April Changes

 

It's the middle of April and winter seems so long ago. Birds are nesting, many already have produced successful hatches. It is an exciting time to observe the changes around us.

This hermit thrush came to a small stream to drink...

A little while later a pair of blue birds arrived...

Many people provide nest boxes to attract bluebirds; sometimes other species, like these tree swallows occupy the boxes instead...

I believe the barred owls that I posted about recently probably have young ones by now...

I don't know if a squirrel is too large for a barred owl to catch or if this one just wasn't hungry. If you look in the lower right corner of the next image a squirrel can be seen, seemingly oblivious of the owl perched only a few feet away...

I was lucky to spot a few wild turkeys...

With each passing day the foliage makes spotting wildlife more challenging...

If you have followed my previous posts you know that I have a fondness for screech owls...

Sometimes they can be easy to spot...

Other times, they can be shy...

This great-horned owl nest had two chicks when I was made aware of it...

I returned only two days later to find that the owlets had fledged...

The sun was constantly being obscured by clouds which caused the difference in the apparent color of the owls...

The owlets had left the nest, but an adult was perched nearby to keep an eye on them...

When I was reviewing my images I found  the following two of an owlet regurgitating a pellet of undigestible material...

I always try to keep an eye open for creatures as I travel the back roads...

This doe was bedded down beneath a rock overhang...

This image of a turkey vulture was taken through the sunroof of my vehicle...

Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.