#35 of 50. Photographed at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library parking lot, 01-15-2018. This is the first of six states I hope to bag on this driving trip from California to Florida. It was a gray day. The sign behind the bird announces the Mandela exhibit inside the Library -- "proof" if needed, that the bird is in its own state.
#36 At 5 deg. F, this little male seemed awfully cold. Me too. Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, just past the first crossing of Ditch 3, at 10:30 a.m. Now it's off to Illinois.
#37 Cache River near Shawnee college, Limestone Kiln trail, January 14, 2018, 2:15 p.m. 12 deg. F. This individual had substantial feather wear, possibly from pouncing vigorously into the recent snowfall to find food. It would fly up about a foot out of the snow and beat its wings on the grasses and then hop around eating the spilled seed. A nearby white-throated sparrow ate the seeds but didn't do the flaying work.
