Happy Memorial Day: Beautiful Eagle at the Nature Station in the LBL
It’ll Be a WILD Memorial Day Weekend at Woodlands Nature Station!
Bobcat at the Nature Station… LOVE Her!
Visitors will meet Smokey Bear, gobble with turkeys, and have up-close encounters with native wildlife in the Nature Station’s backyard at Land Between The Lakes. Special event programs are included with standard admission unless otherwise noted.
Located in the woods between Honker Lake and Hematite Lake, the Nature Station serves as a gateway to the 8,500-acre Nature Watch Area.
The uncommonly friendly staff do an outstanding job of sharing their wealth of knowledge of and passion for birds, reptiles, and wildlife.
Nature Station admission is $5 age 13 and up, $3 age 5-12, and free for ages 4 and under. Call 270-924-2020 to pre-register for guided canoe trips Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm.
Daily canoe and kayak rentals start Saturday, May 28, 10am-4pm, weather permitting. For more details, call 270-924-2299.
Beautiful Red Wolf
Saturday, May 28, 2016
- 10am-4pm–I Spy Up High Scavenger Hunt
- Throughout the day–visits with Smokey Bear
- 11:30am–Talkin’ Turkeys!
- 1-4pm–Critter Craft for Kids
- 1:30pm–Let’s Get Snappy: Turtle Feeding
- 2:30pm–It’s an Owl, it’s a Hawk, it’s a….Kestrel?
- 3:30pm–Dinnertime for Red Wolves
- 4:30pm–Parade of Raptors
- 6-8:30pm–Sunset Canoe Trip (Reservations required; call 270-924-2020)
Sunday, May 29, 2016
- 10am-4pm–I Spy Up High Scavenger Hunt
- 11:30am–Little Orphan Annie-mals
- 1-4pm–Critter Craft for Kids
- 1:30pm–Storytime with Smokey Bear
- 2:30pm–Bald is Beautiful: The Bald Eagle
- 3:30pm–Mystery Animal Encounter
- 4:30pm–Parade of Raptors
- 6-8:30pm–Family Sunset Canoe Trip (Reservations required; call 270-924-2020)
Monday, May 30, 2016
- 10am-4pm–I Spy Up High Scavenger Hunt
- 11:30am–Fears & Phobias: Misunderstood Animals
- 2pm–Baby Birds Bonanza!
- 3:30pm–Howlin’ Good Time with Coyotes
- 4:30pm–Parade of Raptors
Canoeing on Honker Bay Last Year:
Celebrate Migratory Bird Day at the Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes
Fellow bird lovers, there’s only one place you should be tomorrow and that’s the Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes.
Migratory Bird Day is tomorrow, May 14, and the Nature Station is set to shine the spotlight on our feathered friends but good.
You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about eagles (Bald and Golden) AND check out other special migratory birds. See Migration Celebration for more information.
That last sentence sounded straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, didn’t it?!?
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak: A Favorite and Colorful Bird Feeder Visitor
Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
If you’ve spotted a colorful, gorgeous little black and white bird with red on his chest, you’ve been lucky enough to see a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. A member of the cardinal family, the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak is a songbird we don’t get to see very often here in Kentucky.
I don’t have any pictures, YET, of a female Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, but I’m working on it. She isn’t as colorful as her male companion, but she’s just as beautiful – with gorgeous brown markings. Females and immature males (no comments, ladies) are streaked brown and white. They have an adorable, distinctive face pattern and what seems like an especially large bill.
You’ll often see Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks referred to as “large songbirds” but this only means comparison-wise. These birds aren’t very big at all – I’d say somewhere between a sparrow and a cardinal.
Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks are undoubtedly one of the most vivid sights at your bird feeder. They’re a beautiful reminder of the importance to glance out at your bird feeder or feeders often. You won’t see Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks year-round, of course. I’ve had the best luck with viewing them in spring and early summer, but I’m hoping they’ll stick around longer this year.
Even the back view is beautiful! If you see the view above in your yard, be sure to wait for him to turn around.
I always place birdseed and corn on my windowsills – something doves, cardinals, finches, and sparrows absolutely LOVE. I’ve found that Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks are also crazy about this special buffet, yesterday three mails were lined up at one window eating happily while giving each other the side eye. **** If you put birdseed on a windowsill, be sure you keep your blinds or curtains almost completely down. I leave mine only a few inches up – if you “expose” too much of the glass, birds will not see it and will fly right into it, usually killing the bird.
I apologize for the quality of these particular pictures – they were taken through glass from my kitchen… with a zoom lens, no less. I’ve tried to provide a good assortment of angles and shots to give you an idea of the size and colors of these beautiful birds. I kept waiting for another bird to land close to the grosbeak to give you a size comparison, but every other bird was apparently bashful!
A Few Facts About Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks:
- They are notorious for their “flimsy” nests.
- The rose-breasted grosbeak’s song sounds very similar to a robin’s.
- The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak incubates the eggs for several hours during the day, while the female incubates the rest of the day and all night long.
- Males sing to establish territories and attract females.
- When a male attracts a female, he actually plays hard to get for a few days before giving her the time of day!
For more information (pictures, audio…) on Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks and every other bird imaginable, check out All About Birds.
See Also:
Bird Watching: A Beautiful Way to Spend an Afternoon
Hummingbird – Eat and Run
I’m not just a bird lover, bird feeder, or bird watcher, I’m what’d have to be called a bird fanatic. I even keep a “Bird Journal,” detailing the birds I see at our feeders (or excursions) each day – what they did, their behavior, etc.
Bird Nerd, for sure.
My journal had a lot of entries a few days ago. Some of the most exciting times of the year, for me, are when I see the much-anticipated arrival of particular feathered friends. That first hummingbird sighting, for example, always comes with a bevy of exclamation points. I saw my first one earlier this week, though I suspect they’d been visiting the feeder before then. Fortunately I was in the front yard (camera in hand) at the time.
The only problem, for me, is that when I’m photographing birds, wildlife, or pets, I’m too busy wanting to WATCH to really focus on the picture!
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are uncommonly fascinating and so ridiculously beautiful. All birds are – each in their own way. That’s why I can never say which bird is my absolute favorite. Instead, when asked, I say, “Goldfinches are my favorite today,” “Hummingbirds are my favorite today,” “Cardinals are my favorite today,” “Mockingbirds are my favorite today,” “Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks are my favorite today,” “Blue Jays…”
Oh, you get the idea!
The more time you spend with birds, the more you appreciate each one’s distinct personality and characteristic behaviors. Take mockinbirds, for example… these guys are hilarious! Our mockingbirds love to hang out near our patio. A favorite perch is an iron hanging plant holder – it’s located near a few cat food dishes, which the mockingbirds feel for certain is their own personal buffet.
Mockingbird
I love how determined a mockingbird always looks – they’re beautiful and I’m crazy about their “Look at me! I’m the Captain!” attitude.
Before the hummingbird showed up at the hummingbird feeder, I actually saw something I’d never seen before, a goldfinch flew right up, sat on the perch and drank his fill.
Goldfinch says, “Don’t mind if I do…”
The goldfinch is another bird I could watch all day. They’re such colorful little beauties.
Goldfinch
I’ll add more bird pictures this weekend – I got some extra fun pictures of a female cardinal. For about three days now, my favorite bird of the day has been the “female cardinal.” If you ever stop and really look at a female cardinal, you’ll realize that she is uncommonly beautiful – just as beautiful as her show-off male counterpart.
Just don’t tell him that – his ego is out of this world.
