April 2019

Eastern Bluebird

I started April in the midst of a beach vacation in the Gulf Shores area of southern Alabama. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the area is a great place for early spring birding. Because of this, you may see more bird photos than normal in this month's "best 12."  Seems like every spring, I am finding it harder to resist the challenge to find and shoot portraits of as many colorful and interesting birds that I can spot. Spring is a great time to go out into nature for a walk. Finding, identifying and photographing the spring migration is a great way to get motivated to get off the couch and outside.  Even though this April was more cold, wet and snowy that we'd like here in South Dakota, it still provided great photo ops for early spring wildflowers, including our state flower, the pasqueflower.  You'll see a few portraits of this little beauty in this month's collection as well.  Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

The Gulf of Mexico as seen from Alabama's Gulf Shores area

Supper time for a great blue heron

First pasqueflower of the year with a bee 

House finch showing off his colors

Pasqueflower in the evening light

Snow trillium living up to its name

Pasqueflower defying a spring blizzard

Golden-crowned kinglet

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Pasqueflower patch in rural McPherson County taken on Easter Sunday

Wild white trout lily found in Union Grove State Park, SD