A Race, Some Birds, and a Birthday

 The Lake 6-27-15

On a cold day in June we gathered at the lake in Colchester, CT where every summer my family has a sort of mini family reunion centered around a road race. It is known as the Annual Adams Family Road Race and those of us who can, either walk or run our old 3 mile high school cross country course. Every one of my siblings and some of my nieces and nephews have been on the Bacon Academy Cross Country Team at one time or another. My middle brother, Stephen, came up with this idea as a way to keep us all in shape as we get older. Nice try, Stephen! One by one we have dropped out for various health reasons, but there are still a few of us who still can walk or run. I have mostly walked the last few years, but this year I declined to even walk as I was still healing from an injury. Instead, I stood at the finish line and manned the stopwatch and the camera, as well as watching birds.

I am always watching birds.

First there is the waiting for someone to round the bend…

 

Then my youngest brother appears!

 

My sister, Mary Grace, my daughter, and my Mom all watching and keeping time as they shout words of encouragement!

 

Then, my brother Stephen rounds the bend and burns it up towards the finish line!

 

Can you believe he is in his 50’s!

We are all in our 50’s now. Except for my oldest brother, who is the first one of us siblings to cross into his 60’s! There were not many runners today, so I did not get many pictures of runners. But, I did see some birds!

After the race was over everyone headed back to the Lake House. Most went in their cars, but I decided to walk and count birds.

I found some Cedar Waxwings gobbling up dog berries alongside the road.

 

Overhead a Tufted Titmouse investigated a crevice on a limb.

 

As I neared the north end of the lake I found a female Red-winged Blackbird in the brush near the swamp on the other side of the road. Female Redwing Blackbirds trip so many birders up, even experienced ones at times, because they can look like some sort of weird sparrow with their streaky plumage.

The amount of yellow-orange can vary in their faces.

But notice their overall body shape and bill shape. This is a blackbird’s bill.

 Two Red-winged Blackbirds in a small tree.

 

 The swamp on the north side of the road.

 

 Water lilies cloak the surface of the water.

 

 Such pretty blossoms!

 

 Song Sparrow and a spider’s web!

 

 Song Sparrow at Lake Hayward 6-27-15

This date was also my mother’s 79th birthday! After surviving two separate battles with breast cancer, we are all so happy she is still here to celebrate her birthday. Her hair was just starting to grow in after her recent chemo treatment earlier this year. She is pictured below with her young friend, Alexis, who is also a breast cancer survivor! They went through chemo together the first time around and have remained friends every since! It was so nice of her to stop by. It made my mom’s birthday ever more special!

Happy Survival you beauties!