• lake,  landscape,  sunsets

    An Afternoon Drive

    January 23, 2023
    Watson Lake on a January afternoon

    As I turned onto Bingham Hill road I encountered a flock of 15 turkeys swaggering and fanning their tail feathers. I stopped, watched and listened to them. They are quite amusing. Took a dozen images but had too short of a lens for an image I would like to have had. A quarter mile down the road I came across a dozen mule deer grazing in the open field. Again I stopped to watch and listen. From there I drove to Watson Lake to sit at a favorite spot overlooking the lake. I soon heard the call of an eagle then watched it land on the ice with a fish in its talons. With binoculars I watched as the bird devoured the whole thing, leaving nothing. After the eagle flew away I sat in the quiet of the frozen lake. Behind me I could hear the sound of the Poudre River as it continued its journey eastward. So an afternoon drive became a series of spiritual experiences with nature. So glad I got out.

    Swaggering and fanning their tail feathers
    Read More
  • Avian

    Happy Thanksgiving

    November 28, 2019

    Wild turkeys at Blendon Woods Metro Park in Columbus, Ohio

    “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” Winnie-the-Pooh

    Read More
  • Avian,  Holiday Seasons,  Holidays

    Happy Thanksgiving

    November 25, 2010
    Happy Thanksgiving

    ‘Tis a time to be thankful for all that we have, even if it is not very much. For me I can say I’m thankful because I’m healthy, game-fully employed, have a wonderful family. I can even say I have some great friends or at least 2 that I know of. I’ve also got $20 in my pocket, half a tank of gas in the car and my internet bill is paid (for this month). Right now I’m in Phoenix with my parents and my two sisters and a darn cool brother-in-law. So, there is much to be thankful for.

    But not everyone is as thankful. There are those who have no food, no home, no family, no job, no money. Or maybe they’re in some outpost in Iraq or dealing with a death in the family. For me this is also a time to remember them. I can’t help all of them but will reach out to those I can. I hope we don’t quickly forget those in need and then move on to our next helping of turkey or take that first piece of pumpkin pie? What is it we can do for those in need?

    Now, as for these guys above in the above image, I don’t think they’re quite as thankful about this time of year. If you look closely you’ll notice how they seem to be edgy, checking things out, not trusting me or any one else. Each step is deliberate. Cautious. Wonder why?

    I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.

    Read More
  • Avian,  Metro Parks

    The Turkey Stare

    March 13, 2009

     

    The Turkey Stare
    The Turkey Stare

    Wild turkeys inside the city is one of the pluses the Metro Parks provide in the Columbus area. I have seen several of them while walking the trails in one of my favorite parks in the system called Blendon Woods Park. I’m not sure my intentions for being in the park that day but came across 23 of them and took a few images. The wild turkeys of North America have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. Female feathers are duller overall, in shades of brown and gray. It is an interesting bird and leery of people as evidenced in this stare.

    Read More