It's been a hot minute since I went birding anywhere and was able to get enough photos to make a blog post. Hills Park is in Sheldon, IA and though I dont really go there often, it usually tends to be worth it. I can always manage to find birds here and this trip was no exception. I even found a species I didn't really expect to find, the Rusty Blackbird. This is a really interesting bird, and it's one I haven't seen many times. The coloring on them is really spectacular, and this bird is a perfect example of what their winter/spring plumage looks like. This is possibly an early migrant, and a great find early on in the year!
Harris's Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco are pretty typical winter birds seen in my area, and I saw many of them out in the park. I particularly love this shot of the Harris's Sparrow in this rotten log.
Harris's Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco
The Downy Woodpeckers were out in full force, foraging for food. I could hear Red-bellied Woodpeckers in the area as well, but didn't manage to get any shots of them. These two males were willing to make an appearance, however.
Downy Woodpecker
I can always seem to find the White-breasted Nuthatch where ever I go, and they never disappoint. They always seem to be sort of curious and never shy away from having their photos taken.
White-breasted Nuthatch
And speaking of curious, this Blue Jay landed on the tree branch right in front of me, and then proceeded to the grass were he appeared to be eating some old frozen dog kibble. I have never had a Blue Jay so willing to get close to me before, so this was so much fun.
Blue Jay
Now an outing wouldn't be complete if I didn't find a scruffy cat to snag a photo of ! It's got an interesting look, and really beautiful eyes.
