I HADN'T SEEN ANY "GROSBEAKS" FOR A WEEK

I thought they had left.   I saw one today so I'm wondering if this one stayed behind and didn't migrate.

If I see more than one in the next few days then I'll know they are still around.  If I only see one - then I'll know for some reason this one decided to stay for the fall and winter.

I THINK THIS WOODPECKER KNOWS COOLER WEATHER IS COMING

He is constantly in the yard the minute I throw peanuts out, gathing them up and flying away, then back in a minute to get more.  I know they store acorns in holes in trees that they drill, but peanuts seem to also be a favorite of theirs.   The tree squirrels and chipmunks, stellar jays and these acorn woodpeckers seem to always be in a battle for the peanuts.

Actually I have seen 3 different ones at the same time in the yard so I have no idea really how many do come by.  The male and female looks very similar.

I love the pose down below with his head cocked to one side.

ACORN WOODPECKER STOPPING BY FOR A DRINK

I sketched this one out today.  I figured when I post a nature photo and decide to sketch it I'll put it on my side bar.

In case you didn't know  - --- because I never knew until a few years ago - ....Woody Woodpecker cartoon - was based on an Acorn Woodpecker.

These are one of my favorite birds to watch - they are very clown like and very acrobatic when it comes to getting their food.

I LOVE TO PHOTOGRAPH SQUIRRELS

I can sit for hours watching their antics.  I use to have a better view of them when I lived in Wrightwood - a mountain town I lived in a few years ago.  I could sit at my kitchen table and have this view of them.  Now - I pretty much have a tree blocking my view of them climbing on the fence.  In the winter though, the trees will be bare and I'll begin to feed the birds again on my deck railing which will bring the squirrels up closer.  I intend to sketch some of these poses especially the second one down.

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS OF LAKE GREGORY

(Laura - I'm leaving a link to an article that is entitled Kanses rated in World's Top 7 places to watch a sunset - Beautiful photos and a time lapse sunset on the prairie.  Really cool   LINK

Kansas City was our home town.
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I've been fortunate enough to get to the lake when the lighting is perfect for photos - so I'll be posting quite a few of them in the next few days.


Mallards flying.

Heron on post.

Cormorants taking off.

Heron and his eagle eye.

RED SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER

One of my favorite back yard birds - the northern flicker.  I love seeing them fly around, especially when you catch a peek at the underside of their tail feathers which are orangish red.   They hang around a lot on the ground under the trees eating bugs but just as often are on the suet basket I hang from the tree- they love "peanut" suet the best.  During the summer I would keep suet in four separate baskets and was refilling the baskets about every three days - all the birds were taking their turns at the suet, even birds I didn't realize would eat it.

They've tapered down now and I think it's because of the weather and leaving the area for migration to wherever some of them are headed.  This Northern Flicker will be here all year.

Suet is good for giving them energy and during winter when it's cold they will be gobbling this stuff down.

BEAUTIFUL PAINTING

I don't know who the artist is but I'm going to do a search now and then will add it to this post.

This is SO gorgeous.  I ran across it on Tumbler.

okay...returned now with a name Paolo Domeniconi and it appears it is a part of a larger illustration poster and I should put a link to note his site

I "think" maybe these are Chilean flamingos but I'm not sure - all I know is this is beautiful.

and I see a stilt in the painting and what looks like a cormorant to my amateur eye.

STOPPING BY FOR THEIR LUNCH

MALE AND FEMALE GROSBEAK AND BOTTOM PICS GROSBEAK AND HOUSE FINCH

WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS

There are so many versions of white crowned sparrow.  I was researching them and while some are more gray - others have very light bodies.  Some have thicker beaks than others.  I gave up trying to remember in what geographic areas, different looking white crowned sparrows show up.  I think it's more information than I need to know.

I don't desire to become an expert at identifying birds ...that would take a lifetime especially when you get into birds in other parts of the world.  I just want to be able to identify local birds I see and if I could identify them by the sound they make I would be happy.  That is not something I can do yet - only a few - that have really distinctive calls.   Hard to miss the Northern Flicker's call, the stellar jay, raven, crow, goldfinch and the ever funny acorn woodpecker.

My walk around the lake over the last two days was exciting - A different shore bird had shown up- I am still trying to identify it - it has really long legs and a curve up long beak - so far it doesn't look like anything I've researched - and its' legs are blue, unlike the pink legs that the "stilt" has - although it's legs are quite long - similar to the "stilt".  I also thought I was photographing an eagle but once I got my pictures loaded on the computer I realized I was all excited over catching an osprey (not saying they are beautiful...but....)...