My Weekly Bird ABC

'T' is for Tennessee,Tree and Turkey.

The small Tennessee Warbler is sitting pretty on top of some Apricot blossoms. A Tree Swallow is one of the more trusting birds I have encountered.

They will allow you to get very close even when they are sitting on eggs. From the small to the large,this Turkey Vulture has a wingspan of 6ft. This is not the most beautiful bird around.

Here is another view of the Tennessee Warbler.

And yet another Turkey Vulture soaring in the sky.

You can learn great deal about God by studying His creation.

Pretty in Pink

Allow me to share with you some flowers in one of my favorite colors.

This pink Tulip was blooming in our garden earlier this spring.

The Cape May Warbler is not pink but is sitting on the soft pink

blossoms of a friends Apricot tree. Another pink Tulip from our garden. These buds are on one of the many ornamental crab apple trees in Morden. Some of our streets are lined with these trees and put on quite a show in springtime.

Here is a view with the blossoms open.

The trees are so covered with flowers one cannot see any

branches or leaves.

Later these same trees have small apples on them,

good only to attract the birds.

In everything both great and small,

We see the hand of God in all.

Bio Blitz with A Rocha

A Rocha,what does this mean?

A Rocha is a Portuguese word meaning 'The Rock'.

A Rocha is an international conservation organization

working to show God's love for all creation.

Here is a link to their website:http://www.arocha.org/

Jake and I spent most of the day on Saturday,May 30

involved in a Bio Blitz put on by A Rocha.

This was a 12 hour period where specialists from many

fields were present to identify all plants,insects,birds and mammals

found in one small park in Morden,Manitoba.

Here is a sampling of some of our photos from this exciting day.

We are by no means experts in any of the above mentioned fields,

but we can take pictures and that is why we were there.

Above is a Great-crested Flycatcher.I particularly enjoy this bird. This is a Basswood Tree in flower.

Thanks to one of the tree specialists present I know this. Here is one of the trails in the park. The park may be small and in town,but once in side one hardly notices the surrounding houses and traffic. A baby Cottontail stopped just long enough for a picture. The creek which runs through the park gave some fantastic reflections The name of the creek is The Dead Horse Creek Now that name is another story for another time. Looking through the trees one could frequently see other participants.

Another view of the trail.

We were treated to a lovely coffee break as well as a delicious lunch.

Paul and Val Goossen who spearheaded this event were most gracious and

took great care to see that all needs were met.Thanks Paul & Val

You can learn a great deal about God by studying His creation.

My Weekly Bird ABC

Pull up a chair and get a cup of coffee or tea I would like to take you

along to see our 'S' birds.

You will need to be prepared for all kinds of weather,as we are viewing different seasons.

Bird number one is the Snow Goose,or in this case Geese.

In spring we see large flocks of these in our skies.

A much smaller bird,but still seen near the water is the Swamp Sparrow.

Trying to photograph this bird is a challenge,as he like to hide in the reeds.

Another shore bird is the small Spotted Sandpiper.

This one was in town in our park. The Song Sparrow can be seen and heard almost everywhere. Here we see him in the reeds,but he is equally at home on the yard, singing from some nearby branch. Another very secretive bird is the Sora. This bird is in the Rail family. It is rare to catch him out in the open,and they can disappear in the reeds very quickly. The Sanderling is a new Bird for us this year. We were fortunate enough to catch a small flock of them on their way through the area. While they are busy feeding they pay no attention to anyone around,or so it seems. This Sharp-shinned Hawk was photographed in Winnipeg at the Assinniboine Park.

High overhead we catch a glimpse of some Swans.

I think they are Tundra Swans.

Caught in flight is this Swainson's Hawk.

This is a fairly large hawk,with beautiful markings.

During our coldest days we find these Snow Buntings feeding on the ground.

These too are almost always in motion,therefore hard to capture.

Another winter bird is the lovely Snowy Owl.

This particular bird is almost pure white,

making it a male.

Here is a photo of a Sharp-shinned Hawk sitting in the trees.

This slender hawk favors the forested areas.

A rear view of a Sharp-tailed Grouse.

You can see how the name may have come about.

This songster is a Savannah Sparrow.

A drive through the countryside will yield many of

these birds sitting on a pole or wire,singing their heart out.

The only problem is that the song is a quiet lispy tsit-tsit-tsit.

The Swainson's Thrush is a lovely soft looking bird.

In a picture the spots in front look out of focus,

but they are just blended so softly.

Last but not least is this pair of Sharp-tailed Grouse.

They flew up right beside the car and I was lucky enough to get this one good shot

You can learn a great deal about God by studying His creation.

A Few Favorites

I promised to show you our babies,and here they are.

Mama is busy feeding and allows us to come quite close. We have had three Grey Catbirds visit our feeders this year.

They are attracted to the raisins as well. This picture is not as sharp as I would like, but I was pleased to have captured him just on take-off.

The last scene is in a friends yard.

The combination of red and yellow is eye-catching.

You can learn a great deal about God by studying His creation.

My Weekly Bird ABC

If last weeks post was sparse,this week is plentiful.

The first 8 pictures are Jake's work,and the last 5 are done by Ruth.

This is a Ring-necked Duck,although the 'ring' is not visible. Here is a male Ruffed Grouse caught in the act of drumming.

This is a very old photo,taken with slide film and scanned to the computer.This pair of Redhead Ducks are also taken with slide film and scanned.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a year round visitor at our feeders.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet is not east to photograph,

as he is always on the move. Jake caught this one in that second of inactivity.

The male Red-winged Blackbird is about as pretty as could be.

At this time of year the marshes are filled with these birds.

The tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a coveted bird for photographs.

As seen here the red throat feathers only light up when the light hits it just right.

A Red-eyed Vireo is more often heard than seen.

These birds are persistent singers,from the highest branches of the trees.

A common sight on most lakes in summer are the Ring-billed Gulls.

This Red-necked Grebe was a treat to see,as they are not that abundant in our area.

What's not to love about the Rose-breasted Grosbeak?

These birds are colorful and have beautiful rich voices.

Some once said it was like a Robin who had taken voice lessons.

Last but not least is the colorful small Ruddy Duck.

This guy is almost clownish,with his bright colors.

If you ever have a chance to watch their courtship display

you will certainly enjoy it.

The vigorous head bobbing is most amusing.

How great are your works,O Lord.

Psalm 92:5

My Garden

Here is a verse I like:

My garden beautifies my yard,

and adds fragrance to the air.

But it is also my cathedral and

my quiet place of prayer.

The following were taken last summer in our garden,

I give them to you to cheer your day.

Today cultivate an appreciation

for the beauty of nature.