Saturday, December 02, 2006

The best laid plans...

I seem to be birding without the girls lately. And I like it.

Robins seem be everywhere I look these days, stuffing down all the food they can. Lake Isabella was full of them.

I thought all the time I was taking pictures of this bird, that it was a red-bellied woodpecker. I was using the zoom on my camera instead of my bins. A male northern flicker! He was all over this tree, and liked what he saw in this cavity.

Note to self: Remember this tree next year during breeding season.

I checked to see if the "hoodies" were still at the lake.

Yep, still there.

A Canada geese chorus line!

Dinner was at the Sleepy Hollow Inn, a neat restaurant in Branch Hill (just next to Loveland) that serves great food and drinks, and has Christmas lights up ALL YEAR ROUND.

We had grand plans to go to the Cincinnati Zoo's Festival of Lights tonight (this is when the zoo covers nearly every tree they have in lights). We didn't go, in the end, because as we approached the zoo, it became apparent that the place was packed. We chose not to make ourselves crazy fighting the crowds and decided to go back on a week night.


At least the girls were dressed warmly.

8 comments:

Mary said...

I giggle when I see Isabelle and Lorelei...they are so innocent, without a care in the world, sucking in the atmosphere each minute. Enjoy their energy and youth. Birding alone? Sounds better than Godiva chocolate. Why is it that the word verifications get incredibly difficult at 11:30 p.m.?

Susan Gets Native said...

Mary:
It is a conspiracy of Blogger, to make us feel really stupid.

LauraHinNJ said...

I notice that too, but blame it on the Sam Adams.

Aren't flickers great birds? Surprised you still have them! Thought they'd all flown south by now.

You must love that camera - wish I could get bird pics like yours.

Went looking for those snow geese today - they've vanished - of course because I had the 400mm lens with me to take their pics!

Anonymous said...

Love that action shot of the girls!

Lucky you- I haven't seen a robin or a flicker in weeks.

Sounds like a wonderful day. It was laundry, laundry and laundry for me!

Susan Gets Native said...

Well, well, well...
We are all up pretty late tonight, aren't we?

Anonymous said...

Will you people stop chattering so loudly. You are waking me up.

You sound like a a flock of demented loons. (Is that redundant?)

NatureWoman said...

I love flickers - that's so cool you got to see one and photographed him. Thanks for sharing the Robins, they're all gone here - wah!
Festival of Lights are so cool aren't they?

Anonymous said...

here's a tip on the zoo - go at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Then you can see some of the lights in the daylight, and still be around when the festival officially begins at 5. then you can leave at 6 or 7 when it is getting REALLY packed.