Various Shades of Brown of The Vermilon River. A Post to Camera Critters and Scenic Sunday.

Mourning Dove

My feeders have been active,I think, because the leaves are out now, and the birds are more secure with the shelter of the leaves. I've recently posted a lot of very colourful birds, but as I've remarked several times the variations of browns and beiges in nature is fantastic. So today I decided to post some of those variations that have appeared at the feeders.  

Mourning Dove




Mourning Dove








I really like visits from the mourning doves with their bobbing and cooing. But their colour scheme is also incredible, with its variations of beiges and browns.



The side view below shows the deep browns on the wings.


Mourning Dove




White-throated Sparrow.







The White-throated Sparrows are also basically brown and beige, but nature this time has added a vivid yellow highlighted with black and white.

Head on, the tree photo below shows how vivid the colour scheme is.


White-throated Sparrow.



Sparrow



Sparrow.




Again these guys are showing their full colours.

Sparrow.



Male Goldfinch.







Some how this guy crept in. There is certainly nothing subtle about his colour scheme.








A Post to Camera Critters @ http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/ and to Scenic Sunday @ http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Storm Clouds of the Vermilon River. A Post to Sky Watch Friday.

Cumulus Building.

The weather as I have said earlier is spotty with few sunny days, but several overcast and cold days. We've had frost some mornings, and quick changes are the name of the game. The cumulus clouds are building quickly as this series of photos shows. They turned black and...


Building



Building and Changing Colour.



Looks Like an A-Bomb Cloud.



The build was fast and the colour change was quick. These clouds look like atom bomb clouds shown in old movies. The sky stayed an intense blue.


Still turning and Building.




Growing and Blackening.





The clouds below look like they're turning on themselves in a great roll back.

Then, there was a great flash followed by a roaring bang. No repeats, no rain, that was it! Who said nature doesn't like a great show.


Growing



Male Tree Swallow

After the great hike to Mystic Lake, things were active around here as well; as, these tree swallows appear to have found a home in the bush just behind us. It's all the same bush sometimes we just take the one closest to us for granted. These guys are normally in flocks but these two were alone. His flashing blue plumage is really something.



Female Tree Swallow




Mourning Dove.




Mourning Dove.






As well the Mourning Doves have started to visit us which  is a welcome addition on the home front.


Male and Female Goldfinch.




Male and Female Goldfinch.



I think the weather has been so bad these Goldfinch are attracted by the free food, and shelter that the new leaves on the tree afford.

So we have our home visitors and our forest wildlife all lined up.

Male Goldfinch.

A Post to Sky Watch Friday @ http://skyley.blogspot.com/

More Views of Spring on the Vermilon River. A Post to My World Tuesday.

River Bank



Small Falls

 As I said spring comes in fits and starts in the north. Today is overcast, about 40F and raining.  The snow, now crystallized, is melting away, but slowly in the forest and along the river bank because of the shade from the trees. This situation still inhibits Boom and I from the more rugged trails. I'd say another week, but we could still get snow.

A Gaggle of Geese.



Close Up.




One Legged Geese

 These Geese are just standing on one foot. They are not injured.


In Flight





In Flight.

 They're exceptional fliers.


Reflected Geese




Ring-billed Gull




Male RedPoll




Male RedPoll




Goldfinch.



Male Hairy Woodpecker.

 Click to enlarge.


Northern Crow

 Now you know how I got the crow to pose.

 A Post to My World Tuesday @ http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Fun and Games at the Vermilon River. A Post to Sky Watch.



Day Light Moon

 These moon shots were taken in the afternoon about three o'clock, so the moon while visible was not up to its usual brightness. They're all bumped in PSE8.


Day Light Moon.




1 Male RedPoll

  These are the obligatory Redpolls.


2 Male RedPoll




3 Male RedPoll


You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them. See how white or buff the chest of photo 2 and 3 are. I think they, maybe, are Hoary RedPolls. Although the positive check is the buff/white area between their wings on their back.

The Goldfinch below is just to remind everybody that RedPolls are not the only birds around.




Am Goldfinch



And of course, the incomparable Boomer who is always up for a few poses. By now you may have guessed that I bought the new computer. Six GB of ram and expandable, one TB of hard drive, and one GB in the video card. The lap top is now reserved for my music complete with its own external hard drive crammed with CD's. I'm just listening to Elton John and Leon Russel's CD called "The Union".

 I'm just in the process of removing the last of the photoshop pics from the laptop.

All of which proves Boom and I are just two boys with their toys.

A Post to Sky Watch @ http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Another Group of Friends from the Vermilon River. A Post to WBW.

Crow

As I mentioned in the previous post, the way to tell a Northern Crow from a Raven is the lack of the shaggy mane. Size is not a great indicator as this crow is pretty big also.


Profile of Crow.

Pretty impressive looking isn't he?


Same Crow

Notice the light reflection in his eye?


Profile

These are the same guys that I attract with the peanuts, and they're getting fairly use to Boom & I.


In Profile Again

If you look closely you can see the snow on his beak as they get their moisture from the snow an indication of their adaption to a northern climate.


Full Profile




Female RedPoll

 Again you can never get enough RedPolls.


Female RedPoll




Female RedPoll




Female RedPoll




Am. Goldfinch

Just as a change of pace I thought I'd include these American Goldfinch. Another splash of colour against the black of the crows. 

American Goldfinch




RedPoll