The Great Bird Hunt

Friday afternoon I drove the RV to Siloam Springs State Park setting up in site 97. We had never parked here before and wanted to try it for its' view of the lake.

Looking out the door you can see the lake through the trees.

I had pretty much everything set up when Cindy arrived. All I needed to do was light a fire for the evening. I had loaded the fire wood in the back of the jeep, which Cindy was going to drive to Siloam when she got off work.
Before lighting the fire we decided to visit the lake via a path at the back edge of the camp site.

Some green was starting to show through the leaves.

At the lake we saw our friends the geese.

Walking back we could see our RV on the left and Tom and his family on the right. Tom usually camps in site 97. He had just purchased a new to him travel trailer and brought the family out to try it out. If I knew he was going to be camping this weekend I would have parked in our regular area up the road so he could have tried the new rig in his regular site.

While backing Baby into the camp site I could not help but notice a redheaded woodpecker flying around this hollowed out tree. Later I noticed that there was another one in the area also. I decided I was going to try to get a picture of them, but they had disappeared for the evening. After supper friday we spent a comfortable evening by the fire. It was clear and cool as in sweatshirt weather perfect for a fire.

Saturday moring while Cindy was sitting with the dogs she told me that the wood peckers had returned and that they had been right out side the RV. That did it! The great hunt was on! I was now determined to get a picture of the woodpeckers.

Got a picture of a robin .. they are easy.



Got a picture of a phoebe.
Did not get the nuthatchers that flew into the tree not ten feet from me. They flew away while I was fumbling with the camera. The red headed woodpeckers were still my target. I would see one or the other but always too far away or they would be on the other side of the branch and fly away when I moved to that side of the tree. One woodpecker seemed to favor this one branch over any other tree or branch in the area. So I decided I would sit where I could get a picture and wait for him. But NO! He decided he did not like that tree anymore!

But he landed in a tree 90 degrees to the right of where I was sitting. Got him!

I was not sure if I got a good picture of him, so I followed him down the hill toward the lake. The sun was refecting off the lake causing the water to shimmer.

I got one more picture of him before I gave up for the day.

That was how I spent my afternoon. Cindy spent her afternoon doing what she likes to do best.

Another nice weekend at Siloam Springs!