All About Pocket Knives

bighomer wrote: ↑Thu Apr 17, 2025 4:58 pm Back again this morning, Peter cotton tail was not impressed.

ThatWeirdKnifeGuy wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 2:23 am Dreary bike ride through a marsh yesterday.

Pretty weak shot, but if you squint those white spots are trumpeter swans.

Then just some nesting geese.

Trumpeters are magnificent.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Sun Apr 20, 2025 1:42 am We got our first House Wren of the year today.

Very sweet Ike.

Kingbirds have made their way to Illinois......

Waukonda wrote: ↑Mon Apr 21, 2025 5:09 pm Kingbirds have made their way to Illinois......

Nice picture. Kingbirds sometimes hang around here into early summer, sometimes as late as June. Seems to me maybe they move on soon after the Scissortail Flycatchers (a Kingbird relative) arrive.

Bluebirds are nesting in the boxes we have around the ranch. Here’s Mr. Bluebird checking on the missus, who is sitting on eggs in one of the boxes. He comes and goes bringing her food until the eggs hatch.

Ken

Waukonda wrote: ↑Mon Apr 21, 2025 5:09 pm Kingbirds have made their way to Illinois......

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 3:29 am Nice picture. Kingbirds sometimes hang around here into early summer, sometimes as late as June. Seems to me maybe they move on soon after the Scissortail Flycatchers (a Kingbird relative) arrive.
Ken

Nice photos, fellows.

Kingbirds are here on the Gulf Coast, too. Spotted this one a week or two ago. Chimney Swifts have also arrived. My favorite stays here all year.

Love to watch Chimney Swifts funneling down to roost in a chimney at the end of the day. I found this little tidbit interesting.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 7:53 pm Love to watch Chimney Swifts funneling down to roost in a chimney at the end of the day. I found this little tidbit interesting.

Cool story. I lived in Lima Peru in the early 70's.

doglegg wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 3:04 am

Waukonda wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 7:53 pm

Cool story. I lived in Lima Peru in the early 70's.

You can't put out that little teaser, and just drop it. Tell us about your time in Lima, followers of this thread won't mind a little departure from birds.

Happy to see this fellow this morning. He was pecking away on the suet block so I got the jelly out.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 11:48 am

doglegg wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 3:04 am

Waukonda wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 7:53 pm

Cool story. I lived in Lima Peru in the early 70's.

You can't put out that little teaser, and just drop it. Tell us about your time in Lima, followers of this thread won't mind a little departure from birds.

We lived there late 70 through 72. We were doing mission work. I guess actually we were growing up some. Both of us got hepatitis while there and after recovering moved back to USA. Lima is desert 🏜 and cold ocean, Andes mountains a short drive away. The railroad across them goes up over 14,000 feet. A different world. Never got to Machu Picchu.

On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

TripleF wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 5:00 pm On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

Great experience and pic Scott.

TripleF wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 5:00 pm On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

That is quite a treat to see!
I've not seen one working a tree on the ground.
I think we may have a nest west of our house, there seems to be a lot of racket coming from the same place at times, need to investigate a bit closer. There are several big dead pines in the woods, killed by Hurricane Michael that would that provide a perfect nest site.
How close did you get to that one, Scott?
Treefarmer

Boji wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:18 pm Happy to see this fellow this morning. He was pecking away on the suet block so I got the jelly out.
IMG_8960.jpeg

Good to see, you do a good job of attracting them. I have never had an Oriole in my yard, not one that I have seen anyway.

TripleF wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 5:01 pm On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

Nice pic. My wife, who doesn't care that much about birds, had the same experience last summer. One was on an old rotten stump in our backyard and she said she was about 15' away, called it "one of those great big Woodpeckers", and I can't even get within good picture range of one.

Saw this bird perched atop a pole at the corner of my yard when I stepped out this morning. They are getting so common around here that I would trade one for a couple of those Baltimore Orioles that Boji has hanging around.

The Bobolinks are making their annual Spring stopover.

Great pics Ike.

TripleF wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 5:00 pm On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

Great photo, Scott!

Waukonda wrote: ↑Sat Apr 26, 2025 7:14 pm The Bobolinks are making their annual Spring stopover.

Those Bobolinks are cool to see, Ike. Bald Eagles are pretty common in my area, these days. But I never saw one until I was about thirty, in spite of being a birder. Now I would rather spot a Cooper's Hawk than an Eagle. The world has changed for sure.

.

This pair showed up this morning while I sipped my coffee, not sure if they are a mating pair but I would assume so, beautiful colors and unmistakably the Painted Bunting.

treefarmer wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 10:12 pm

TripleF wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 5:00 pm On my walk this morning I was able to almost touch this Pileated Woodpecker as he hammered out a hole
that produced this wood Beatle that I watch him devour.....quite a treat~

That is quite a treat to see!
I've not seen one working a tree on the ground.
I think we may have a nest west of our house, there seems to be a lot of racket coming from the same place at times, need to investigate a bit closer. There are several big dead pines in the woods, killed by Hurricane Michael that would that provide a perfect nest site.
How close did you get to that one, Scott?
Treefarmer

It was amazing....probably within 8 feet!!!

bestgear wrote: ↑Sun Apr 27, 2025 7:20 pm This pair showed up this morning while I sipped my coffee, not sure if they are a mating pair but I would assume so, beautiful colors and unmistakably the Painted Bunting.

Awesome pics Tom. Absolutely beautiful bird.!