June 5/05 - RIVER'S EDGE (KAYE ROAD) is only 10 minutes from my place and is wide open with a few areas of trees and underbrush. It's actually a large subdivision with 2.5 acre lots. In a year or two there'll be mostly houses and very few birds, but right now, it's one of my regular haunts. I'm still after the MacGillivray's Warbler and the American Kestral so that keeps me going back. I saw neither today. I had to settle for the a few juveniles instead.

PAPA ORANGE-CROWNED and his family were working their way down the trail so I followed them trying to get a few pictures.

JUNIOR ORANGE-CROWNED seemed to be doing fine, but that didn't stop it from begging when Mom or Dad was near.

JUNIOR VIOLET-GREEN was showing off its feathers down by Rascal Lane.

JUNIOR MYSTERY - I think this little guy is a Juvenile Yellow-rumped. Correct me if I'm wrong.

JUNE 7/05 - My day started early with a raucous chorus of crows at 6:30 in the morning in my backyard. (It's a large backyard of about 3 acres of forest.) Sure enough, it was an owl. I was trying so hard to get some pictures in the dim light that I just assumed it was a great Horned Owl. When I got home from my birding morning at 2:00 pm, the robins drew me to the forest again. I was surprised to be face-to-face with a Barred Owl. Checking my pictures later, I realized it was the same owl as the morning one. It was a new bird for me. I did go to Kaye Road again, but with the price of gas down 2 cents, I decided to make the run to Deep bay and look for wild turkeys on the way back. I didn't find any turkeys, but there were eagles at Deep Bay.

HAIRY FAMILY - Just before I left home, Mommy Hairy and 2 children flew into the garden. I managed to get one decent picture of little Harry Hairy before they flew off. (How many Harry's are there?)

STALKING THE REDTAIL - 2 days ago the Redtail was sitting on a snag close to the road where I parked. I made the mistake of getting out of the car. It was gone before I got the camera out. Today, it wasn't there, but as I walked down the trail, it flew out of another tree. I managed one distant shot and that was it.

CLOSING IN - The MacGillivray's Warbler finally came half way down the tree for me. Maybe we just need more time to get acquainted.

PEEK-A-BOO - Momma Flicker was in the nest for this picture, but she wasn't around when the Starling was there earlier. I remember seeing a Flicker feeding a Starling last year.

DEEP BAY DINING - It was low tide and Bald Eagles were everywhere, especially near a seal carcass. There was no squabbling, but there was a queue for the order of dining. This youngster was getting impatient as it was at the end of the line. It finally got its turn as the others begrudgingly left when I got closer.

FRESH FOOD - It was fun to watch the the eagle in action as the whole body got involved in tearing off chunks of food. The red blood suggested the recent mortality of the seal.

HOME SURPRISE - After a day away from home chasing birds, the best surprise was the Barred Owl waiting to greet me at home. They say the best part of leaving is coming home. I'll drink to that.

A DEER SIGHT - It's always touching to see a doe with her little spotted fawns. This was the first picture I took at Kaye Road this morning.

128 pages, full colour, hard cover coffee table book. Anticipated publication date: June 22/05