6.5.2010

     Chelsi and I woke up at 5:30 am this morning to a beautiful cool, crisp morning. We also had a visitor outside of our door to say good morning. Allison had the day off, but I was to help guide a tour for a program called "Birds and Bagels", where a group goes out and listens and keeps track of what kinds of birds they see.
     We made it to the EC and enjoyed a bagel, and then it was off to the trails to see what we could see. It was 72 degrees when we headed out. I learned so much from Gordon Grover, who is an expert at bird identification and the different sounds they make.

     I tried to take pictures of the birds that I saw and also tried to remember their songs. I saw a red headed woodpecker, but he was so fast that I could not take a picture. The sounds that guy makes is crazy! We also heard a cuckoo bird which apparently is a huge deal here.

Below are pictures of the birds that I saw long enough to snap a picture. 

This is a red winged black bird. They are really pretty and you see them all the time on the prairie. 

This is my favorite bird that I have seen so far - a Baltimore Oriole! They are bright orange and black, and they sing a really pretty song.

This is a brown headed cowbird. They are known as a "parasite bird" because they will lay their eggs in another bird's nest so that that bird will raise them. We always look in the robin's nest next to the house to see if there is a big brown egg in there (which would be a cowbird baby!)

We also saw a garter snake on the trail (he almost got stepped on).

I love butterflies, so here are some pictures I got today (since the birds were not being as cooperative).

I'll have to finish this blog later... we are headed to a barbecue that the museum curator is having at his house. I will finish this soon!

Can you see the tiny frog in this picture?