Ruby and friends

Happy Wednesday, y'all! Before we begin I have a little update on the bird that I saw in the cemetery on my mother's birthday. (I almost typed birdday...obsessed much?) The bird I saw that day was the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. What's so amazing about this discovery is that my mother's favorite color was red―specifically ruby-red. That I saw this particular bird when I asked my mother for a sign brought me to tears when I finally made the connection (I first thought it was the Acadian Flycatcher, but a bird friend corrected me). Now I envision my mother up in heaven with rubies in her crown. :)

I tried so hard to get the perfect shot of this Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but these guys flit around faster than gnats.
My goal was to get the red crown on the head. This was the best I could do. Sigh.

Brown Thrasher

He was gorging greedily on suet.

I think this Rufous is giving me a little lip.

I rounded a corner and heard high pitched shrieking. I barely got this shot of the wood ducks
fleeing for their lives. Seriously, they made terrifying sounds as though in a horror film.

Another Eastern Phoebe

Red-tailed hawk (?)

Cedar Waxwing

Downy Woodpecker

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Hiking

Double D and I went hiking in and around Baton Rouge for our weekend entertainment. Louisiana is abundant in nature, with many areas designated for the public to explore. We traveled to Blackwater Conservation area, Capitol Lakes, Mary Ann Brown Preserve in St. Francisville, and finally ended up at LSU Lakes. We didn't see much at Blackwater, but it definitely has potential and we will go back. Here are some things we saw.

An overcast day so had to get a little creative with the processing on this one. Used a solarize preset in Lightroom.
Downy Woodpecker - Blackwater Conservation - 2/23/13

New growth at Blackwater Conservation - 2/23/13

Lichen on tree at Blackwater Conservation - 2/23/13

Capitol Lakes - 2/23/13

This has to be the rock star of all the Muscovy Ducks.
Capitol Lakes - 2/23/13

Came face to face with a Nutria. I told him we had to stop meeting this way.
Capitol Lakes - 2/23/13

Rare Eastern Chipmunk - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Double D at overlook - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - iphone - 2/24/13

Eastern Swallowtail - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Gazebo at Mary Ann Brown Preserve - iphone - 2/24/13
Having the iphone is great for landscape shots. I think it does a great job and it's one less lens to carry around.

Red-bellied woodpecker - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Same woodpecker as above

Trillium - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

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Miscellany

Miscellaneous photos taken over the last two weeks. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Mama Eagle keeping watch over her eaglets, 2/17/13

Chickadees are the boldest birds. I was probably 6-8 feet away from this little dude at Bluebonnet Swamp. Where else? :) 2/8/13

Another bold bird. This vociferous mockingbird was creating quite a scene at Capitol Lakes, 2/13/13.

My birding friends were generous enough to point out this tiny tree frog holding on to a red buckeye tree. 2/8/13

I was quite enamored with him.

Great Egret marching at Bluebonnet Swamp, 2/14/13.

American Kestrel, River Road, 2/15/13.

Brown Thrasher, Bluebonnet Swamp, 2/15/13.

I've got an abundance of photos of the Eastern Phoebe,
so you're going to be seeing it for quite some time. 2/18/13, Capitol Lakes.

Something a little different for me. Family flying a kite on top of the levee 2/3/13.

Nurturing Nature

Since Tuesday was supposed to be the last of our sunshine for a while, I found myself back at Bluebonnet Swamp hoping to spot the Eastern Towhee I had seen last week. No such luck, but I met a very nice fellow blogger visiting all the way from the UK. Steve, I enjoyed your delightful accent and showing you around the swamp introducing you to our native wildlife. Hope you will visit our wonderful state again sometime!

An abundance of lizards were out in force.

Downy Woodpecker, female

Gray Squirrel munching on a sweet gum ball.

Damselfly

Steve helped me spot this little fella. 

Titmouse

Titmouse with visible tongue getting ready for the suet.

When I returned home the sun was still very bright, so off to the backyard I went where I was dazzled even more!

Look who came to visit my neighbors' Chinese Tallow tree: the Cedar Waxwings!

If only I could get their back wings - the color and spots of red are exquisite.

Some type of sparrow resting on the palm tree.

Yellow-rumped warbler swallowing a crane fly. Good! One less to enter the house.

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