Thanks to Brother Phil in California, who sent me an e-mail with photos this afternoon, I don't even have to think about what to put in my blog tonight, because it's back to tundra swans again.
My brother took these photos in the recently flooded rice fields, near Beale AFB (north of Sacramento) in California.
He also told me in a phone call tonight that there are rice fields that have been flooded near where he lives in Robbins so he now sees the swans close to home too (in addition to Ibis and other waterfowl and wading shorebirds). He says he can hear the swans "talking" to each other when it's quiet at night. Wouldn't that be cool?
Thanks Phil for sending me these photos!
12 comments:
Swan, Swan, Hummingbird...
Your blog has it all. Sigh...
Oh, Ruthie, I understand. Sometimes we just get dead-headed for posts.
But hey, thanks to Phil, we all have dreams of swans tonight...shown in dark and moody photos. Love it!
wow, how wonderful! I seem to be getting started around 7!! LOL!
Don't dispare Ruthie it is just the winter veil of darkness working on you. So good to hear from you. Thank you brother Phil for the inspiration. We all need that from time to time. I hope for you sunshine and hot cocoa. :)
Hey Ruth: Lucky you and lucky brother Phil, too...to be able to see these magnificent birds in such numbers. Sorry to hear that you didn't know what to post...while I love hearing about tundra swans and other such birds, I always look forward to seeing whatever it is that is visiting your birdfeeder that day...even if isn't a unique site/bird. Your photos always inspire me.
I can't even imagine seeing so many swans in one place! Wonderful photos!
No Trixie, not everything.... no baby moose stopping by to nibble on perennials in my garden. :-D
Hi Mary,
I'm glad he sent them to me...at first he wasn't going to "because you've already seen swans" is what he told me on the phone, but being the older, bossy sister, I'm glad he took my "advice." tee-hee
Hi Mon@rch,
It's funny how those internal clocks work....I am most definitely an EARLY MORNING person.
Hi Lisa,
Every late fall I get this way for a while and this week it's gotten cold all of a sudden, so I'm not spending too much time outside when I get home from work; so time to pull on those long johns and force myself to be outside and try to absorb a few of the sun's rays when I get home from work!
Hi Meggie,
Thanks for your kind words. I've had a few cedar waxwings still stopping by at the birdbath on the deck, but I'm never quick enough with the camera. We're supposed to get some snow this weekend, so I'll have the camera ready to see how many of my little feathered visitors want to be photographed in cute poses...
Hi Jayne,
I'm thinking I'm ready to plant some extra trees to erase my carbon footprint of a round trip flight to California to see my brother's new place and all the cool birds he has around there.
Hey Ruthie, last night I went to bed at 7 and I got up at 7. Sometimes you just get really tired! And you are sooo busy. It is so nice to enjoy birds I am unlikely to see by reading birder's blogs.
How cool that you and your brother both got to experience the tundra swans this year!
Hi Ruth,
I hope you aren't sick, are you? I can't even remember the last time I slept 12 hours. I guess our bodies just let us know when we're trying to do too much.
Hi Marsha,
Yeah, I think it's pretty cool too. My brother isn't quite the avid birdwather that I am, but he will usually share good California bird stories and sightings with me because he knows I get excited about them.
That is really cool, Ruthie. I didn't know we had tundra swans migrating to California. But if I would have given it some thought I would realize these birds are probably migrating from Alaska. That's a lot of swans in those photos. I guess I'm gonna have to take a drive up north to see them.
Hi Mary C,
When I asked my brother if San Jose was at all close to him he said no. I looked at my California map the other day to try and find Beale AFB and it looks like it is a long ways from you. However, my Sibley field guide shows the central/ northern California area as a wintering ground for the tundra swans, so maybe you would be able to find some a little closer to home. I hope you find some and are able to post a story and pictures!
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