It's been a busy week!

Saturday I took a trip to Felts Preserve in the Tampa, Florida area.  It was built and is funded by the Audubon Society.  It's a small tract of land with two different paths winding through the oak trees, ferns and shrubs.  At the end of each of the paths is a small pond/lake which I was told has numerous Wood Ducks and other water birds.  The bad news is I never got to the ponds to see them!

As you meander down one of the paths, you come to a small green house.  The sign says, "Bird Viewing Area".  There are two benches in the room adjacent to the two large bay windows.  Outside of the windows are six different bird feeders, each with a different type of seed.  They are numbered #1 through #6 from left to right.

I got there just before sunrise and sat down and waited.  There are screens on either side of the house and you could easily hear the sounds of the birds outside.  As light appeared it became louder and the shrubs slowly came alive with activity.  I first saw a flash of blue, as a bird shot by the window into the nearby shrub.  It shook upon it's arrival.  As if by queue, suddenly they appeared; Indigo Buntings.  Not one or two but I lost count at thirty!!!  After approximately five minutes of feeding, they were gone.  The area was quiet.

This happened numerous times in the five hours I sat there.  I took over 500 photographs of Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Northern Cardinals, Gray Catbirds, etc.  It was an awesome day!!

Needless to say, I'm going back soon. The two hour drive only feeds my want for more!