Prairie Crocus

I would like to invite you to take a walk with me.

We will be in a cow pasture,so watch your step.

The soft and delicate Prairie Crocus grows at it's best

in a pasture.

Since my early childhood I can remember going with Mom and Dad

into the pasture to pick Crocuses.

At that time we were not aware of just how easily these plants can be destroyed.

Today I will not pick a single flower,but rather capture them with my camera.

The bees were enjoying the flowers as well.

This last picture is probably better viewed by enlarging it.

This is a part of the sea of Crocuses found in one pasture.

The Prairie Crocus is the floral emblem of Manitoba.

How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5

My Weekly Bird ABC

Let me begin by explaining the naming of the birds.

I have chosen to use the names as they are given in the field guides.

All the guides use the same names so it is consistent.

Having said all that,let's take a look at the 'N' birds.

The Northern Shoveler could possibly be mistaken for a Mallard.

One look at the huge flat bill and the name makes sense. A Northern Flicker up close and personal. This is a female,it does not have the red mustache.

The above bird is a male.He has been busy excavating a hole.

This bird needs no explanation.

A Northern Cardinal,in all his beauty.

This picture was taken some 15 years ago.

We feel so fortunate to have seen and photographed this bird.

All of the above pictures were taken by Jake

A Northern Harrier,showing his white rump clearly.

Here is another view,showing the Northern Harrier from the bottom.

These birds are usually seen hunting over grassy fields.

Under just the right conditions they will hover in place for several minutes.

In my opinion the Northern Pintail is one of the most regal looking ducks around.

I love their coloration and markings.

Here a Northern Pintail coming in for a landing.

This picture shows it's long pointed tail which gives it it's name.

The last bird for today is one which is somewhat rare in our area.

The Northern Shrike is not seen every year,so I feel lucky to have these pictures.

Here we see the Northern Shrike hovering,looking for small rodents on which to prey.

This bird has the unique habit of spearing it's prey on a fence wire,

thus saving it for later.

The last 6 pictures were taken by Ruth

God's laughter can be heard in the song of birds.

Longing for Warmer Weather

I probably don't need to comment on any of these photos.

Spring and warm weather is slow in coming,

so here are a few old slide scans to make you feel warm.

Monarch Butterfly I don't have a name for this Dragonfly,but I think he looks good.

Another one that will remain nameless.

Yellow Tiger Swallowtail

And yet another one without a name.

All photos by Jake

Just a thought:Be as courteous to your family as you are to strangers.

God's laughter is heard in the song of birds and

the whisper of butterfly wings.

My Weekly Bird ABC

We have arrived at the midway point of the alphabet.

The letter 'M' has a variety of colorful birds.

The first bird for today is a Mountain Bluebird.

The blue of this bird is unbelievable,so vibrant.

Photo by Jake

Marbled Godwit are birds that are quite new for us.

Last year Jake and I had the chance to get lots of pictures of these birds.

A flock of about 6-8 birds gave us some great opportunities. Photo by Ruth

The little Marsh Wren is singing his heart out.

As with the House Wren these birds are quite the singers.

Photo by Ruth

The Merlin was photographed during a late snow storm. Perhaps that is why he was willing to have his picture taken. Photo by Ruth

A Magnolia Warbler is as pretty as could be.

The distinctive colors set it apart from many other birds. Photo by Jake

The Mallard is one bird recognized by most people Photo by Jake

These two males seem to be discussing who will get the female.

If you look carefully you can see the female just behind the male on the left. Photo by Jake

The final picture is another Marbled Godwit.

I think he is telling the photographers to leave. Photo by Ruth

God's laughter is heard in the song of birds.

Today's Pictures

Can you find the bird?

This Wilson's Snipe is a master of camouflage.

Had I not seen him walk to this place I would have missed him.

Here is a better view,as he is looking for his lunch.The Bufflehead was photographed at a small pond still mostly ice covered. In my mind,this is the male showing off to his lady.They were quite far away and even though I was using my 400mm lens I still had to crop the picture quite a lot to show the birds well. God's laughter is heard in the song of birds.

Canada Geese

On Saturday April 11,Jake and I were out looking for photo opportunities.

This is not unusual,as we do this as often as possible.

On this day we found these two Canada Geese sitting in some very icy waters.

It looks like this one is having a good stretch after a refreshing swim. And even higher on tippy toes.

Those wings need a good work-out before we can go on.

Trying to 'swim' in the ice doesn't work so well.

I guess the ice was not quite thick enough to hold his weight.

Finally they both made it to more solid ice. I enjoyed my photo op.and the geese were no worse for wear.

God's laughter is heard in the song of birds.

My Weekly Bird ABC

The 'L' birds are not too plentiful,but I found a few to share with you.

This little fellow is a Least Flycatcher.

If this is not correct,please let me know,as I have trouble identifying the Flycatchers.

Jake was fortunate last summer to be able to capture this Lark Sparrow. Another view of the Lark Sparrow with it's distinct markings.

The last bird for today is a Lincoln Sparrow.We used to think that this bird was

almost afraid of it's own shadow.He never stayed out in the open for long,

preferring the underbrush area.

Last summer we had several good chances to photograph this Sparrow.

Here he is again at our small pool,waiting to get a drink or take a bath.

Photos by Jake and Ruth

God's laughter is heard in the song of birds.

He Is Alive!

He is alive... the proof is here in all the living things

-in every bud,and blade of grass,

in every bird that sings.

He is alive... we see His touch in springtime's bright array,

and best of all,

He is alive within our hearts today.

He is not here,He is risen,just as He said.

Matthew 28:6

Bald Eagle Delight

Here are a few of the many pictures I took yesterday.

On a short drive north of town,we came across two Bald Eagles

who were most photogenic.

This first picture is taken on a friends yard.

The Eagle was sitting directly behind the house.

The following pictures show one bird as he prepares for lift-off.

This was a false start. The wings slightly raised poised for take-off. And lift-off.

A few powerful strokes of those massive wings and away he goes.

Gliding into the sky.

Needless to say,I was more than thrilled to be able to capture these shots.

God's laughter is heard in the song of birds.

My Weekly Bird ABC

This weeks letter 'K' is represented by the Killdeer

In spring we look for the arrival of the Killdeer,

often first heard before they are seen.

Their killdee,killdee,killdee is a sound easily recognized.

Below is a picture of their well camouflaged nest.

In this picture you can see two little babies in the nest.

With their cryptic coloring they would be easy to miss.

A closer view of the babies.

Once these little guys get their legs going they can move pretty fast.

This is a scene often observed around a nesting area.

The parent will put on quite an elaborate display of a broken wing.

This is intended to lead to intruder away from the nest.

Below an in flight picture. And finally just striking a pose for the photographer.

All pictures are courtesy of Jake.

Some of these were taken years ago using slide film.

God's laughter is heard in the song of birds.