Pip goes to Goose Pond

Pip got a kick out of running along in the grass after being cooped up in the car so much of the weekend.

I had to drive to Chicago this past weekend for a very sad event--one of my dearest relatives, my Aunt Marilyn, died last week, and the funeral was on Saturday. Pip was wonderful company in the car. We stopped at Goose Pond on the way down Friday, but didn't get there until sunset, so it was too dim for photos. But on the way back up on Sunday morning, it was lovely. Pip was fascinated with a Red-winged Blackbird on Prairie Lane, and with one Tree Swallow that sat on a bench. Pip does seem to realize that if we move toward birds, they fly away, so she stayed close while we watched him.

I haven't had much time to get out birding with her, so her lifelist is only at 78 after our trip, and #78 was actually at home when we got here Sunday afternoon--an American Tree Sparrow. We're still missing some shockingly easy species, such as White-throated Sparrow, so if I have a chance to focus with her, her list should start growing by leaps and bounds.

At first the swallow gave us a long, hard stare.

After being reasonably certain we'd stay put, the swallow checked out other things.