Gettin' Downy with the Rusty's...

Some Rusty Blackbirds get a little cranky this time of year...

Yeah! No chores this weekend! Now that doesn't mean I didn't have any to do...I just didn't feel like doing them...so there. Ha. Saturday was sunny and warm, so...let's go to Magee!

We also went for a short walk on Sunday. Short because the temperature dropped 20 degrees from Saturday and the wind picked up quite a bit. I am not a cold weather kind of guy. I have little natural "insulation" and you can tell from a few of these photos, I tend to shake even more when the temps are less tepid!

This time of year can be a little difficult for birding as they can sometimes be far and few between, unless you're looking for Downy Woodpeckers...

By far the most seen birdy of the weekend was the Downy Woodpecker.
And if not seen they were certainly heard...everywhere...

Oh, did I mention the flocks of Rusty Blackbirds?
Dozens!

And a few more dozen Downys...

What?! An American Goldfinch popped in!
Remember that old Andrews Sisters song, "Don't sit on the Cherry Tree with anyone else butt me...?"

And Downys hiding in the shrubbery...

And more Rusty Blackbirds too!

This is the infamous "Crazy Old Coot" you've heard so much about!

*SNAKE WARNING!
*especially for Chris!*

We saw this Black Rat Snake sunning himself along the edge of the boardwalk.
Cool scales!

*It's okay Chris, you can look now!*

Meanwhile back in the woods...
How much wood could a Woodpecker peck, if a Woodpecker could peck wood?

The Doodles seems to be attracting a lot of Autumn Meadowhawks today!
They kept hitching rides on her sweatshirt...lazy bugs...

Here we are in our matching BSBO bird gang attire.
Yo, 'sup?

Ya know, I knew I left my pizza out here somewhere...

And yet another Downy Woodpeckery.
No relation to Greggery Peccary...

Hidden away in the shrubs, we found a few Fox Sparrows.
Auto focus doesn't work in shrubbery, just in case you were wondering.
Fun and Free Foto Facts!

A Midland Painted Turtle looking all turtley.

Did you ever notice that Pied-billed Grebes always look like they have their cheeks packed with food?
No? Huh. I did!

You can never have too many Downy Woodpeckers!
This ones name is Morton. If you could see the size of his mouth, you'd know why...

Not a Rusty! It's the last of the Red-winged Blackbirds.
They are the first sign of spring around here...but not today.

I'll leave you with a rare Groucho Marx Heron...
Really, look in your guide...