Bird Watching

Well, that's not exactly true. Her name is Aria and she wasn't watching a bird she was just enjoying an outing in the forest with her owners (if you look closely you'll see that she's on a leash).

Mary Jo and I went on an outing with an Audubon group this morning to look for Snowy Owls. We never caught up with an owl and bird sightings in general were few and far between. I did see one of my favorite birds, the Redwing Backbird. I got some pictures, but the birds were just a little too far away for blippable images. There should be more of them in about a month, so I'll go back and try again.

"Birding" is not as easy as one might think. For one thing, it takes incredible eyesight to spot some of these critters and it's hard on the neck because you're always looking up. Everyone was excited to see an American Dipper, but I could barely see the little thing. I found him on page 291 of my bird ID book so I think I would recognize one again. It helps to know something about their habitat and their behavior so you know where to look. We saw some Wood Ducks who look as though they'd been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright with their geometric coloring. They were gliding through the reeds and cattails on a pond. They were so beautiful but, again, I couldn't quite get close enough for a good picture. Gosh, I guess I'll just have to go buy that longer lens!

Along the forest trail we ran into Aria and her owners, one of whom had her tucked into his sweatshirt as they walked. He'd stop and set her down and she'd roam around. She seemed very happy. I immediately thought of Lizzie who would probably shred my legs, nearby trees and anything else within her reach if I tried that with her.

All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a beautiful Sunday, and I'm nice and tired after such a long walk, so I'll get a good night's sleep tonight for sure. Hope everyone had a nice weekend too.