Birds of the Day

Yesterday, I traveled a bit, by car, stopping at a couple places because I had some time.

I saw a bunch of turkeys, as in a veritable thanksgiving parade of turkeys. I've never seen a flock this size.

Sandhill Cranes. I stopped to watch two for a bit off a rural road. I guess they were probably a mated pair. One of them had an odd step. Every time s/he lifted his/her left leg, it swung back and out a bit, in a way that the right leg didn't, and neither of the other crane's legs did. If you look at them through binoculars for a bit, crane legs look pretty silly, with a big knobby joint (what, I think, would be the ankle for people). But I couldn't tell anything different about this one's left leg. Usually, when I'm just driving, I can't see the red top to their heads, but stopped and taking my time, I could clearly see the red. And they were magnificent in an awkward sort of way.

A male Red-Bellied Woodpecker. I stopped at a nature area and went for a very short walk before I got too cold. But right near was this great bird, looking for food, and cooperating with my slow binocular skills. Wow! I'll never figure out why they're called Red-Bellied, though.

Black-Capped Chickadees. Yes, I see these all the time, and so do lots of folks. Still, they rock.

White-Bellied Nuthatch. I love Nuthatches, the way they go up and down, doing their thing despite gravity.

An uncooperative yellow bird, fluffy and small, I'm guessing a female Yellow Warbler. They're common, yellow, and found in this area.

Loads of Red-Wing Blackbirds, Crows, Canada Geese, and Mallards.

I had to slow down and swerve to avoid hitting a female Ring-Necked Pheasant. Perhaps not the brightest bird on the blacktop today.

And the other day on a short bike ride (yes, in the new shorts--and long johns and tights), I'm pretty sure I saw a male Blue-Winged Teal. Way cool, hanging out near some much larger Mallards.

I have hope of spring.