JEllen in the Black Hills: March 2010

Friday, March 26

Spring is Sprunging!

I went for another one of my drives yesterday, getting out to enjoy the sunshine. It's almost April and still no sign of any wildflowers at all, but there are many signs that spring is arriving...

Ok this shot was taken two days ago, in my backyard...first robin to visit that I know of...

So back to yesterday's drive...I saw a few busy red squirrels along Spring Creek at a spot I like to visit...this one seemed to be trying to bite off more than it could chew w/ that big cone...

Also along Spring Creek, the chickadees were being inquisitive and getting close to me, which is a typical trait of theirs...and the red-breasted nuthatches, also seen but too flitty to capture...

Spring Creek, N of Sheridan Lake, still has plenty of snow patches, and the 'brownery' hasn't turned back into greenery yet. I did, however, see many signs of the first green appearing...Yay! NO wildflowers to speak of yet, though, dang it. Not even the early pasqueflowers.

Saturday, March 20

Thank You!

I just wanted to post a thank you today to those of you who made a comment about my moving to the south next year. I welcome any positive feed back about Alabama, having never been there before. Wanda tapped into what many people would feel (my mom and I discussed this)...how the thought of leaving where you are now is followed with panic, fear, sadness, etc etc. If I were Wanda I'd feel that way too; she's so fortunate to have her family close by. My family, however, is scattered far and wide. I rarely see my parents or three siblings; one sister lives out of the country. Perhaps the fact that we are scattered is a major reason for why I have no problem with moving all over the place and experiencing new scenery, culture, etc. I know that the humid heat is going to be a problem for me, but am trying to focus on the positive. It won't be NEW to me, just a big adjustment...it's been 22 years since I've lived where it's humid.

Anyway, thanks again for the vote of confidence...and for all the comments you've all posted in the past several months, I do appreciate and enjoy them!

Wednesday, March 17

Hairy or Downy?!

The one tell-tale difference between the two woodpeckers is the length of the bill. The hairy woodpecker is far more common in this region, but its bill is more than half the width of its head...which makes me think this is the shorter-billed downy woodpecker. I heard/saw two of them in a wooded picnic area near Sturgis today. They were also definitely smaller than the hairy woodpecker that I've taken several photos of in the past. (Downy is 2" smaller.) I also saw...as it zipped by ahead of my car...a Mt. bluebird! The first one of 'spring'. :o)

Hmm, what does this remind you of.....?

The white-breasted nuthatch of course...captured here during an upright moment.

Monday, March 15

A Major Announcement

No photo today; I haven't been out w/ the camera since the bald eagle/coyote sighting. I do hope to get out Wed., though, and I'm excited about that...it's going to be around 60 F!

About that announcement...I apologize to my wonderful blog buddies for not keeping up with your blogs lately...I will get back on track, I miss you...the Huz and I have been very busy and distracted lately with prepping our house for putting it on the RE market. Today, our agent came over and we signed the paperwork, she took photos, and the sale sign went up. I've been a bundle of emotions the past several weeks, since we made the final decision for Huz to retire the end of this year vs. the end of 2011. Many things to consider, etc etc.

We will be moving to the south, near Florida, so that we can be near beaches again...we both grew up near an ocean and miss it terribly. This will be our third move out-of-state, and like our move to S Dakota, I've never even been where we're going next....Alabama. Why there? Long story...great RE prices, even greater low property taxes, no state income tax for the Huz, and it puts us very close to Florida w/o the hurricanes and higher costs of living....oh and no more seven months of winter ea year....

What will I do for photograpy? You did catch that Florida will basically be our backyard, right? I'm very excited about the abundance of bird life there as well as seeing what I will find in Alabama and beyond.

I will be concentrating on bird photography once we move, but know that I will find other wildlife as well. And of course I will have a new blog!

Speaking of birds....I saw my first robin yesterday! Yesss! Now to see some GREEN other than the Ponderosa pines.....still have TWO months or more to go for the countryside to be all green, ARG!

Wednesday, March 3

Nature's Winter Colors

Here's a more complete look at what I discovered on my last drive in the Hills last week...I don't go out much due to how dismal the landscape colors are...brown and white, white and brown...I did see a bald eagle fly by my house today !! And a large V of Canada geese too, so there's hope yet that winter will end...for a bit...

There was a scruffy-looking white-tailed doe, looking just as anxious for spring to be sprung as I am...

A still-frozen French Creek in Custer Park...

The bald eagle at the Wind Cave Nat'l Park NW entrance, yawning over its boredom with winter...and gawky me no doubt...

The coyote on the other side of my parked car, trotting along through the snow...I felt like a wildlife sandwich, eagle on one side, coyote on the other...

Another bald eagle on top of a dead tree, this one further down in Wind Cave NP...it was all branches against the hazy blue sky...

...this eagle was equally uninterested in my presence...off it flew...

Curled, dry leaves looking like pendants hanging down...

One of two bighorn sheep at the Hwy 385/Hwy 16 junction near Hill City, squinting at me against the bright winter sun...they like this spot for some reason, despite the human presence.