Before departing from Illinois after our Alaska trip earlier this year, I took this photo from the front door of our condominium. Development of our community is nearly finished; the fallow land that had been our dooryard "birding patch" for the past 8 years has been fully "reclaimed." The view on July 10, 2014-- note the distant house with the red roof. On September 3, 2011, this pair of Sandhill Cranes with two colts roamed freely in our dooryard grassland. A year ago, the remnant prairie that occupied three sides of our condo had been entirely replaced by new townhomes in various stages of construction. The only land not excavated was mostly filled and graded. On April 21, 2013 the foundation of the unit across from us had just been poured. Note the mound of dirt at the far left end of this view, with the red-roofed house behind it. Two months later, a pair of Sandhill Cranes were protesting from the big pile of topsoil, the only place left with any cover, as bulldozers ate away at the last of their territory. The dirt pile partially obscures the red-roofed house (July 1, 2013):
Back in Florida, we endured a month during which it rained every day.The heat, humidity and mosquitoes restricted our time outdoors. A few times we braved the conditions and ventured into our local woodlands before sunrise. No dawn chorus greeted us, as the land birds had finished breeding and were conserving energy as they molted. A Great Egret flew over our lake at sunrise. At neighboring Chapel Trail Nature Preserve, an Anhinga posed on a post.
When birding is slow, it is easier to turn to other subjects, such as this exotic Common Basilisk, also known as the "Jesus Christ Lizard" because it can run across the surface of the water.
The bird-watching was actually better from inside our home, as was watching the storm clouds gather at sunrise. High in the atmosphere, the African dust added a touch of gold to the palette. Our pineapples had waited for us. Though small, they were very sweet. An adult Wood Stork showed up across the lake on July 13 and flew directly to the edge of our back lawn. It was only present for one day. A Muscovy Duck drake gave us a sinister stare.
A Snowy Egret's "golden slippers" reflected in the still water. A Green Heron tolerated my close approach as it waited patiently for a fish. Several Tricolored Herons foraged along the lake margin. Little Blue Herons are more skittish. They usually fly as soon as I start to open the sliding glass door, but I did catch this one across the lake. This Little Blue Heron later did stay in place for a single shot. I was so close that I could not fit the entire bird in the frame. I liked how the morning light played on the plumage of this Snowy Egret.
The Annones (also called Anón, Sweetsop, Custard- or Sugar-apple; Haitians call it Cachiman cannelle) were ripening. Unbelievably sweet, they taste like a cross between a banana and something else. Some say a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya and peach. I'll say it just tastes like an Anonne. Mark Twain called it "the most delicious fruit known to man." The Mangos ripened while we were in Alaska and Illinois, but our neighbor (whom we allowed to harvest them) gave us a couple of dozen from her own trees. Our Avocados all ripened at once, so we had to give away half of them. No activity and plenty of tropical fruit-- no wonder I gained 10 pounds!
My weekly potpourri gathered from the archives features... red dewlaps, rainbow dewdrops and more. CRITTERS: A couple of lizards displaying their dewlaps Brown Anole, an invader from the Caribbean Miramar, Florida May 18, 2008 The native Green Anole is disappearing, forced out by the exotic Brown Anole Pembroke Pines, Florida July 18, 2014 Linking to CAMERA CRITTERS,
________________________________________________ SKYWATCH: Stormy Sunrise Miramar, Florida October 13, 2013 Linking to Skywatch Friday ________________________________________________
REFLECTIONS: British Columbia Cruise The Spirit of Columbia at the dock at Malibu Club, Jervis Inlet at the rapids, BC. September 24, 2007 This is the door to our cabin, the "Astoria," on the top deck of Spirit of Columbia. My reflection is in the shower/head door inside. Jervis Inlet, BC September 24, 2007
View of the "Parliament" building lit up at night in Victoria (BC) harbor. September 26, 2007
Morning sun reflecting off dew on spider silk February 4, 2011, Miramar, Florida The low sun creates a silken rainbow. Miramar. Florida, December 24, 2013
A single drop of dew captures its entire world upside down. Miramar, Florida, December 24, 2013
In late afternoon I looked out the back window and saw a Wood Stork on the lawn of the small park diagonally across our lake. Its wings were fully extended, probably drying off after a brief downpour. By the time I got my camera, the stork had partially closed its wings. Next to the stork, an immature Tricolored Heron also rested and preened. Suddenly a Great Egret flew in and settled at the edge of the water near the heron. Both started running to the right and the stork rushed over to join them. I could see the water was disturbed by a school of small fish. The trio began feeding together, and they moved further down the shoreline. Then the egret seemed to see another school of fish back the other way. Both herons took flight, with the stork running along behind them. Again they fished together... ...until once again they relocated to the edge of the lake immediately in back of our home. They were so close that I could not fit them all in a single frame with my 420 mm f/5.6 telephoto lens system, but I got some good shots when they passed along in front of me as I stood on the patio. The Tricolored Heron led the charge excitedly, the feathers on its head erect. The stork and egret were close behind. The egret watched, ready to pounce on any fish that appeared as the stork shaded the surface and stirred the water. As before, the egret sighted another school back where they had previously been fishing, and the trio flew over there. I believe this is an example of commensalism, with all three species deriving mutual benefit of the others-- the sharp vision of the herons helped find the prey and the stork stirred the water with its foot as it probed, driving the fish out of hiding and thus aiding the herons. If video does not appear in the space below, TRY THIS LINK
My weekly potpourri gathered from the archives features... lots of crossover photos with pink birds, reflected pink skies and fence. CRITTER: Rosy bird Roseate Spoonbill November 26, 2012, Miramar, Florida Linking to CAMERA CRITTERS,
Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS ________________________________________________ FENCES: Reflected in Florida back yard
Immature Tricolored Heron Miramar, Florida, August 18, 2014
Now that we plan to get a jump on winter by traveling to our second home in Illinois, it's nice to look back on some random images from our south Florida neighborhood and local wetlands. During the rainy season the sunrise over our back yard lake can be spectacular as moisture moves in from the ocean, 18 miles to the east. This iPhone shot was taken on September 9, 2014. Walking out early around sunrise presents problems of insufficient light for photography, as I have fallen out of the habit of bringing my flash unit. Many of my early morning photos look more like silhouettes, like this one of a Green Heron. Its profile is unique and does not require any other details to establish its identity. This Bald Eagle is presumably one of the pair that has a nest about 2 miles NW of where it flew overhead about 15 minutes after sunrise. This photo, also taken on September 9, turned out soft and dark, requiring sharpening as well as brightening a full 2 stops. A Loggerhead Shrike also came out too dark against the gray sky, but the photo was enhanced by the absence of shadows due to the filtered sunlight behind me. It cleared up quite nicely, but don't look too closely. The day before, a pair of Northern Flicker males displayed in full sun as they competed for the attention of a female who looked on. Shadows and overly bright highlights now detract from the image quality. That same day, my photos of a Brown Thrasher in heavy shade turned out remarkably well. Since a childhood encounter with one at a nest I have felt intimidated by their fierce-looking yellow eyes. Thank to image stabilization, the hand-held photo taken with my 420 mm lens came out well with minimal processing, despite being shot at shutter speed of 1/125 second, ISO 3200, and f/5.6. A large gathering of Black Vultures at the local soccer field had the look and stench of death. I processed this photo without color. Close up, one vulture's facial textures are enhanced by sun and shadow. A Wood Stork in our back yard on September 8th bears some resemblance. Indeed taxonomists now classify storks and vultures as close relatives. Early morning back-lighting helps define the plumage textures of white birds, such as the stork and a White Ibis nearby.
A Tricolored Heron was also foraging close by. If I had a wide-angle lens I could have captured all three in one frame. The waders gathered where a Double-crested Cormorant was fishing just offshore. Perhaps its activity was driving small fish to the periphery of the lake. If video does not appear in the space below, TRY THIS LINK
