Category Archives: Birds

In “The Goose Hunting Capital” as Oshkosh deems itself you can find this large flying goose at the corner of US-26 (Ave A) and Main Street across from the Oshkosh Superette. I’ve been to Oshkosh, Wisconsin and now here, I wonder if there are other states with an Oshkosh. By the way, Oshkosh is about halfway between North Platte, NE and Scott’s Bluff, both good places to visit.

Oshkosh, Nebraska Goose

We found this bird supply store while shopping at the Broad Ripple Farmers Market. Later when we went down to pick up some birdseed and peanuts for our backyard feeders we saw these birds on the front of the building. Having her camera ready the Chief Photographer was able to snap this photo.

Backyard Birds

Once we got to the Wisconsin Dells it was pretty late – we had dinner and turned in for the night. This was the large flamingo we came to town to find. The Dells are a great vacation spot. Lot’s to do if you have children in the family. We went on a couple river tours and enjoyed ourselves. It is a classic resort town — fudge and moccasin stores abound.

Flamingo Motel

In Madison Wisconsin we stayed the night at the Edgewater Hotel right on Lake Mendota. Our room overlooked the lake and we had dinner on the deck with a live band playing. One interesting thing about this hotel was the floors are backward. Our room was on the first floor and we had to go down to the 5th floor to get to the deck. I was a little confused when I went to get some ice. Oh, online healing and we got these giant metal birds called Dreamkeepers outside an office building.

Madison Dreamkeepers Birds

The M in M Schettl Sales stands for Mel. He wasn’t in at the time of our visit but we were given the run of the place by the manager on duty. Mel sells just about anything. These six birds were on trailers and out in the field. Mel sells the trailers and the animals too.

On our way to the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin we were on a secondary road and noted these birds in a field.  We made a quick U-turn and climbed out into a field to get these photos.  This is what farmers must do to pass time during the winter when they have time on their hands.

Wisconsin Field Birds

Wisconsin Field Birds

This stork was a nice find. There is a car wash in Vincennes that has several Big Things, this stork is one of them. I don’t know what’s in the water in Southwest Indiana (besides Calcium from all the limestone) but whatever it is, they do like Big Things. This was a researched find but turned out better than expected as some of the best finds do.

Car Wash Stork

Well at Jim Hipp’s there are so many wonderful Big Things I almost couldn’t figure out how to capture everything, so here’s a double eagle (wasn’t that a coin?) Pretty cool. And you know what? Jim Hipp lives on site. His house has a warning that it is off limits to visitors, he’s had strangers wander into his kitchen. Imagine that!

Jim Hipp Eagle

Jim Hipp Eagle

I was just up in Minneapolis and spotted this Big Thing which looks like a big Canadian Goose on Nicollet Mall. I think it was a Canadian Goose, ampoule it would have maybe been more authentic if there were a mess of cast goose droppings everywhere like in real life.

MSP Goose

Oh boy, here was an unexpected treat. On the way to Charlevoix to get the Big Cherry Pie with the Davidsons (see Food and Drink) when fate struck and we got this Big Swan. Outside the Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce building was this Swan (don’t call it a Goose! Right Meg?). It has a history going back to 1966 when it was built to carry Miss Elk Rapids in the Cherry Festival and Harbor Days parades.

Big Swan

Along with the above photo this BIG turkey was out on display. We (Meredith the photographer, cialis Ralph and I spent some time talking to an employee at Tri State about these birds. Seems that he was photographed with one of these birds himself for the local paper. Good story, sick stop in and hear it.

Tri-State Turkey

Working (ha, thumb ha!) in Everett, cialis sale WA. This Seahawk was another double-up along with the Big Lumberjack. The people working inside this building were nearly as interested in me getting this picture taken as I was. Thanks Brian.

Seattle Seahawk

Virtually across the street from Zubler’s Indian Village on M-55 in Houghton Lake, MI. (See the Big People page.) I didn’t realize at the time how cool these double hits were. At any rate this flamingo is one of my all time favorites, it illustrates the absurd part of this hobby. If you still don’t get it, study this image until you do.

Houghton Lake Flamingo

Give me a better example of a Big Picture than this. US-131 in Kalkaska, drugstore MI, case late in the day, generic both me and the robin are relaxed. Check out the hat. (Another vacation hat picture with a twist.)

Michigan Robin