Sunday Walk

(or numbers 10 – 13)

My Year List is growing, have you noticed?  On Sunday, we went to my mother-in-law’s for dinner as usual.  I hadn’t taken my daily walk yet and so after we pulled her in her driveway, I grabbed my camera and headed off.  My husband scoffed at my walk with a camera.  Okay, it is a short walk to the ponds and I would be stopping and snapping shots a lot but still I walked and he didn’t.  So there.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to find much although the ponds were my MIL lives are usually a winter birding haven.  They have been mucking with the ponds, however, and I hadn’t seen many birds there as we’d drive by.  What I learned is that there is a reason we don’t bird from cars while driving, though.  Did you know that?  It was news to me.

I had spotted the Snowy Egret as we drove by and that was what lured me to walk back there.  Not much prettier in this world than a Snowy Egret.  So, I walked back and was so glad I did.  And not just because I got to add the Mallards that were keeping him (her?) company.  As I snapped shot after gorgeous shot of the Egret, I heard a weird rattling, laughing call that totally drew my attention.  Startled the Egret too; it very nearly flew off.  Imagine my surprise as a Belted Kingfisher cruised in over the pond and landed across the pond from me, posing for shots.

As the battery warning light on my camera flashed red, I decided to walk up to the upper pond and see what was up there.  The Kingfisher followed me up — they are like that, friendly, cooperative birds (cough, cough).  There were more fun birds up there.  A pair of Double-crested Cormorants were floating around the pond while a Black-crowned Night Heron lurked on the opposite shore.  What fun!

On the way back to my MIL’s, I heard such a noisy bird in a tree over my head.  It was brazen and bold and raspy.  I thought it must be a chickadee but I could see nothing in the tree, despite it’s being completely bare of leaves.  So, I stopped and really looked.  Two Anna’s Hummingbirds were sitting on branches at the tippy top making so much noise.

This is my Sky Watch submission.  A crisp, clear winter sky at nearly dusk.

A great Sunday walk.

For more bird-filled skies in your Friday, visit Sky Watch Friday!