There have been no new gulls or ducks at Lake Lansing this week so I photographed a couple of Ring-billed Gulls. Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
 

The colder weather and first snowfall has brought my first snow birds to Ingham County. This photo of a Snow Bunting was taken yesterday on the south campus of MSU along Jolly Road.

Snow Bunting

A small flock of Bluebirds passed through Meridian North Park Sunday morning. Here are a few photos of them.

Male Bluebird
Male Bluebirds
Bluebirds

There are no birds at my feeders today. I wonder why...?

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Here are a couple of close up photos of the culprit, a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk

All gulls are not created equal, they are not all Ring-billed Gulls in the Meijer parking lot or Herring Gulls at the beach. Every once in a while a special one shows up at Lake Lansing and last evening it was a beautiful Iceland Gull (Kumlieni). What a treat!

Iceland Gull (Kumlieni)
Underneath the wings appear white. This why Iceland Gulls are called white winged gulls. 
Iceland Gull (Kumlieni)
Notice that the primaries have very little black in them.
Iceland Gull (Kumlieni)
Here the Iceland Gull is behind a Ring-billed Gull. Notice that it is larger,
has a rounder head and has very little black in the wing tips (primaries)
 

I forgot my tripod so this was the best photo I could come up with.

Supermoon  

I love owls and raptors and songbirds and owls. Ahh there is such a special thrill when seeing an owl. I spent this morning in Dansville SGA busting through brush and brambles looking for owls. Most times I get skunked and don't find anything, but today I was rewarded with this Long-eared Owl who was kind enough to sit still and let me marvel at its beauty. Did I mention that I love owls?

Long-eared Owl

I spent the day with a friend at Williamston Township Community Park scanning the sky for migrating Raptors.
The highlight of the day was seeing not one but two Immature Golden Eagles! Here is a photo of one of them.
Golden Eagle
In this photo one of the Golden Eagles is soaring with a Red-tailed Hawk. Look at the size difference.
A Golden eagle can have a wingspan of up to 7 ft. 8 in.! What a magnificent bird! 
Golden Eagle & Red-tailed Hawk

I never tire of these little bundles of high energy. They don't stand still for long and hang out low to the ground moving in and around branches and grass. Here is one I found in Legg Park that stood still for 10 seconds to long ... lucky me.

Winter Wren

We have all seen them on a warm summer day circling overhead, riding the thermals, gliding through the air without flapping their wings. They appear completely black when soaring high in the sky, but actually their flight feathers are a silver gray underneath. Here is one in Legg Park that is getting ready to take flight on wings that can span up to 6 feet. It may not seem as majestic as an Eagle but it is beautiful in its own way.

Turkey Vulture   

The day was so beautiful and the sky so blue that I just couldn't resist a shot of the last quarter moon.
​Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon ...
Quarter Moon

The bright blues and greens of summer are giving way to the orange, reds and yellows of autumn.

Eastern Bluebird 1

We can't stay forever dear. The leaves are changing and frost is on the ground. Time to close up the summer house and head south.

Eastern Bluebirds