Big Birds for the Headbangers

Big Bird

So you want to see a funny big bird? You have to check out this traffic cam.

 

Now for my own big birds. I have seen them from Alaska to Arizona, in the wild and in captivity, in parks and wildlife reserves and rest areas. Some bigger than others.

 

Take a look.

 

Egret--Lake Merritt--Oakland, California

American White Pelicans--Lake Merritt--Oakland

 White Pelicans visit our valley seasonally. These probably find the lake in Oakland a good place to stay year round. Their wingspan is a good six feet.

Sandhill Cranes outside Othello, Washington

 Sandhill Cranes can stand nearly six feet tall, so you can imagine their wingspan. Thousands of them descend on the Mid-Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and nearby farmlands each spring as they rest on their migration north to breeding grounds in Alaska.

Bald Eagle near Juneau, Alaska

 We saw this eagle as we returned from a very successful whale watching tour during an Alaska cruise.

"Lady Baltimore"--Bald Eagle--Juneau, Alaska

 Lady Baltimore looks out at us with her one eye. She was injured by hunters, and now lives at the Mt. Roberts Visitor Center at the top of the tram.

San Francisco Zoo

 Don't know what this guy is, but he sure looks steady on his FOOT.

Eagle Totem--Ketchikan, Alaska

 Now here in Southeast Alaska is where totem poles and totems belong. This eagle is one of many totems in Ketchikan--and one of many eagles.

Flamingos--San Francisco Zoo

 Did you know that baby flamingos are gray and fluffy?

Penguins--San Francisco Zoo

 Penguins have attitude.

Great Blue Heron--Veterans' Oasis Park--Chandler, Arizona

 You might not expect to see water birds in Arizona, but this park and its wonderful trail system features several lakes.

Crane--Veterans' Oasis Park



Cormorants --Veterans' Oasis Park

It can be quite warm in Arizona, even in November. I think these cormorants are cooling off.

Sandhill Cranes--near Othello, Washington

 More cranes. I hope to get better pictures of them this year.

Seagull--Sun Lakes State Park, Washington

 Not so very big, but they made up for it in individual loudness.

Wild turkey--Sun Lakes State Park

 If Ben Franklin had had his way, this would be our national bird.

Canada Geese family--Sun Lakes State Park

Big birds need big nests. Near Lake Shasta, California

Not sure, but these guys might be Sandhill Cranes or a related species. Near Grass Valley Rest Stop, Northern California.

Mute Swans--near Grass Valley Rest Area

We had seen Mute Swans at the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge, so we recognized them when we saw them in California.

 

 

The headbangers are birdwatching this week.

You can see their finds if you click their links near the top of my sidebar.

I didn't expect to see THAT here.

That was the theme I proposed, and I suppose at the time I may have had some idea that I would find some apropos images in my files. I didn't really expect to go out on a Sunday drive and find this.

 in a yard in Toppenish. Toppenish is located on the Yakama Indian Reservation. But the Yakamas are not totem pole carvers. I selected this totem...

 from which I created a header image--which I still might use. I really did not expect to see that there.

~

 

It's just that, when I did go looking through my files, I found so many fine examples of the unexpected.

Such as the time two boys rang my doorbell and asked if they could go into my yard to retrieve their ball. I didn't expect to see this there.

 

Just a little matter of an accent.  (I told the story here somewhere but I can't find it now.)

 

I also found this--which I did not expect to see in a rest stop restroom.

 

We were surprised enough to see the eagle over the beach at an urban park, but what is he carrying home for supper. Maybe I don't really want to know.

Maybe it's just something with a bit of seaweed tangled with it?

 

Maybe that is not a leash.

 

I didn't expect to see that there.

 

~

 

I did not expect to see Abraham Lincoln in a London park.

 

And one November trip when we stopped to visit our son in a newly rented home, I did not expect to see a picture postcard view of the Golden Gate Bridge through their living room window.

 

 

We encounter surprises every day. Down the road from us is a flock of sheep in a pasture. This time of year I am surprised several times a week with a new lamb in the family. There were no black sheep till the other day and now there are two. When I went for a visit, I didn't expect to have them be quite so antisocial.

 



What might the other headbangers find that they did not expect? You can check out their entries from the links in my sidebar.

 



Winter for the Headbangers--Winter Fun for Me

While I could care less about winter at home, if all the circumstances are right:

1.  the weather is right
2.  the pass is clear,
3.  we have gas money and funds for an overnight and a meal,
4.  health concerns allow for sufficient energy,

then my favorite activity is snowshoeing and my favorite place to do it is Mt. Rainier.

It's an overnight project because the park entrances on the west side are the only ones open in winter--and we live east. We head to Ashford, get a room, and make the trip to Kautz Creek or Longmire for the afternoon's trek. Then the next day head to Paradise and take  a long hike there.

The snowshoes and snowpants are packed away in the car. The tire chains are loaded just in case. And we are just waiting for all the other factors to fall into place.

It is glorious!

See what I mean about the road in the pass and carrying chains?

We hope that some medical issues are resolved and we can make the trip again next month. Snowshoeing takes a LOT of energy. These pictures are from years past. The snowshoes lived in the trunk last year without ever being used.

It is worth it for the views.

So that is winter a I like it. The theme was chosen by Lew. You can check on what he and the other headbangers found to post about winter by clicking their links in my sidebar.

Something New

New Moon through the hop lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New

kids

on the

block.

 

Headbangers find something new--check it out from the links on my sidebar.