Here we are~ Wilderness RV Park Estates…

Howdee all,

Here we are…

We are in the Ocala National Forest for a few days or longer~haven't decided yet how long we will stay.

I tried to find a campground in the National Forest or the nearby State Park…but it was a no go~booked solid.

So here we are…at the Wilderness RV Park and Estates~big park~ Monster park really.

Not the usual park to stay at for us…but it has a few perks..

Walk out the door to the Ocklawaha River.

Where we plan to rent a kayak and check out the river this week~Watch out Gators!

We chose a spot looking into the forest and away from most of the Motorhomes.

It was foggy this morning

There is a heated pool~which we have used already..and Jacuzzi..another luxury. We have used the exercise room..and I plan on using it on days we aren't hiking.

Need to loose that 10 pounds that menopause, bad eating habits and lack of exercise has kept on..

There are a few nice water features in the park~though, I have only seen one Great Egret in the water…We have seen and heard other birds from the park..

Yesterday in the evening I saw a Swallow-tailed Kite fly overhead.

At dusk we heard Barred Owls hooting up a storm..

And as I write this post at almost 2pm…an Eastern Screech Owl was calling..

I will take a walk now to the river and see what I can see…

We will hang out here for what's left of the day~heated pool~Jacuzzi~maybe a little more exercise~Watch the Big Moon Rise…and listen to the Owls again.

Hope you all enjoy the Big MOON!

And if you haven't already seen my

~Featured Bird Blogger of the Week~

Go Check see who it is…

Barred Owls ~ Florida

Look…Way up there….Shhhh…..sleepingSorry~didn’t mean to wake youGo Back to sleep…

I will whisper…

Howdee all~

Jeff and I saw these Barred Owls while Birding at Emeralda Marsh in Leesburg,Florida.

We are now near Ocala, Florida…working our way north to be in North Carolina by April. 

Happy Spring and Happy Birding!

All photos taken with my big point and shoot

Crossley ID guide ~Not for me!

Howdee all,

The Crossley ID guide to Eastern Birds

If you’re a birder you have read the hype..You may have read many of the reviews..

If you don’t already have a copy~you want to get your greedy little bird loving hands on it.

Well You can have it! I don’t want it!

.

Let me clarify..before the whole birding community gets on my case…and people start hurling their Crossleys at me..Ouch..that would hurt!

I really do want a Crossley guide~I want to stare lovingly into those beautiful bird plates..and ponder each little bird photo..…I just don’t want the Book!

You see.. I live full time in 400 square feet of space. We try not to accumulate stuff. 

I don’t want that big monster of a book weighing down our Homey..…Did you ever see the movie the Long Long Trailer….Lucille Balls husband in the movie dumping off the rocks that she collected one by one from a loaded down trailer. See video at about six minutes. 

Yeah, I try to avoid that…

I am waiting patiently~~because

I want the Crossley app. for IPod and IPad..

I know many of you like Books…You want to be able to caress the book firmly in you hands and feel the weight of the book as you turn the pages and smell the print and kiss the cover....or something like that…:)

Well not me, I want and need to have all my books in one basket.  Simplicity works best for me. I might feel differently if I had a house with a wall of bookshelves….but I don’t.

I have a small IPod touch now..and will be getting an IPad in the future..they are my bookshelves…and I can carry my bookshelf with me wherever I go. I like that!

So~No..I don’t want the Crossley ID guide in book form…

I hope they make an app for that! :)

Related articles

• The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds [Analysis] (featherflower.wordpress.com)
• Crossley's Influences: Mt. Everest to Michael Jackson (birdsredesign.wordpress.com)

Count some birds~it helps~its easy~win Prizes!

Howdee all,

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Friday, February 18, through Monday, February 21

Lets all do this..at least one day for 15 minutes……

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you're likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number of each species you see on this checklist.

3. When you're finished, enter your results through our web page. You'll see a button marked "Enter Your Checklists!" on the website home page beginning on the first day of the count. It will remain active until the deadline for data submission on March 1st.

You can count the birds in your own back yard, or wherever you are.

Watch the video below for the easy instructions.

Download this PDF file with instructions…

 Info below taken from the GBBC site..click on this link to go there

Your counts can help us answer many questions:

• How will this winter's snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?

• Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?

• How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?

• How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?

• What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

• Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?

• Scientists use the counts, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to give us an immense picture of our winter birds. Each year that these data are collected makes them more meaningful and allows scientists to investigate far-reaching questions.

And did you know that you can win prizes for helping?

check out the prizes..one of them is an Ipod touch with the Audubon bird app!

Related articles

• Great Backyard Bird Count 2011 Takes On More Serious Tone Following Mass Animal Deaths (huffingtonpost.com)
• Birders preparing for count mindful of mass die-offs (ctv.ca)
• Birders prepare for count mindful of mass die-offs (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Great Backyard Bird Count 2011 (dendroica.blogspot.com)
• GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT this weekend (timesunion.com)
• "Backyard bird count tracks avian ups, downs" and related posts (weblogs.baltimoresun.com)
• Bird counts document change (sfgate.com)
• North American birders prepare for annual count (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Howdee all,

This Brown-headed nuthatch has been hanging around the Bark Butter…

See the Bark butter lower right corner..For some reason ..it let me get very close…I was only about three feet away..Which is the only reason my tiny point and shoot was able to take such detailed photos of it.So…why did it let me get so closeI have noticed this happening with other birds around the Bark ButterNancy @ The Zen Birdfeeder blog and co-owner of a Wild Birds Unlimited Store says that her clients say that Bark Butter is Crack for birds..I am starting to think she is right…..See the bits of Bark Butter on the bill….This silly Bird just stayed in one spot for over five minutes…I didn’t want to disturb it too much..so I left it to its Crack Bark Butter…

Related articles

• Bird Watching: What to buy for watchers on your list (commercialappeal.com)

Birds love Bark Butter and Zick Dough

Howdee all,

 

Whether you buy Bark Butter from your local Wild Birds Unlimited Store…or make your own…it doesn’t quite matter..because

Birds Love Bark Butter and Zick Dough!

You don’t need a suet feeder..just press the butter into the tree

Here are a few of our recent visitors to my Home made Zick Dough

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Chipping SparrowPine Warbler

Downy WoodpeckerWhite-breasted nuthatch

Check out Zen Birdfeeders Post about Bark Butter…detailed instructions on how she suggests using Bark Butter.

 

My Visitors to Zick Dough and Bark Butter

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Chipping Sparrow

American Goldfinch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Pine Warbler

Pine Siskin

Carolina Wren

Brown Creeper

American Crow

Blue Jay

and probably a few more I am forgetting..

 Happy Birding!

Don’t forget to check out my latest post on Birdingblogs.com

Featured Bird Blogger of the Week

 

Ballie and the Sapsucker

Howdee all,

Ballie and my first bird of the year!

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

We have reflective windows..so we have many birds hanging out and pecking at the windows..

This silly bird hung on the window for quite some time..

Ballie tried giving it a jabl

Check out the video and see.

 

Ballie and the Sapsucker

 

Jeff and I are going to the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife festival in a few weeks…Anyone else going?

We are also planning some Birding Festivals in May The New River Birding festival and The Biggest Week in Birding..Let me know if you will be going…

I am also hoping to pick some Morel mushrooms then..it should be about prime time.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker knocks on my door

Howdee all,

Seems like we have had just about any bird you can think of tap on our windows…ok, maybe I exaggerate. We have had Brown-headed nuthatch, Cardinal, Purple Finch, Black-capped Chickadee,American Robin,Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted nuthatch, Ruby-crowned kinglet, Tufted Titmouse and a few more that I am probably forgetting.

Today we had a new visitor…wish the screen wasn’t in the way…

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Hello there…He loved the peanut bark butter I put on the tree.

In case you haven't seen my latest post at Birdingblogs.com

Please stop by and say hello..and see who the

Featured Bird Blogger of the Week is!

If you do will you buy me the Ruby-crowned kinglet painting that is on the post?

I love it! Ok..buy it for yourself instead!

Related articles

• Birds love a backyard banquet on their way to warmer climes (cleveland.com)

Dead birds are gone forever..

Image via Wikipedia

Howdee all,

Remember that terrible Oil “spill” in the Gulf?

Do you think it is over and done with?

Do you think that animal, plant life have recovered?

As many of us get ready for the Holidays..and fun with family and friends..

Remember that.

Its not over..

Its just the beginning of knowing..

Of knowing what the cost will be..for the humans, birds, animals, plant life, sea life and myriads of other things effected by..Negligence.

Forever……………………

Nathan Swick from The Drinking Bird started a blogger campaign..to Blog for the Gulf..Read his post below, and see how you can help.

  The Drinking Bird – Blogging for the Gulf: It’s not over

The campaign is over now..But I suggest keeping it going..keep writing…keep reading…

DO SOMETHING

ITS NOT OVER

Please take time to read the following bloggers posts…

Join this facebook group http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oil-Volcano-News/122703014435095?v=info#!/pages/Oil-Volcano-News/122703014435095?v=wall for up to date info on whats happening in the Gulf.

10,000 Birds – The True Gulf Before Us

Nature Observances – Blog for the Gulf

Beasts in a Populous City – The Frogs Die in Earnest

Rebecca in the Woods – A Gulf Bird on an Atlantic Beach

Slugyard – The Gulf- Now what?

Search and Serendipity – Senate poised to waste millions that could aid Gulf Coast

A DC Birding Blog – Funding for the Gulf of Mexico

The Marvelous in Nature – Blogging for the Gulf

Restoration Systems – Blogging for the Gulf: RS joins in

Twin Cities Naturalist – Short Attention Span: Remember the Gulf?

Related articles

• Funding for the Gulf of Mexico (dendroica.blogspot.com)
• Animal rehab centers still at work after BP spill (sfgate.com)
• Gulf Coast (coudal.com)
• Gulf coast restoration delayed is justice denied (thehill.com)
• Senate Should Heed Oil Spill Commission Staff Recommendation to Use Fines for Gulf Restoration (prnewswire.com)
• Animal rehab centers still working after BP spill (sfgate.com)
• Reported number of bird deaths grow on Gulf Coast (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Rockin' robin, tweet tweet tweet

Howdee all,

A little Rockin Robin video for your viewing pleasure…

The Holly trees are full of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings..my outdoor chair table are all covered with berry poop. Thank goodness we covered the top of Homey with a tarp this year…smart thinking!

The Robins love the water I put out for them..

Enjoy!

 

If you haven't seen it yet….

My latest post at Birdingblogs.com is out..

Featured Bird Blogger of the Week 

Come on over and say Hello..

Birdingblogs features some great writers…and then me… I will introduce you to a Wonderful Bird Blogger each week.

Kenn Kaufman, Dale Forbes,Tom McKinney, Rich Hoyer, Martin Garner,
Gunnar Engblom, Rebecca Nason, Gyorgy Szimuly ,Susan Myers

Happy Birding!