while) 

It was 50 degrees out, with the sun in and out of clouds, but... there was a cold wind blowing. 

We have walked at the park so much that I can identify the parts of the path in our pictures! 

You know we have to stop and check the pee mail. 

Many times. 

The Basehor community gardens share space in the park, and the public works department has been over to do the tilling for the season. 

That mulch smells good! 

Two weeks ago today, benches were installed at each of the turns on the new track. 

This is the "old park" side.... and in the distance, the new park with it's big walking trail.  There are only young trees on that side.  2 and a half trips around the old park is one mile, but as near as I can figure, one full circuit of old and new is equal to a mile, and that's what we try to do daily. 

Sometimes, Lil wears out.  Then we go home. 

We saw this little guy on our way.  He was trying to hit the milk bar. 

Mom kept walking (see how dirty my window is?) 

Our pastures have greened up nicely in Leavenworth County. 

The sun came out (and I rolled the window down)... and she was STILL walking. 

He finally got to drink for a few minutes. 

While their friends watched. 

A meadowlark was watching, too. 

When we got home, I took a few pictures out the back door. 

It amazes me how the birds can rest on the wires. 

This dove was waiting for a chance at the feed.  There are VERY few starlings coming down because of the grackles, cowbirds and red-wings. 

But there's the starling behind her. 

I took the one feeder down today, and removed the suet cage. 

I did put a little feed out. 

I'm going to see how things go for a few days without putting the 

feeder up.  I had long since taken the second winter feeder down, and the nyger feeder, because 

the finches won't come with the big birds here. 

Tomorrow is a work day at the Ag Hall of Fame, so I am going to go 

over in the morning and clean for a few hours, preparatory to our 2016 

opening. 

I hope to take some pictures while I'm there. 

Everyone have a great weekend! 

Not What I Planned to Post

I went to the park at Basehor earlier this week, a second time, after I had walked the 

dogs.   I got some great pictures... but... today, after some doctor's appointments, 

I got some pictures I want to share with you.

I am going to put these pictures in the order they were taken, 

but know that there were many, many more in between each picture. 

I had not seen the leucistic hawk for several days and was starting to wonder. 

From underneath, you can see there is very little color in his tail... I think it is light pink. 

Double click on a couple of these to see him larger. 

Some of these are a little grainy (like the above picture) because I had to crop them way down... it was a long way away from me.  In this one you can see a little pink in the tail. 

It got ready to come in for a landing. 

Finally he landed, across the pasture. 

He did not like me staying there. 

And off he went again. 

By contrast, this regular-colored red tail flew past me down the road about a mile. 

And off into a pasture there. 

"She likes that hawk better than us, Betty."

For the Birds

Oh, they are beautiful birds, grackles. 

Until they mob everything.  

You can't see the hanging feeders, but I have gone through 15 cakes of 

suet this week because the grackles have taken over. 

Very few other birds are getting into the yard. 

There were a few cardinals, but they usually eat after the grackles go home. 

A few sparrows and chickadees... and some red-winged blackbirds. 

Starlings are few and far between, the grackles have run them off. 

We have had a few other visitors that don't come really close. 

I hope to put a nesting box up for them this year. 

So, I have been watching for the Big White Bird. 

Everyday when we go down this gravel road, I look for it. 

Remember, I thought it was a pelican or something? 

I took the big lens on my way to church last night, and LOOK! 

It is a huge white hawk... I have never, ever seen them, and they appear 

to actually be from the southern U.S. and Mexico.  What it is doing here 

I do not know, but it is out there again today, we saw it. 

It has a much larger wingspan that the red-tails and red-shoulders that are around here. 

Here is some information.

If anyone thinks it is anything else, please tell me.  It is just a beautiful bird. 

On my way home from church, I saw him again. 

Okay, picture this.  I have a HUGE lens, a gift from Keith for my birthday... it is huge... 

I follow two professional photographers on Facebook and youtube... and they 

rarely use a tripod.  I have a beautiful tripod... but I got out of the 

car with this humongous lens on the camera, and I'm in the middle of 

a gravel road, snapping pictures as fast as I can.  I don't take a lot anymore, 

but this bird is too unusual. 

I took a series. 

I'm sure anyone who could see me from a quarter mile away thought I was nuts. 

It ended up in the top of this tree. 

Oddly enough, the red shouldered hawk is in this neighborhood too, but I have not seen it now for ten days. 

I HAVE seen the northern harrier. 

He is so elusive!

He has that distinctive white spot on his tail. 

Let's not forget the cheerful little harbingers of spring, either! 

PEE ESS... AS THE DOGS WOULD SAY....

I just looked more at white hawks... here is what I think I am seeing: 

A Leucistic Red Tailed Hawk that has moved into the neighborhood, however, the wing span IS huge. 

It looks almost like this picture from the web.