YardCrap BIRDS

COOT

I understand this is not a photo most would post as the lighting is all wrong.  I don't care.  I have many very good photos from past years but --
I am blessed to live on a large lake.  I can see it everyday from where I write this - my porch.
Saw these guys in the cove, walked down and snapped this photo.  My lake is part of the Savanah River which is a bird "flyway".  I don't see as many water birds as one will on the coast, but most visit me.  In Winter almost any bird might drop by.

Coots are fun to watch as they go underwater to hunt.  They are very active.

An interesting thing happened here a few years back.  Our Eagles were dying.  I moved here because I am a fan of CLEMSON.  Students there discovered that Coots were eating posion plants and the Eagles eating them died.  The plants were cleaned out and all is now again balanced.  How cool is that?

Red-winged Blackbird

I have been too busy to play here for a few days.
The Bride looked out the widow and saw this guy on the porch.

I snapped that through the window - not too bad!  My house has large windows like a store front.  Being inside is kinda like being outside.
Later he came to the pond.

I see these rarely.  It is a nice bird with a distintive call.  He eats most of the seed types at the feeeders, but seldom shows.