Yesterday afternoon, I got to thinking about how it was supposed to start raining (it did rain and has rained and misted off and on this day), and I thought I might just go back to the strip pit to see what I could find. I saw several of the bird in the top picture...is it a rail of some kind or is it a Wilson's snipe. I am leaning towards snipe but really do not know, so if you know please feel free to comment. And I saw this little painted turtle in this marshy area. It is the first one I have seen out there that I remember.
I also saw a couple pheasant, but no pictures. And an owl--I got pictures but they are not in focus. I saw coots, and I think a grebe...I will post pictures sometime this week. And then some other waterfowl...I don't have a good picture of it but will post it because I think it is at least good enough till someone will be able to identify it.
It did start raining last night...a gentle rain. I think it rained a little all night long and has sprinkled off and on all day. I am not sure what the next few days are supposed to bring, but hopefully the sun will return sooner than later. I am sitting here staring out the window and seeing my lilac in bloom...it smells so good. Though the smell is not as strong as normal so I am wondering am I losing part of my sense of smell.
I just got home from the library...I always come home with such a load...and I very seldom get many read these days. Used to I would bring home whole slew of books, and if they were good, they would be read. Before I went, I went to their website and made my list from there...at least for actual books. For audio, I just go and browse the shelves. And I brought home a couple Inspector Morse videos and a couple Inspector Lynly dvds.
I always wonder how everyone else goes about making their selections....I used to go and just browse and I admit I found some really good books that way. Now I usually pick a subject, and look it up under their key word feature. Today, I used the word 'dust bowl' but they did not have many...so then I switched to 'farm.' Today I seemed to come home with more fiction that not.
For a long while, I seemed to find most of my books in the non-fiction shelves, but my tastes/attention span are changing...and I very seldom get a book that I just can't wait to have a few minutes to read. I miss that feeling of anticipation of knowing I have a good book waiting for me. And I seem to be returning more to fiction, as I did when younger.
Then there are words...if a title has certain words in it and I see it, I will just automatically pick it up. A title with any of the four seasons mentioned will get my attention, as well as any month; if river is in the title, you can bet your life I will pick it up. Or rain...or Tennessee or Kentucky...harvest is another one that is apt to draw my attention. I know there are more words but can't think right now.
So, how do you choose your reading material and have you always liked to read? I know as soon as I learned to read, my mom had to make me turn out the lights most nights. I cannot imagine having a library to go to like I do now. It is one of the greatest pleasures of life.
I know this top photo is not in focus, but is this a blue-winged teal? I think it is from my book and also from googling it. 
I am embarrassed to tell this, but it had not dawned on me that the bird below is the female version of the blackbird. It sort of made me wonder when they act so much alike, but I had never thought to look it up. But when googling red-winged blackbird, it appears several times.
I would hate to have to count the number of red-winged blackbirds out at the strip pit. I think it would be an impossible task. They are everywhere you look.
Two fellow bloggers, Tom and Leedra, identified the questionable bird in yesterday's post as the grebe, pied-billed grebe by Tom...Leedra just called it a grebe. Now if someone would just identify the one Sunday's post...I have also ran into pictures of sandpipers and sandpiper like birds that are similiar to it.
