A wet welcome to Illinois

The rains came as soon as we arrived in NE Illinois at the end of  April, and nighttime temperatures dropped to near freezing the first few nights. In between raindrops and braving high winds, we managed to get a few hours outdoors each day. While not providing much exercise, our daughter's back yard was quite productive.

A double rainbow was visible when an afternoon rainstorm skirted by:



As I was roasting a chicken on their patio grill, I ran for my camera when a colorful House Fince started singing in a nearby tree:







A curious Black-capped Chickadee landed on the fineal atop an umbrella on the deck:



It eyed me from a post on the deck railing:



Agramonte, their 10 year old Tibetan Mastiff, struck a regal pose:



Siboney, from his same blood line, at 1 1/2 years old is now almost as big:



Mary Lou and I visited the Japanese Garden at Fabyan Park in nearby Geneva. The foot brige and its railings cast pleasant reflections:



For the past few years, a pair of Great Horned Owls has raised its family in a tree at Fabyan Park. This spring two owlets were hatched, but only one made an appearance when we visited the nest:





Numerous Baltimore Orioles were present in the park, which runs along the west bank of the Fox River:

 

Canada Geese were accompanied by newly hatched goslings:



We saw a few warblers, among them a Yellow-rumped *Myrtle" Warbler...



...captured as if suspended in mid-hop:



A White-breasted Nuthatch foraged upside-down:



Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were early spring arrivals:



In the Japanese Garden, a Common "Bronzed" Grackle  posed on a rock:

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to FENCES AROUND THE WORLD by Gosia

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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