Turkey Vultures warming up in the morning sun on top of a barn.

 Wood Duck, Mississippi backwaters.

 Green Heron, Mississippi backwaters.  A small (1 1/2 Ft. tall) heron.

 Prothonotary Warbler, Mississippi backwaters-Houston Co. Mn. An uncommon warbler that nest over, or very close to water.

 Least Sandpiper.  A small (sparrow) sized sandpiper.

 Tree Swallow.

 Catbird.

Bellwort's are blooming in profusion in Forestville.
 

 We have hundreds of the often overlooked Violets in bloom.

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Forestville.  A tiny bird not much larger than a humming bird.  Note that it has spider silk in its beak.  They line their 50 cent piece sized nest with the silk.

 Forestville Creek.

 Beaver pond,  Forestville.

Below are some of the Warblers we have seen in Forestville this week.  Warblers are a family of small, colorful birds that spend the winter in Middle and South America.  They migrate north to nest in the Minnesota and Canada.  Most nest farther north than Fillmore County.

 Black & White Warbler.

 Yellow Warbler.

 Tennessee Warbler.  One of the few Warblers that will come to our feeder.

 Nashville Warbler.

 Redstart.

 Palm Warbler

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Many Swainson thrushes in Forestville today.

 Male and female Ruby-crowned Kinglets.  One of the smallest birds in Minnesota.  They are migrating through our area one their way to nesting grounds in Northern Minnesota and Canada.  Shot the female photo yesterday in Forestville.

 MANY BIRDS ARRIVED HERE MONDAY MAY 3RD.

 First Catbird of the Year-May 3.

 First Indigo Bunting for the year-May 3.

 Orchard Orioles also arrived May 3.

 Eight Baltimore Orioles arrived today to feed on the grape jam and oranges.

 Several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks showed up May 3rd.

 First Hummer showed up on May 1, and two More on May3.  They usually show up at our place the first week in May, so this year is typical.

 Harris Sparrow.  Most years we see a few of these as they head north.

 Mating Green Darner Dragonflies.  Male is Blue(on the right).  Green Darners are migratory like Monarch Butterflies.  We saw our first flock at our place about a week ago.  Found 8 mating pairs Sunday near Leroy, Mn.  They will lay their eggs in water or in rotting material very close water.  After several weeks the eggs will hatch into a predatory aquatic larva or nymph that will molt several times over the next 1-3 years and then emerge as a dragonfly.

 More Green Darners.

 Bluebell in a carpet of white Wood Anemone, Forestville.