(Click to enlarge my little chickadee)

Canada Goose

Day 7

Just One of Those Days

What a day! I went shopping and my back was breaking...pain, pain, pain. I was walking stooped over. Parked my car and a woman came up to me and said "Do you know that you parked in a handicapped spot?" I replied that my handicapped placard is clearly visible.  What the hell....is she the handicap police? There is always some do-gooder out there. She would be the first to call the police. Give me a break.
Then....I came home and went into my bedroom to try on my new coat. There is a full length mirror on the back of the door. Don't know what happened but I shut the door and couldn't get out....trapped. I had to call my neighbor (who was watching the all important football game here in Michigan) to get me out. This is the second time that Steve has saved my life......thanks, Steve!
Just one of those days where you wake up crabby and things just happen to justify your rotten mood.

Walking the Trails

 Tamarack Trees

 Muskrat lodge

Walking to Wildwing

 So this walk was about a month ago and the leaves were on the trees and the weather was agreeable. Not so pretty now, I'm sure.
Concentrating on the upcoming holiday, shopping, decorating and cleaning. Have a few lunch dates coming up, one with my granddaughter who is home from college, a day and lunch with two of my photographer friends and lunch with a very old friend that I haven't seen in several years. Looking forward to a bit of socializing.

This Jay was whistling at me

Tufted Titmouse

Ring-billed Gulls

at the marsh

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Mute Swans

 Swan pair....male in front

Sandhill Cranes

Black & White Challenge

Going around Facebook is a B&W photo challenge...no people, no explanation. Thank you Mary Jo for challenging me....not.  I am posting all of mine at one go on my blog but will continue to post on Facebook daily.  Some of my facebook photographer friends are doing it daily for a year...wow!

I am putting the titles here on my blog.

 Living the City Life

 November 

 Lotus Flower

 Pear

 Foggy Morning

Bowl of Apples

Through the Marsh

Views from the marsh...

 It seems like such a long time that the sun has shown. I know it is only a matter of time until we see it again....Monday I hope. Remembering scenes from Crosswind Marsh...lovely walk there.

Oh, Dreary Days

A week ago Friday, I was hanging out with the gulls at Crosswind Marsh, enjoying the sunshine and chasing birds. Now, the weather has been dank and rainy and very depressing and to top it all off, I have been sick in bed for the last 3 days with some dang superbug. Can't talk, can't breathe and have no energy to do anything. At least I can't worry about all the work I have to do outside because it is too wet to do much. Soon the snow will be falling and I have all my perennials yet to cut back and bushes to trim and so on. Oh well, there is nothing for it but to watch as much TV as possible.
I loved all these gulls hanging out on the railing...they are living right.

Nesting Eagles

A facebook friend posted some great photos of a Bald Eagle pair building a nest out at Kennsington. Unfortunately, my pictures are not good and I never saw the Eagles. The nest is located right dab in the middle of the Rookery. In the spring the trees on the small island are loaded with Heron and Egret nests.......so I am really curious how that's going to work. Will the Eagles nest there? Will the Herons come back? Will there be squabbles or worse? Or will they raise their young in peace and harmony?We will have to wait until spring to find out.

 You can still see the remnants of the Heron nests but the Eagles' nest clearly stands out because it is

 much bigger.

 The next three wonderful photos are by Loretta Tester......great work, Loretta

Feed them......

 and they will come....

Tufted Titmouse
Does this meal not met your high standards?

 Downy Woodpecker
Poser

Black-capped Chickadee

Dash and dine

I'm Dizzy

This boardwalk was really slanted like this....very disorienting. First a slant to the left, than a big hump and then a slant to the right. Oh well, keeps your feet dry.

A curve this way and that....very scenic walk at the marsh

A Sweep of Cranes

 If you saw a flock of birds you would say, for instance, there is a flock of seagulls (not to be confused with the old 80's band) but actually many species of birds have specific names for a gathering. A flock of Goldfinches , for instance, is called a charm.
 I was amazed at the number of birds at Crosswinds. Above is a "sweep" of Cranes. In the past I have seen a few Sandhill Cranes at the marsh but yesterday there were quite a few. Again, wish that I had a long lens. Me complaining about my weak and ineffective lens.
I was disappointed not to have seen any Herons or Egrets or the Eagles. They may all have been around in the distance but since I forgot my binoculars, they would be difficult to spot.

 The 3 photos above are of a "colony" of Gulls.....Wow....many, many gulls.

 There were also many Mute Swans....which is usual.

Of course, there always plenty of Canada Geese.

Above,a pretty big flock of Crows, a "murder" of Crows, making a lot of racket.
All these, shall we just call them flocks of birds, made my photo shoot very interesting. I have a lot more photos to post but first the editing.