Verdict Spring.

There are signs of spring all around us. Spring peepers peeping, flowers poking up through the earth's surface, and birds, birds calling everywhere. The past few days I have taken a couple trips out to the DuBois Reservoir, Kyle Lake, Sabula Lake, and around my property in Brockport with my camera. Nothing too serious, just out for a few strolls. I have been hearing American Woodcocks in flight displays, turkey gobbling, and lots of other bird calls. On two consecutive trips to the reservoir a ring necked pheasant was on the road side while I was passing. the first time I did not have my camera, but the second time I was ready. I jumped out of the car to chase the bird, and try to get a photo. The brush was thick, and the rooster was fast, leaving me with this one photo.

Male ring necked pheasant........'s hind end

Here are a few more photos that I have recently taken.

Common "Bronzed" Grackle

Common "Bronzed" Grackle

Mourning Dove Male

Eastern Bluebird Female

Eastern Bluebird Female

American Robin

American Robin

This photo, compared to the next, shows the uncovered eye of the bird.

American Robin

In this photo, you can see the bird's nictitating membrane, which is a third eyelid in some reptiles and birds that moistens, and protects the eye allowing the animal to maintain visibility.

Song Sparrow

This evening I had my hair cut by my aunt, and while on the way home saw some turkey crossing the road. One was a large gobbler strutting. On impulse I grabbed for my camera, which wasn't in the passenger seat where it usually is. So I went for the next best thing, my trusty iPod. When I pulled off the road, I noticed a second gobbler also strutting in a yard to my right. I let out a few yelps and the tom answered with a strung out gobble. The gobbler crossing the road also gobbled, then sprinted towards the second gobbler, now this was getting good. I turned the video camera on my iPod on and got ready. The two toms squared up in the yard, and started putting and purring at each other. I conntinued to yelp and put, the best to my ability without a turkey call, because it really seemed to get these birds going. By this time the six or seven hens that were with the birds had flown into roost to watch the throw down. I tried for about 22 hours to post the video....no go. I'll keep working on it..