Christmas Travel - Crystal Bridges Art Museum - Cardinals and Nuthatch

Did some traveling over the Christmas holiday. Went to visit my parents in Arkansas. On Wednesday or so we went for a walk at a park in Bentonville.

These are views of an art museum that is being built near the park. The museum is being funded by the Walton Family Foundation.

Here is another view of the complex. It is a big project. It is being built in a valley with the creek and a couple of lakes as part of the design.

This sign gives a little more information.

http://crystalbridgesmuseum.org/public/

Here is a link to a 2012 posting about the museum after its opening.

Crystal Bridges Posting - 2012  <--- Click Here





It was a nice, sunny day, although cool. Here is a picture of six of the walkers.

From left, Theresa, Greg, Margot and Jacques, Nancy and Hal.









The Walmart museum or visitor's center in downtown Bentonville is undergoing renovations. However, they do have some of the exhibits open around the corner.









It sounds kind of corny but is pretty interesting. Sam built quite an empire from his start in Bentonville.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/6163






I never lived in NW Arkansas even though my parents have lived there twice. OK, here is the story of my parents closest brush with the Walton family. Back in the 70s, my mother, Nancy, once attended a coffee also attended by Alice Walton, Sam's daughter. They were both wearing the same blouse.

The next day was gray with a little snow in the air. We amused ourselves by taking pictures of birds at the feeder outside the dining room window.

It was pretty windy as you can see from the Cardinal.

Here is Mrs. Cardinal.

Is this a Tufted Titmouse at the feeder?









Here it is cracking into the sunflower seed.












A White-breasted Nuthatch, I'm guessing.

Do capitilized bird names look funny to you. I wasn't sure which way was right. I was surprised to learn that this subject gets a lot of discussion.

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v100n04/p1003-p1004.pdf

Another shot of the Tufted Titmouse.

A Downey Woodpecker?











I know this one is a Blue Jay.











Another female Cardinal.











I understand that this is a Chipping Sparrow.

A couple more Cardinal pictures

A Cardinal sitting on a rock.

After Christmas we drove up to Kansas City to visit my sister, Sue, and her husband Bob and Alyssa and Melanie. Bob had both knees replaced a couple of weeks before. They weren't up for travelling to Arkansas.

I made everyone line up so I could play with the new flash I got for Christmas.

This is back in Indiana on New Years Day. I thought the cloud colors were interesting at sunset.