Warbler Migration Has Started!

Rick wanted to do some fishing before I went in to work today so we had our coffee and headed out to McFarland Park. The fishing wasn't very good, but we started spotting warblers on their spring migration!

Ring-billed ducks

COOT!

White-throated sparrow

White-throated sparrow

Here we see the rare and elusive Fishingrick in its natural habit

Butter-butt! First of the year!

Yellow-rumped warbler (butter butt)

Palm Warbler - first of the year!

Butter Butt

Butter butt

Palm warbler

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Towhee singing - First of the year!

Eastern Towhee

Song Sparrow

Friday Fishing

Rick and Charles decided to go fishing on campus at Lake LaVerne. 

I wandered around taking pictures of the campus wildlife before going back to photograph their fishing exploits.

Chipping Sparrow near Ross Hall (ISU Campus)

I think this is a crabapple

Scilla (I think?)

Baby Squirrel! So Cute!

Peeking out of his nest

The squirrel nest is pretty high up

peeking out again - he's SO CUTE!!

White throated sparrow

Magnolia

2nd baby squirrel

both babies

2nd baby again

THIS RABBIT HAS EYEBROWS

Robins

Robin

Rick, Charles, and Charles' bluegill - Lake LaVerne (ISU campus)

Rick's Bluegill

Charles and a large-mouth bass

Rick and another bluegill

Amazing action shot of Rick pulling in a bluegill

Rick and another bluegill

Rick and another Bluegill

Rick and another bluegill

Rick and another bluegill

The leucistic squirrel! For a better picture of her see the May 5, 2013 post

I think Charles caught more fish than Ricky did, he caught at least 3 bass (or the same one 3 times) but he never SMILES in the pictures so I didn't put them on here.

Easter!

Rick and I hosted Easter Dinner this year! I made a French Dip (with au jus for dipping) on toasted onion buns and Rick made garlicky asparagus. So Good! 

And for dessert I made this triple berry Trifle! SO PRETTY! 

I think the original recipe I had called for pound cake and vanilla pudding, but I always end up using angel food cake and banana pudding. Because I like fruit with my fruit.

Bloodroot

White-breasted nuthatch in silhouette - he was right into the sun!

Dutchman's Breeches!

I don't know what Phil is pointing at, but it looks like he and Sarah are lost in the woods.

Sarah and Phil on a HUGE tree stump! It was sort of like two trees that had grown together because the part Sarah is behind is still "intact" and formed a solid ring. I told her to jump inside but she was struggling.

So Phil helped her. 

Sarah in a tree stump

And for the first time in like twenty years - A George Family Photo!!
We had to take this twice because Sarah and I are sitting on the tiny tiny armrests of our bench and in the first picture I'm falling off... 

McFarland Park

Spotted Sandpiper

Mourning Dove

Chickadee

Ring billed Ducks

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Belted Kingfisher

Round-lobed hepatica