The Colors of Thailand

One of the lasting legacies that I have from my long-ago friend, Tabatha, (whose mother was from Thailand) is the love for the colors of Thailand. I think this Spring I have achieved in bringing that color scheme to life!

Shade Seekers

It's really starting to get hot around here now.

And speaking of Bluebirds . . .

Here's what is in their nest box! The first time I saw this, I thought "OH NO!! A SNAKE has gotten into the nest box!" but of course, it wasn't.

and Look who has now made their Spring appearance at the feeder.
Mr. Rosebreasted Grosbeak

and the bluest of the blues - INDIGO BUNTING!

Bluebird Fight!!

The other morning before going to work, I noticed there was all kinds of squabbling going on by one of the chickadee nest boxes.



Of course, I had to see too what was inside and wonder what these blue birds were fighting over.
Whaaaa! One little chickadee chick up against the corner of the house, who promptly flew out and onto a branch. Good luck little one!
and then I see 2 more chicks hunkered down into the nest.

I had to close the box up and get to work so I 'm not sure what happened to these chicks. I did notice before I left that the bluebirds were not coming back to the box and fighting so maybe I scared them off by being there and maybe these other two chicks got the chance to get out and fly away to adulthood . . .

There was another chickadee box that I had been watching the parents go to with food . . . >

and so a few days after the above traumatizing episode . . . the orange cat comes into the house with a bird - a baby chickadee!!! Fortunately I was able to get it away from the cat. Evan and I held the little bird while it calmed down and then took it outside, away from the house and put it up high in a tree. I hope it was able to become a real bird.

So now a week later, I looked into the two nest boxes. The one where the fight took place now has two speckled eggs . . . maybe leftover eggs that didn't hatch from the last brood or maybe they are new? The other box was empty of eggs & chicks, so I pulled out the nest in case they want to use the box again for another batch of eggs.

a puzzlement all away around . . .

What I saw when I went to work tonight

RUN LITTLE CHICKS!!!

click here for the rest of this story:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=247599&id=612625133&l=c8ade2d0ba

Migrating Pelicans

Yesterday, April 30, 2009, while standing on my back deck before getting ready for work (7:15 a.m.) I noticed from afar a LARGE flock of birds coming from the southeastern sky. They were in a big wide V and there were 20 to 30 of them.


I stood amazed as they flew directly over me and my house. They were flying fairly low - it felt like Pterodactyls were flying over me. It really freaked out Fatty Cat as they flew over. She was puffed up so big and slinking around trying to get under something.

Anyway, of course, I was in shock at having seen such a sight. All I could remember to identify them with was the black wing tips. Looking through my field guide that night, I started looking for CRANES with black wing tips . . . which led me to Whooping Cranes. Boy, was I excited!! Did I actually see Whooping Cranes?!

Well, after doing some online searching I thought I really had and I posted this sighting here on my blog. But then I got a comment from OperationMigration that shot that idea right down. I then figured out how to email them and asked if they could give me some other ideas about a big crane-like bird with black wing tips. They emailed back: Wood Stork or maybe Sandhill Cranes.

So this morning on 5/13, I looked again at the field book, first at Wood Storks, which I thought maybe could be it, but then I came across the American White Pelican with its black wing tips Why I didn't see this the first time, I'll never know!!

. . . so that's what that was!!! Pelicans.

View from the Front Porch

It was a front porch kind of day. Rainy rainy. But it didn't stop an exciting thing from happening!

I got to watch the Carolina Wrens feed their babies in the nest they built on the porch.

Last spring I put this plastic flower pot up for a nesting spot and this year, they claimed it (after I made a nice wooden one for them - go figure)

Made it!!!!
Uh oh! Watch out little birdies!
Some other pretty things I saw when it wasn't raining . . .

Natchez Getaway Trip

Well, of course, when I finally strike out on my maiden voyage, a TREMENDOUS thunderstorm breaks out! And of course, I got pretty soggy getting in and out of the camper but once the clouds rolled away, I was good to go!

For more photos of what I saw at the most excellent Riverview RV Park in Vidalia, Louisiana, which is located right on the Mississippi River at the foot of the bridge, across from the Natchez Bluffs, click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=239249&id=612625133&l=dac7286d96

After a good night's sleep in my little camper, I was ready to drive across the bridge into Natchez and take a tour of three of the antibellum mansions.

Melrose Plantation

Longwood - uncompleted and left as it was when the Civil War broke out.

And lunch at a Thai restaurant in downtown Natchez!!!!

For lots more photos of what I saw in Natchez: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240535&id=612625133&l=9084927929

That afternoon, I drove a little over an hour to Percy Quinn State Park. It is just south of McComb on I-55 and just a little ways from the Louisiana Border. This was a beautiful and well maintained park and I had soooo much fun exploring and taking bird photos.

This is my little pal who hung around my camper all morning - so much so that people thought he was my pet squirrel therefore giving me the name "The Squirrel Lady"!! Could I have been more proud!?
There were so many things to see and do here in this beautiful park!
For lots more photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240557&id=612625133&l=5ed5a30163

As I just love the rustic Art Deco style of CCC buildings in the State Parks, and my grandfather was in the Mississippi CCC, I decided to start taking photos of what is left of the original CCC buildings. With the passage of time, alot of the original stuff has fallen into disrepair or is being remodeled over so I thought this would be a cool endeavor.

For more photos of the CCC influence: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240599&id=612625133&l=bd67425b0a

For more photos of all the birds I saw and can now add to my Bird Photo collection:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240610&id=612625133&l=688d5d54f3

and for photos of the Little Camper that Could in action:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240612&id=612625133&l=3104065f9a

I can't wait to take the Lil Camper out again for another adventure!

David's IronMan Triathlon in New Orleans

Had a fabulously fantastically fun time in New Orleans this past weekend and David did so well in this Ironman triathlon. For full coverage of what all happened, click this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=236849&id=612625133&l=fddb6b77d0

Next weekend: Natchez!!!!