I ran across hundreds of robins, quite a few starlings, and one lone grackle drinking and bathing in the icy water on the east side of Clinton Lake the other day. They were fun to watch until I realized I’d been standing there so long my face was frozen. 🙂 Of course, the beauty of Kansas is that it will reach 62 today. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
We’ve seen white-breasted nuthatches pretty frequently this year, but this little one is a first. So cute! I just wish I’d had a bit more light for better pictures. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
I’m loving these cold mornings at the Wetlands. Bluebirds and harriers. Oh my. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
It’s always great to see all the visitors to the feeders at this time of year. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
A great way to help birds this winter is to create a brush pile. It’s a good place to keep warm and hide from predators.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
Nuthatches seem to do pretty much everything upside down.
© Chris Taylor
Another great thing about winter–more bald eagles! Isn’t she lovely! Click on picture to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
Many hawks winter in Kansas. Watch for them along the roadsides. Click on picture to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
Another great thing about winter are the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
One of the best things about winter is seeing the juncos. What cuties! Click on picture to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
One of the things I love about my walks in the Wakarusa Wetlands at this time of year is how often I am the only human there. It gives me the opportunity to stay still and get wonderful pictures without someone coming along and unknowingly scaring off my subjects. There are times when my presence is definitely not welcomed. I watched this buck for a while as he foraged along. He seemed to be really enjoying himself and I certainly loved watching him. I was never in any danger, but he did snort a bit and do a few foot stomps before taking off. Isn’t he lovely!
Save it. Don’t pave it. Click on picture to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
I’ll start by saying, I know she has to eat, but… This sharpie was stalking our feeder for a few days. The blue jays sound the alarm first, then everyone scatters. The smaller birds dive into a bush near the feeder. The sharpie is smart. After pacing around the bush trying to get at some of the smaller birds, she flew up into a nearby tree. Camouflaged behind some branches, she waited. However, not to be outsmarted, the little birds did not return to the feeder until she was long gone. I haven’t seen her in a few days, so I think she’s moved on. I hope she does okay.
This is a tough time to be a raptor. Operation Wildlife has been taking in quite a few that have been hit by cars while hunting. Apparently, they like to hunt on the roadside because people throw garbage out. Rats and mice go after the garbage and the raptors go after the rats and mice–too close to busy highways.
Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor