The Show Room

 This area is lovely to sit in and smell the flowers. It is called the showroom and flowers are switched out periodically. I think that there are poinsettias around the holidays and in the winter there are Cyclamen and Kalanchoe. I must check it out in the summer to see what is planted.

 Hibiscus

 The way to the lily pond (closed for the winter)

  Cyclamen 

 Kalanchoe

Illegal Immigrants

 Canada Geese at Lake Erie
and there is Canada in the background...a lot of wind turbines but no geese 'cause they are all here.

Waiting

Red-Wing Blackbirds

 When we were  at Lake Erie Metropark with our group on March 7th, there was not a red-wing in sight. A week later all the males were in town. the females red wings have no red wings but are a dull brown color. I saw no females but the male was putting on quite the display. Claiming his territory before the females arrive, he was making noise and displaying his beautiful red wings.
The blackbird is found around soggy ditches and marshes, often perching on cattails. The ones I saw yesterday were way up in the trees...no cattail sitting for them.

 Whenever this bird would call he would spread out this wings so the red and yellow epaulets would show in all their glory. This, I understand is a breeding display.

It seemed to me, as I looked through my photos, that this blackbird would ruffle his feathers when he sang.

Winter Still Lingers

 Walked at Lake Erie this morning and was surprised by how much snow was still on the ground. It is almost all gone where I live but remains at the park.

 Trial was covered in either ice, snow or mud.

 Low lying areas such as the marshes were still frozen over, the lake, however, was thawed. Seems most of the waterfowl have gone.

Click to enlarge
Nothing that I do to these pictures can improve the dull, dreary colors.

The red-wings are back in full force...will post tomorrow.

I saw the blackbirds, robins and cardinals...and a few Canada Geese. Nothing else and no deer.