A Cloudy January Sunset in the Woods With a Surprise!

Hi Everybody!                    *Welcome To Rainbow Creek 1-22-12


Hope You are comfortable (I am in my PJs!).  Here at the Bird Sanctuary, it has been a very mild January. We have had winds and clouds, some rain and a couple of freezes. Balmy, spring-like weather has signaled the plants to bud! The red maple in the backyard is blooming. The red flowering quince began blooming yesterday. Loquats and bush honeysuckle are almost finished blooming. Viburnams are starting to open and today, the first Camellia graced the garden.  I am still on winter yard cleanup with leaves and mulch!!  I would like to hear about Your gardens and see your images you share. Please connect on Picasa Web Albums, G+, Facebook, Twitter or comment here on Blogger so I can find all  Gardeners in the World!


Birding News from the Sanctuary:


Many migrating birds pass through the grounds of Kates Cabin. Some stay a few days, others a few months.
The goldfinch are here right now. They arrived on Jan 2 and seem to be enjoying there stay here eating!
The Turkey Buzzards and Black Vultures stay here from November to January. They just left a few days ago. This was the best winter I have ever had with the buzzards. I documented everyday they were here. (Over 10,000 photos!) They would come home every evening at sunset and sit in the meeting tree or the sun tree until almost dark when they went up to the tall pines to sleep for the night. They never ate here on location, they left to go hunt every morning. If it was a pretty afternoon they played in the sky gliding and racing.  I stood in the road between their 2 trees to photograph them.  They interacted with me and played. I would twirl around in circles on the road with arms out as if I was flying. This made them happy and they would fly and dive in the sky above me. Hundreds of them!! I would mow on the tractor and they would follow me up and down. The faster I went, the faster they went. Of course, then they would sit on the empty tree branches like statues as if they were part of the dead tree.  Made great models for my photos as they did not move too much. For a few hours every afternoon, I would hang out with the buzzes and they would watch me and the dog while I watched them. They were not afraid of me or the camera and seemed to show off sometimes! I know this sounds crazy and it is, but I formed a friendship with these particular buzzards in my 'herd'!
Then they left and were gone. Now the dog and I walk down the road alone. I wonder where they go. I still look for them, but they are not here in the sky or the trees. They will be back next November. They always come back for 20 years or so.

Your photostudy for tonight is of the cloudy sunset and the deserted sky and empty trees. As I am walking down the road I wonder if the birds think of me when they are gone. What kind of memories do they have?
I think about them and feel sad as I gaze teary-eyed at the sky. No, they are not here, they have gone.
We still have a pretty sky!

A cool, dampness in the air and no one is here to see these lonely trees.

LOOK!!  There are a few birds high in the sky!!!!!

Yes, it looks like my buzzards.  Can it be they have come for one more visit?

Oh My!  Here they all come down the road (in the sky)

Here comes more!  What are they doing??

I am waving hello, whistling and twirling around!!  Ha Ha see them come in lower now?

I can't believe it!!  They seem to be playing.

These 2 are chasing each other very fast!

Look!  It is King Buzz!

Hello King Buzz!

There he goes!

They all quit circling and flew off. The King is the last one to fly by again. They did not land in the trees or plan to spend the night.  It feels like to me that they did a flyby at sunset just to say hi to me.

How Crazy does that sound?  A Flock of birds that intentionally came to visit a Human on Earth?

How can that be? I do not know how, but I know it is true. I saw it, have witnesses and I have photos!

I felt so happy as they left, that they had come back by to say Goodbye. I am Amazed-Totally Amazed.

King Buzz

...this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek.  Until we meet again!





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