Birding--The Early Bird Catches the Group!

I wanted to sleep an extra half hour, and I thought that I could still meet up with my Audobon group.  However, when I got to the meeting place at McDonald's in Centerville, no one was there.  Another group met at 7 am at Shopko just off 13th East.  Oh well, it was still a great time.  I was just on my own.   I went to the Farmington Bay area.  Skies were clear and the day heated up to about 95 degrees.  I walked along a trail and a dike at the bird center.  Then I drove over to another area on about 1250 West to overlook the bay.  The birds were quite a ways away.  There were some ground birds, perhaps Grouse, that wandered across the road in front of me.  They took off into the dense marsh cat tails, before I could identify them.  This type of activity opens up my sense of self worth when I get to explore the outdoors.  I feel free and have energy to return to regular routines--which as an empty nester are fairly pleasant.

 

Bank Swallow

                                                                    Northern Shrike

Bird list:  American Avocet, White-faced Ibis, Killdeer, Red Tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk), Kestral, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Miscellaneous Sparrows, Ruddy Duck, Mallards, Sand Hill Cranes, Northern Shrike, Pelicans.  My favorite thing was to watch a flock of American Avocets land among the ibis.  Two birds were added to my life list:  Bank Swallows and Northern Shrike.  All in all it was a good day on Saturday.