Christmas Feeder Visitors - 2012

Hello everyone!  It's been quite a while since my last post on here and I apologize to any/all of you who check on a regular or semi-regular basis for updates.  It's been quite a 2012 and I'm clearly looking forward to starting a new year.

Today I ventured out back to see what bird sightings awaited me.  I added slivered almonds to the usual mix of seed, as both a Christmas treat for the birds, and also to see if I could entice any new visitors.  I'm sad to report that no new visitors appeared, but today wasn't a total loss as far as bird photography goes.

The first visitor to the feeder was, as usual, a Northern Cardinal, (female).  She comes to the feeder daily and she isn't shy.  She's been known to go toe-to-toe with Mourning Doves and Common Grackles for her share of the seed.  Today was no different.  She seem however to be somewhat distracted when she first arrived.  Note:  It could have been the Red Shouldered Hawk that's been strafing the feeder sporadically, looking for a tasty morsel on the wing.  Today however, there were no hawk sightings so the Northern Cardinal female stayed quite a while eating her usual shelled sunflower seeds.  She'd grab a seed, fly to a nearby tree, eat the seed, then come back and do it all over again.  This went on for quite a while.

Her husband, (a big assumption on my part), the male Northern Cardinal arrived after about ten minutes and helped himself on some of the almonds.  After a few he went back to his usual black sunflower seeds and seemed quite happy with them.  He didn't stay as long, but he enjoyed his time until he had to chase another male
Cardinal from the area.

A little bird, (I am not yet as to the identification, though some people think it's a Palm Warbler), came while the Cardinals were there and ate quite a bit of millet.  Note:  If anyone can positively identify this bird, I would appreciate it.  He/she only comes during the winter months to my feeder, (Orlando, Florida) and he/she is very quick and will give a high pitched, "chip, chip, chip" when leaving the feeder.

Common Grackles and Red Winged Blackbirds also came to the feeder today and were, as usual, quite piggish.  All in all it was a successful outing, albeit quite short.  I will attempt another at the end of this week.  There seem to be some bird sounds in the copse I don't recognize.




Stay tuned...

Baby Time, Outback

The birds were calling early this morning and there were numerous and random little cheeps and peeps and whistles tucked in among the usual morning cacophony.  Spring is clearly in the air!

I grabbed my usual amount of seed and headed out back for what was to be a short visit and photo taking expedition.  It turned into however, an hour long photo shoot with many more opportunities than I bargained for.  This is good news.  I love having more to shoot than not enough. I have had plenty of those days when I stood in the hot sun with nothing to shoot at!

The Blue Jays were the first to arrive.  Surprisingly enough, the baby arrived at the feeder first.  Clearly
he /she will have no issues with self confidence in the future.  He even challenged the squirrel who was at the opposite end minding his own business.  After the squirrel jumped from the feeder he/she decided to watch the proceedings from a nearby oak tree.

The baby was then quickly followed by a family of Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  Mom, Dad and two little fledglings graced the area and at times, the feeder.  They made quite a racket with their peeps and screeches!  Peanuts were the food of choice though the sunflower seeds were also taken.

The Carolina Wren made a brief appearance and then was off to sit close by on a branch and sing VERY loudly!

All in all it was a very productive day!  I just may have to go out there again in a few minutes.  ;-)

A Different Kind of "Bird"

Due to the fact that I spent most of yesterday taking pictures of butterflies, I thought I would continue the same theme today and take pictures of creepy, crawly beasties out behind our apartment.  It proved to be a good plan because the birds were clearly not in the cooperative mood, as only a sparse Red Winged Blackbird and Blue Jay decided to stop by for a nibble.

The woods out back is a virtual haven for many insect species.  There are mosquitos a plenty, (especially during the rainy season), along with beetles, (not Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr, that was for you older people) and many butterflies and dragonflies.  I quickly scoped the area and saw numerous wild flowers abuzz with insects.  The lighting was such that I could easily get pictures of the bees, dragonflies and butterflies in flight, but I decided to not work that hard, and to rather concentrate on the lighting and agreeable ones.

The dragonflies seemed to be everywhere and I was amazed that there were so many different colors.  There were red ones and blue ones and even an orange one or two, flitting here and darting there.  Here are a few pictures of the one that seemed to want his/her picture taken.


Enjoy...

Blue Jays & Friends

It was supposed to rain today.  At least that's what the forecasters said.  As of this writing, it hasn't, which is why I was blessed to get about one hour of perfect lighting in the woods behind our apartment.  I'm so thankful for the often inaccurate forecasts!

Clouds covered the sky this morning when I first opened my eyes at 7:00am.  I decided that the weathermen were right and rain was coming, so another hour or so of sleep couldn't hurt.  At 8:00am I again got up, this time for good, and upon looking outside I was surprised to see a perfect light bathing the area behind our apartment.  The clouds seemed to almost cause the light to bounce back to earth, as even the deepest parts of the woods were evenly lit.

I showered and got dressed quickly, grabbed my camera and headed out back.  I hadn't been back there in about two weeks and how quickly things have changed.  There were flowers blooming and the trees had the new buds of spring; a vibrant green that seemed to be Mother Earth's assurance that spring had arrived.

I filled the feeders and waited.  It didn't take long.  The first visitors were the squirrels, followed quickly by the Blue Jays.  I never get tired of watching them.   Each, it seems, has a different personality.  Some light and stay only long enough to grab one seed, yet others stay and gorge on seed after seed, filling their crop.

After the Blue Jays had eaten the female Red Winged Blackbirds came.  There were only a few this time, as it seems the large flocks have dispersed.  They are a very pretty bird, but they are quite skittish.  Their claim to fame, (in my eyes) is that they will land on even the smallest of branches so to get a good look at the feeder.  Some of the pictures of them are comical, with their legs spread as if they were about to fall off their perch.

It was a good day for pictures.  Even the butterflies and the bees cooperated.

 I love our woods!

Gatorland, Kissimmee, Florida

When good friends come to our neck of the woods, we try to take them where they want to go.  This time, with both of them being birders, Gatorland in Kissimmee was the location.  They had heard about the rookery that was teeming with Egrets, Herons, Anhingas and various other Florida birds, nesting within, at times, literally feet of the boardwalk.  They were eager to get there!

Upon arrival we immediately stopped at the first "pit", (a large water and alligator filled enclosure), to take pictures of the Great White Heron waiting there, amongst the alligators for a hotdog hand-out.  Note:  Hotdogs are sold to the customers to feed the alligators, but the birds find stealing them a real treat and sometimes a challenge.  We proceeded to see pretty much all of Gatorland, save the wetland boardwalk, which is new and not yet a picture taking adventure, (especially during the hottest part of the day).

The rookery was, as expected, full of photo opportunities.  There were nesting water birds of all kinds, (most in their breeding plummage), some with eggs in their nests and some with almost full grown chicks.  It was a fun watching the birds build their nests, fight over placement of the sticks and grouse to one another about all sorts of 'birdy issues'.



We love when our friends visit.  We wish that they'd come up more often!

A Perfect Day At The Viera Wetlands

And the definition of a perfect day for me, would be taking pictures outside in the beautiful Florida weather, of something nature oriented, with people I care about.  I can truly think of nothing more wonderful than having a camera in hand, focusing on, let's say in this case a beautiful green heron hunting for fish, poised and seemingly frozen, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, while at the same time being able to watch the excitement on the faces of my friends, and or loved ones, as they enjoy this spectacle as much as I.  Yesterday was that perfect day!

After receiving a call from a long time dear friend and a brief discussion, we decided to meet at the Viera Wetlands for an afternoon of birding.  She, her husband and I, cameras in hand, (the only sad part of this day was that W.W. couldn't be there with us.  My life is so much richer and more fulfilling with her in my general proximity), formed a car caravan and started our photographic journey.  Having never been to the Viera Wetlands, they decided that I was sort of the ad hoc tour guide, so I was designated to the lead car.  My instructions were simple; stay to the left, stop when you want, pass me if need be, enjoy yourself and take lots of pictures!

It was about 3:00pm when we started and as usual at Viera, the birds were everywhere.  American Coots and Common Moorhens greeted us upon entry with their guttural call, (a sort of grunt-quack).  A quick scan of the area assured me that it would be another great day, as an Osprey called, in flight, from a short distance, a Green Heron perched on a stand-pipe just to our right, (which put him clearly on the picture agenda), and numerous Grackles flew very low overhead from the dead snags deep in the bog to the pine trees lining the scenic drive-way.  

Our first reason to stop was a Great Blue Heron posed for us, standing on one leg, scratching his beak with the other.  At this time of day the sun is pretty much directly in front of you as you enter the park, (you are driving due west) and it's only after you get to the back of the park are you afforded the perfect photographic opportunity, with the sun now at your back.  However, this doesn't stop very many people from taking pictures, (some because they know what they are doing and some because they don't)!

Our second subject was a rare find, (for me anyway), a Least Bittern.  This allusive bird usually stands stock still, head pointing directly up, so to look like the cat-tails surrounding her, until she strikes with deadly accuracy, grabbing an unwary fish or crustacean.  However as I was slowly driving by a small group of cattails, I was just lucky enough to see her flex her wing, (she was probably cramping having stood in the same position for a long period of time).  I had to point her out to my friends, (she did blend in quite well with her surroundings), and we did get some wonderful pictures of her as she moved stealthily through the reeds.

The day was filled with many, many different birds.  We saw the usual, aforementioned American Coots and Common Moorhens, along with all types of herons, (Great Blue, Tri-color, Little Blue, Green and the ever present Cattle Egret), Grackles, Crows, White and Glossy Ibis, Red Winged Blackbirds, (who along with the Grackles were in the process of gathering nesting materials for the coming nesting season), and many, many others.  Even a snake was seen, sunning itself on the bank of the bog in the short weeds.

As I said, it was a perfect day!   This wetlands is a "must see" for any serious birder or nature lover.

Squirrels

This morning the sky was a crisp blue, the wind had died down to a gentle breeze and the sun was shining brightly.  I had such high hopes for a great birding photo shoot.  I was wrong.

Oh sure, the birds were around, flying from branch to branch, chirping from the deep recesses of the copse and pretty much teasing me to let me know that they knew I was out there, but they must have gotten together late last night and decided that they didn't want their pictures taken this morning.  It's a good thing that the squirrels of the neighborhood weren't invited to their meeting!  And why would they?  That's like inviting a cat to a dog park!

After putting out our usual mixture of seeds, peanuts and this morning an added bonus of peanut butter filled pretzels, I waited.  A Blue Jay did a stop and go, grabbing a peanut never to be seen again.  However, here came the squirrels.  First one, (I suspect it was "Mom", as she looked like she'd just weaned a litter of pups), then another, (this one was smaller and he gave "Mom" a wide berth, going to the other feeder twenty feet to the north.

Since no birds were cooperating, I decided to take pictures of our little furry friends.  It's so nice to have a family of squirrels in the copse that never bother the birds, wreck the feeders or eat all the food, (as they are purported to do).  Ours are rather docile and let me get quite close before jumping to the safety of a nearby tree.

 Some days you just have to take what nature gives you.  Today it was squirrels.  Tomorrow????

Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach Florida

I was hired this weekend for a photo shoot in Fort Lauderdale, which was totally awesome!  This shoot involved pictures of people and the occasional butterfly.  Though worthy subjects, my passion is avian in nature and the next day, though clouds and rain were in the forecast, my lovely wife and I went to Wakodahatchee Wetlands Preserve in Delray Beach on the way home.

What a great decision it was!  Touted as one of the best rookeries around and a virtual birding mecca, I was pretty excited to get to go there.  When we arrived it was lightly raining.  As any photographer knows, this isn't a good thing.  Cameras are pretty sensitive to water.  So, at the wife's suggestion, I grabbed a plastic bag for camera rain protection.  Note:  It will be proven shortly who the genius in the relationship is.

As we made the first turn into the preserve, the rains started coming harder, (this is where you should say to yourself, "What would he do without her"?), and so the plastic bag came out and quickly enveloped my camera.  Lucky for me though the wind was blowing quite briskly and within minutes the rain had stopped.

The light wasn't ideal, but it was bright enough I thought for some adequate pictures.  Many of the birds were well away from the raised walkway and not within suitable shooting distance.  However, some of the birds, trying to find a place to get out of the wind were hunkered down within range.  As the winds blew and the rain came in short spotty showers, I found that there were many birds hiding near and sometimes under the walkway.  They would come out to forage and then, when the weather again threatened, they would return to their safe haven.  The pictures seemed to come more quickly now that I figured out the pattern.

In the middle of the preserve is an island and there is a covered area within 25 yards which gives photographers a "birds-eye view" of the nests of several species of birds, (Anhingas, Great Blue Herons and Great Crested Cormorants).  Frankly it was a good thing that the weather wasn't great, because the wait to get to the best shooting spots was only about 20 minutes or so!

The rain seemed to let up for about 45 minutes which allowed us to walk the majority of the walkway rain free.  In one particular spot there was a Great Crested Cormorant sitting on the railing of the walkway and he was unphased by the people walking by.  I was able go get quite close and I got some good close-up shots.  I also watched the little bushes that dotted the areas just off the walkway for Warblers and such.  There were a few little guys flitting around and I was lucky enough to get some of them also.

All in all it was a great little excursion.  The next time we're going when it's not raining and the sun is out.  This will give me many more opportunities, (that is, if the birds are reading this)!!

Songs In The Morning

There are no alarm clocks needed in our little part of paradise.  Our avian friends are watching and before the sun comes up, the wooded area behind the apartment is alive with song.  Typically, the Northern Cardinal is first to be heard, and it's usually the female with her "chip-chip-chip".  The male chimes in shortly thereafter with his louder and more pronounced "chip".  He's soon off to a tall tree to announce to the neighborhood that it's time to get up.

If you lie in bed and attempt to ignore the calls, (which I am sure are to wake me up so that I put out the birdseed "de jour"), I will soon hear the Gray Catbird's "meow", the Blue Jays raucous "caw-caw" and the Red Winged Blackbirds melodic chortles and cheeps, along with many other of our seasonly and yearly visitors.

February 23, 2012 was no exception, so I stumbled out of bed at 7:30am and got their food ready.  It was an partly cloudy day and the clouds were moving fast.  The lighting was tricky, sometimes there were only seconds between a change of up to four F-stops, so I only stayed out there for about fifteen minutes or so.  It was time enough however to capture, in picture, the sounds of the morning.

Enjoy your day!

Timing Is Everything

I got up this morning with the idea that I would have a great day taking pictures of the birds out back at our feeders.  Mother Nature however had other ideas and produced a very steady, but needed drizzle, which put a damper, (pun intended) on my plans.  I went out twice after that only to find it drizzling again!  Today clearly isn't my day to get pictures.

I did manage to shoot one shot, in the rain.  It's not great and frankly there weren't many birds at the feeders this morning.  I gave up, deleted the picture and settled for a day without pictures.  At 2:00pm, as if by divine intervention, the sun came out!  I grabbed my camera, a handful of birdseed and peanuts and ran out back.  I didn't know how long this moment would last.

I put the seed on the feeders and within seconds there was activity all around!  Northern Cardinals, Red Winged Blackbirds, Gray Catbirds, Painted Buntings, (only females, darn it) and Blue Jays.  It seemed pictures were everywhere!!  

I shot and shot and shot, and just when I thought I'd had enough pictures, there it was.  A flash of yellow in the short trees that dot the copse.  I banged off three shots.  I knew it was a Warbler, but I couldn't identify it, (frankly I am pretty bad at Warbler identification).  Here's the picture so you can tell me what I caught!

All in all the brief ten minutes or so shooting was very exciting.  I got some great shots, especially of the male & female Red Bellied Woodpecker; and they were my target for the day!!  

My experience tells me that patience does pay off!!!

Yay me!!!

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

It's a great day when I can spend time out back, leisurely taking pictures of birds at our feeders.  Today was such a day and though I didn't spend a lot of time out there, I was lucky enough to have plenty of opportunities to get some great pictures.

There were many visitors early this morning.  First was the Northern Cardinal, who is usually first.  They clearly get up with the sun and are calling, (sometimes I think to wake me up), before daybreak.  It was still not quite fully light when I made it out there this morning and according to all the noise I was greeted by, I slept in!  I put our usual mix of seed on both feeders and waited.

It wasn't long before the Northern Cardinal was peeking at me from the recesses of the underbrush.  A thin line of morning light briefly lit up his face and alerted me to his presence.  It's surprising that a bird so vibrantly red can blend in so well in a mostly green environment.  The next visitor was the Gray Catbird.  As usual, the time spent on the feeder by this bird was minimal, (seconds), but just long enough to allow me one photograph.

As the light started to build, the Red Winged Blackbirds began to fly in, and with them came a few Common Grackles and House Finches.  The squirrels were next to arrive.  We are lucky in that the squirrels in our neighborhood are very polite and take turns on the feeders, never causing a problem and never discouraging their avian neighbors from feeding.

It was a morning where many different birds came to feed and none left hungry.  The Mourning Doves arrived sometime during the Red Wing Blackbird fly-in and patiently waiting high in the oak tree until the feeders were somewhat vacant.  The female Painted Buntings waited in the underbrush and the Pine Warbler did as well.

I went upstairs after about 45 minutes and downloaded my pictures.  I started dinner and went to the store for some necessary dessert items.  While there I purchased a bag of peanuts, (with shell).  I put the groceries away and made sure that dinner was cooking nicely, grabbed another container of birdseed and this time added the peanuts.

I am convinced that peanuts give off a call to the Blue Jay's in the area that seems to say, "Eat me!  I'm out here for you", because it wasn't but a few seconds and three arrived.  The peanuts didn't stand a chance!  They were gone within minutes.
 
All in all it was a great time today!  I got many pictures and built up my gallery of backyard birds.  Tomorrow morning I will be out there even earlier in an attempt to get the Red Bellied Woodpecker that alluded me today, (coming and stealing a seed or two only when I was upstairs)!

House Finch

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Carpodacus mexicanus, or the House Finch is a new visitor to our feeders.  We've only seen one, once before about two years ago.  What a special surprise it was today when I was taking pictures of the usual visitors, (Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Painted Buntings and even Squirrels), and a pair appeared!


I tried something different today.  Rather than take numerous pictures of both the male and female House Finch immediately, I instead decided to just stand there and observe their behavior.  I've learned that this is the best way to get quality bird pictures.  Learn your subject! 


 So, there I stood, in the cool 10-15 mph wind, watching a pair of House Finches fly from one tree to another, (usually distances of 40 yards or more), only to fly back again.  This pattern continued for about thirty minutes before the female finally landed on the feeder nearest the undergrowth.  She grabbed a large striped sunflower seed, cracked the shell effortlessly and then was immediately spooked off by one of the other visitors.  Then the male came.  He seemed to be more wary, landing one a branch near the feeder and then he flitted to another, not staying in one place for very long.  Once on the feeder however, he ate sunflower seed after sunflower seed.  That was until he too was scared off.  This behavior lasted for almost an hour.


The male, with his purplish-red face and breast is a stunning looking bird.  He gets the red color from the foods he eats and the females choose a mate by selecting the one with the reddest color, (probably to assure that the male can and will find food for the young).   The female is a browish-gray in color, with a similar pattern to that of a Red Winged Blackbird female, though the body size is much smaller.  They both have beaks that are used for cracking the hardest of seed husks, though they prefer millet and sunflower seeds.



I suspect that in early spring we will lose this colorful visitor.  Though the census states that there are possibly up to one billion House Finches in the United States, they are rare in our woods, (or at least it has been until today).  It's a delight to see them.


They are a very polite bird, waiting until the feeder is virtually empty before attempting to light.  It is my hope that they stay and become a regular guest.

Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus, or the Carolina Wren is a feisty little bird with a huge personality and a song to match!  Living mostly in the deep, deep underbrush, the Carolina Wren can be seen only when it wants to be, flitting and ducking from branch to branch.  Then suddenly and very quickly, it will appear, only to disappear again.  This behavior seems to be the way that the Carolina Wren scopes out the area and our feeders, (I call it 'sounding').  If birdseed is seen then it's only a matter of seconds before the feeder is voraciously explored and many seeds disappear.  One blink and the bird is gone again!


Early in the morning, you can hear the Carolina Wren, (or more like you can't help but hear the Carolina Wren), singing from a perch high on a nearby branch.  It's truly amazing that such a little bird can put forth such a loud and deliberate sound.  It's as if the bird wants to say to everyone, "I'm here and I want you to know about it!!!"  However, as direct as this bird acts, it's very skittish and will relinquish the feeder to anyone that stops to eat. 

If you have the good fortune to have a Carolina Wren visiting your feeders or living in your neighborhood, you will quickly fall in love with the antics of this pretty brown little bird.  The white stripe directly over its eye is it's unique identifying mark.  When it becomes time to make a nest you may find the Carolina Wren searching through your patio plants, looking for a quiet little area.  It loves to be close to people.


And lucky we are!!!!

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura, or the Mourning Dove is a well known visitor to many, many feeders.  Being mostly a ground feeder the Mourning Dove relishes picking up seeds that have fallen to the ground.  For this, the Mourning Dove is loved, as no food goes to waste and while the feeder is being attended to, the fallen seeds are also.  However, if you are like us, you have platform feeders and then you are privy to a different Mourning Dove behavior, one that could cause you to become 'not so thrilled' with the Mourning Dove.  The behavior I speak about is actually a very common behavior among birds, especially one's in large flocks.  If one or more birds is on the feeder and another approaches, the first bird will attempt to drive the other away by either doing a flashy display of wings, the opening of the beak or the charging at the intruder, as so to drive him away.  Red Winged Blackbirds and Grackles are known for this, as are Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  The Mourning Dove however takes the behavior to an all time new level!


If the intruder doesn't submit right away, then the attacker feels the need to keep the attack going until the message is delivered.  This usually includes the flapping of wings and the chasing of the intruder all around, over and through the birdseed, causing it to fall to the ground.  Now the question remains; is this a random act of territorial behavior or a deliberate attempt to push the food over the edge of the feeder so to assure something to eat later?  I've watched numerous Mourning Doves display this behavior and frankly, I can't tell if it's deliberate or not.  What I do know is that it's costing me more and rmore monthly for birdseed, because I find myself restocking the feeders later in the day to assure the birds that don't eat on the ground, get something to eat before nightfall.


You know, the more I think about it, this could be a diabolical plot by the Mourning Dove to assure it's survival.  Let's face it, it's not the brightest bird around.  After all, it makes its nest on a branch of a tree then lays one or two eggs.  The nest is not only very hastily made, but it's made very flat and more often than not the eggs roll off to their doom. 


Regardless of the intelligence in nesting by the Mourning Dove, one thing is certain,  I have been 're-trained' to put out more food in the afternoon by a bird that I think isn't that bright.  Yet, who's changed his behavior?  


It makes you think....

Painted Bunting (female)

Many of our avian friends live deep in the woods and only venture out now and again to find food.  The Gray Catbird is one of the birds in our copse that find solitude and safety in the deep recesses between the thick brush and the tall pines, coming out only once in a while to snatch a raisin or a piece of coconut from our feeders.  During our winter months, (November through February), we have a small flock of Painted Buntings that come to visit and stock up on thistle seed, (niger) and millet, so that they are ready for their trek back up north in early March or April.

Today seemed to be female Painted Bunting day.  They were there, as usual, following the Northern Cardinals to the feeder.  At times it seemed like there were only Painted Buntings and Northern Cardinals in the area.  As many as four female Painted Buntings were on the feeders at one time, picking up seeds as fast as their little beaks could grab them.  When any other birds flew near the feeder or attempted to light upon it, they flew off  to a nearby branch only to again return when the interloper left.

I've found you learn a lot about a particular species if you are patient enough.  The female Painted Bunting in it's greenish yellow 'garb' blends in quite well with the environment and is only seen if it wants to be.  If it sits, stock still on a branch or even on the ground, it is almost invisible.  I suspect that this is why the male of the species is always deep in the background, low in the underbrush.  He doesn't blend in nearly as well as his partner.  With his bright colors of purple, red and yellow, he is almost sure to attract attention.  It's understandable why he hides, (though I wish he wouldn't).

Mrs. Painted Bunting is feisty and somewhat attitudinal!  She has no problem coming to a feeder with many other birds on it and she refused to relinquish her spot to someone else.  She will also sit on a feeder alone and announce to the world with a "chip, chip" that she has arrived.  Even a pushy Mourning Dove is no match for this little lady!

If there are any more days like today, I will have filled my yearly quota of female Painted Bunting photographs.  They seemed to be everywhere and they were clearly more intent on eating than noticing me snapping picture after picture.  It's a good thing too or they wouldn't have eaten at all!

I will again be out there tomorrow morning and it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if they came back!!