More photos from the road-trip

It is so wonderful having readers correct when I miss-identify a bird. Thanks to John I re-looked through my five bird books then I ended up going on line this morning and found a downloadable four page "peeps identification". So corrections were made to last post.

 I love Gadwall's, they're subtle, soft looking and elegant.

 Post-hopping Meadow Larks. He would sit atop the fence and sing away then fly into the field and sing there then back to another fence post then back to the field, etc.

 Savannah Sparrow

 Not a clue as to who this is, but my does he camouflage well with the stubble.

 Blue-winged Teal showing his blue lapels.

Green-wing Teal drake and hen. Below photo shows the hens wing bars with green speculum flashing.

Northern Shoveler drake and hen. These ducks are easy to identify by their wide bills. They are surface feeders.

 Abandoned farmstead. I have heard that Vultures make nests in some of these old buildings and the way to tell is guano build up on the window sills.

 Mallard hen. 

I should have posted this in the last post with the male, oh well, she's here now.

 Coot, don't you just love those wonderful limey green legs. I need to post one that shows their feet, they are unbelievable.

I find I did get a female yellow-headed blackbird. 

I still have photos to edit as I took about 2000 shots, eee-gads thats a lot of editing.

Enjoy.

Of Wildflowers and Dreams

Jackies Wildflower Dream

acrylic, 5x5

This little 5x5 inch painting took a while to complete as I repainted the background three times. At first it was an abstract background with bold yellows. Well that proved too much for this wee bunny, so I over coated with dark blue, that too was overpowering. Once I settled for soft blue I then decided Jackie needed some wildflowers to sit amongst. Isn't she a delightful charm. 

One Prairie Aster began to pop its head from the cool earth to greet the morning sun only to have our resident Jack eat it back slightly lower than ground level. I may not ever see it grow but at least its being enjoyed. Next Asters definitely get planted in the back out of bunny reach, which reminds me we have to block the rabbit hole in the fence before my native sunflowers get found out. The joys of nature and planting Native plants is wonderful. We thought we were planting for the birds to find out that we are also planting for jackrabbits as well as native bugs and bees. So all in all its a wonderful learning experience; and I don't mind sharing the Asters as without a resident Jack or Jackie I would not have had the chance to paint their portraits.

Big hugs and may your life be blessed with the joys of blossoms Native to your abode.