Skywatch Friday

Just Before Sunup
Crawford County Kansas

Early Morning Sky
Prairie State Park
Barton County Missouri

Barton County Missouri

Some early morning photos I took with skywatch in mind this week.
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Birding Among Buffalo

Indigo Bunting

The other morning I slipped away before dawn to do some birding at Prairie Park. As the fog shielded the sun I entered the south side of the park and found myself in the herd of buffalo that live here.
The herd uses the road sometimes to move from the south end of the park to the north end. I decided to join them for a leisurely stroll, drive, (I stayed in the car), and to look for birds at the same time.

Cow and calf

There were several new calves traveling with the herd. Their reddish coat standing out against the darker adults.
This calf was quite interested in the person filling his memory card with photos as they moved along the road. When they would stop I would and break out the binoculars and scan the new growth for neotropical migrants. the only sound being the chorus of munching and low deep grunts the buffalo mad as they grazed.

Dickcissel greets the dawn

Birds I saw on my outing this morning; Western Meadowlark, Dickcissel, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting, Common Yellow Throat, Blue Jay, Northern Flicker, Wild Turkey, Common Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown Headed Cowbird, Turkey Vulture, Blue Jay, and Mourning Dove and Cardinal. Almost all a little to far for the reach of my lens.
Birds I heard and did not see despite much scanning, Bobwhite Quail, and Grasshopper Sparrow.

Cool evening fire

Lately we have been so busy with work around our place I haven't had much time to just sit think, and watch the sky. The other night as I burned some brush that opportunity arose.
This is a great quote from one of my favorite authors;
The way we are, we are members of each other. All of us. Everything. The difference ain't in who is a member and who is not, but in who knows it and who don't." Burley Coulter in "The Wild Birds"

New Windows

Sad to say our new windows claimed their first victim, this beautiful male Indigo Bunting. We have recently been doing major work on our house including 12 new windows. Ive stood and admired fleeting sunrises lately through them. The other day as I sat reading I heard that sound, that all bird lovers dread that "thunk" of a bird hitting a window. Because we have outside farm cats I ran outside to see if maybe whatever it was had been stunned. Unfortunately he was dead , still very warm. Indigos are one of our favorite species here in our rural area and each spring we spot them as they return. I buried him in the garden near some purple and blue irises.

Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day Mom. This photos from the 40s when my Dad and her were just starting out. Today shes 81 and going strong. Worked full time until she was diagnosed with a form of leukemia last December. Shes gone through some chemotherapy and is responding, well, enough so to travel out to see us at the end of the month for my oldest daughters wedding. We cant wait to see her. I always considered myself lucky to have her as my Mom.
This is a photo of my daughters and my wife deep in thought at an oasis in western Kansas where we would go to get away from it all when we lived there in the early 90s. My girls are lucky to have had her for their mom as well, Happy Mothers Day!

Cloudy Morning

Cloudy sunrise

Small Mantis on the pine is a good sign.

Oak Leaves

Snowball bush in bloom.

Just some random photos from a short walk this morning.