Maple tree blossoms

Everyone knows how beautiful maple leaves are in the fall, but have you ever noticed their blossom in the spring? It's quite small and therefore I think most people don't pay much attention, but it you look closely, it's quite beautiful.

Slate coloured Dark Eyed Junco

Picture was taken on 4th April 2006 in our back yard. He's a pretty common bird around here, but still pretty and worth a picture or two.

Painted Turtle

I took this picture on 9th April 2006 in the pond in our back yard. There has to be at least a dozen or so that make this pond their home.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

I took this picture this afternoon in my back yard. Thanks to Terry Crabe, a birding friend of mine, I learned that Yellow bellied Sapsuckers don't initially have a yellow belly. They acquire it from the tree sap. They drill a neat row of holes in a tree, then come back later to eat the insects that are attracted to the sap. In the process of doing this, they quite often get sap stains on their belly. Therefore, it isn't their natural colour, but an acquired colour from the sap.

White tailed Deer

I took this picture about 1/2 hour ago in our back yard. I was just on my second coffee and I took the picture from the solarium door.He was standing in between the two large ponds and you can see the back pond behind him. In fact the deer are still there as I'm typing this.

Roseate Spoonbill

This picture was taken at Rockport, Texas on 24th March 2006.

Chachalaca

This picture was taken on 17th March 2006 at the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park in Texas. If someone who speaks Spanish calls you a Chachalaca, you're talking too much or too loud.

Altamira Oriole

This picture was taken on 11 March 2006 at the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park in Texas. He's such a beautiful bird that I just can't post too many of him. I have more as well that I may post from time to time.

Altamira-Audubon Oriole cross

This picture was taken 11 March 2006 at the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park. This is a cross between the Altamira and Audubon's Orioles. Look at previous posts to see where his colouring is a blend of the two.

Chipmunk

Taken 4th April 2006 in our back yard. He's a cute little guy and they're easy to tame.

Beaver

Taken 4th April 2006 about 1/2 mile from our house in Lake Huron. They're pesky little fellows. This guy was just enjoying his lunch.

Great Blue Heron strut

This series of pictures was taken at the Macport Marina, just south of Rockport, Texas on 23rd March 2006. I was trying to get a picture of a Roseate Spoonbill when a Great Blue Heron challenged another one to a fight. I didn't manage to get the fight which only lasted a couple seconds, but I did get pictures of the strut of the victor or you might say, victory dance.

Ruddy Turnstone

This picture was taken on 23rd March 2006 at Rockport, Texas.

Sanderling

This picture was taken on 23rd March 2006 at Rockport, Texas.

Avocet

This picture taken on 20th March 2006 at Rockport, Texas.

Marbled Godwit

This picture taken on 20th March 2006 at Rockport, Texas.

Willet

This picture was taken on 20th March 2006 at Rockport Texas.
It's a fairly common shore bird.

Gold Fronted Woodpecker

This picture was taken on 8th March 2006 at the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, Mission Texas.

Great Egret

This picture was taken on 23rd March 2006 at Rockport Texas. The birds name is Willy and he hangs out at the MacPort Marina at Cove Harbor just waiting for fishermen to come in and clean their catch of the day. He was named after a fisherman who loved him and recently died.

White Ibis

Photo taken on 23rd March 2006 at Rockport Texas.