Birds in the Flint Hills of Kansas (One)

A wide variety of birds live here in the Tallgrass Prairie, and many more migrate through these beautiful Flint Hills.

I have provided a water source for birds and animals in my present location for fifteen years, come blizzard or drought. I have been rewarded by annual visits from (endangered) Rusty Blackbirds, Yellow-headed blackbirds, falcons, and many more.
 Here are a few of the birds  (more to come) that grace us in the Flint Hills of Kansas:

 The Bluebirds are Here! the Bluebirds are Here!

fine art in the flint hills

Sweetest Bluebirds Drinking mtodd

birds in the flint hills

Two Beautiful BlueBirds

fine art in the flint hills

Bluebirds somehow always show up when i go out to freshen the water. 

They are the first to get a drink...

Geese are plentiful during migratory season. The large Tuttle Creek Dam provides a shining magnet of fresh water, no doubt, and enormous flocks circle around the area where the rivers meet the lakes in the northern part of the Flint Hills.

fine art in the flint hills

Canadian Geese poster mary todd

Winter Goose

fine art in the flint hills

 Sunset Geese

fine art in the flint hills

Canadian Geese Poster: click on pic to view large

fine art in the flint hills

Although Cardinals are common, they are always striking and cheerful. The elusive female cardinal has a wonderful coloring when observed up close. During snowstorms, i have seen 20 cardinals in my yard all together, mostly in mated pairs. These birds mate for life and it is endearing to see them feed each other. I have watched while one will find a particularly great nut and fly to its mate to gift it.

Cardinals and More Cardinals

fine art in the flint hills

fine art in the flint hills

Female Cardinal blown by Flint Hills Winds mtodd

Stunning Female Cardinal mtodd

 fine art in the flint hills

Punk Rock Male Cardinal mktodd

fine art in the flint hills

All of the raptors--Eagles and Hawks, Falcons and Kestrals--are always a little breathtaking to see.

Here is a very young American Kestrel that i was able to watch for several minutes.

Birds in the flint hills

 And here, a hawk that stayed in this tree for some time, waiting perhaps for a small warm-blooded mammal to scurry by...

click on pictures to view large

fine art in the flint hills

Hawk in the flint hills mktodd

For more pictures of Bald Eagles, please click on my post here

Bald Eagle Poster mktodd

fine art in the flint hills

 Bald Eagle in the Eagle tree

fine art in the flint hills

Birds in the flint hills

part two (Crows and Maps and Larks, Oh My!):

http://fineartintheflinthills.blogspot.com/2016/02/birds-of-flint-hills-two.html