Red-Bellied Woodpecker

This fellow was looking in our kitchen window this morning.

Song Sparrow

Some Song Sparrow pics from Buck Creek State Park.

Flight Practice

More flight shot practice today with the Olympus EM1 M3 and Zuiko 300mm. I am using the C-AF Track mode, which locks focus on a subject and tracks it. A green box around the subject indicates that it is in focus, and if focus is lost the box turns red. 
There's a low spot in the corn field across the road from us, that becomes a duck pond in the spring. Since we had good light today, I took advantage of the opportunity and pulled my car off of the road parallel to the water. Although it's just across the road, the ducks tolerate the car, whereas if I walk over, they fly. 

Killdeer

Killdeer flight shot

Crazy Coots!

American Coots at Old Reid in Clark County yesterday.

Sometimes when I watch them, I understand where the saying "Crazy as a Coot" comes from.

An excerpt from Wildlife Center of Texas:

"Some animal sayings make sense, “busy as a bee”; while others “she eats like a bird” couldn’t be further from the truth. Birds are gluttons since they must have the energy to sustain flight, so if she “ate like a bird”, she’d be quite round. Maybe the familiar saying, “crazy as a coot” has more to do with the dichotomy between the peaceful bird quietly paddling in the middle of the pond and the aggressive display as it runs over the water towards its target flapping its wings and screaming wildly. The Doctor Jekyll personality is relaxing to watch, but the occasional burst of Mr. Hyde is quite entertaining."

If you've never seen those big green feet, they look like they were borrowed from a cartoon character. Coots are fun to watch and they may be crazy, but I think they're pretty clever and fun regardless!