Day 13: Sunday, May 3, 2009

Yesterday we had early church and just afterward had an open house (my aunt and uncle are selling their house) so I was actually not allowed to be at home.  I didn't mind this at all and planned to go to Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area and explore/take pictures.  Well, right now there are all kinds of wonderful birds outside and I'm definitely in a random obsessed-with-birds stage right now, so I after walking outside I didn't even make it to my car for like an hour or something.  Just as I was getting to my car, I spotted a Carolina Chickadee, then an American Goldfinch, which I followed from one tree to another and eventually to the Nicholson's Garden (neighbors with an award winning garden and, incidentally, lots of birds), which I wandered around with my head straight up, in a sort of a trance.  It's really odd.  I may have never gotten out of there, but a Rose Breasted Grosbeak lead me back out of the garden and then lost me and I just put my head down and ran to my car!  These first few photos were taken during that whole time.  The first one would have been better if the bee were not right on the edge of the flower.

This is a male House Sparrow (same species as the one you were taking pictures of, I believe, mom).  Or maybe yours was the house finch?  Can't remember.

Male White Throated Sparrow

An amorous couple of Purple Finches.  Who knows why they're red, not purple.

An amorous pair of Cardinals.

After making it to my car, I drove to Bluegrass Fish and.... which is basically an area out in the countryside with some lakes and marshes and back country roads and small parking lots every once in a while.  There's no center with brochures or anything, you just drive around randomly and explore it.  It was a beautiful area.  I took these next few the first place I parked.

A Tree Swallow.  Aren't they pretty?

I jumped out of the car to take this one at the next place I parked.  Great blue heron.

Same place, just to the right.  Red Shouldered Blackbird.  It was beautiful.  There were these big clumps of, whatever those are, wheat stalks?  Anyway, big clumps of them and every few minutes a blackbird would land on the top of one and just sway back and forth.  Had to see it but it was pretty.

Next place I stopped.

Well, that's all for today (or rather yesterday).