Category 4 Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida on Sunday morning, September 11. Expecting it to pass directly over our home, we had decided not to ride out the storm and instead escaped to New Mexico. Although the eye passed about 80 miles to the west, our neighborhood experienced hurricane-force winds which felled trees and knocked out power. We returned home on September 13 just as power was restored and were gratified to find that our home was undamaged and we had only lost a few limbs from our mango trees.
We checked on the welfare of the local Bald Eagles and found the nest standing and minor damage to the right side of the nest, in addition to earlier loss of material which had occurred during a severe wind storm in late August. No adults were present:
The fence which separated the eagle nest tree from the roadway was mostly leveled by fallen trees and branches which had been removed to clear the sidewalk:
We did not venture out into our local birding patch before departing on our previously scheduled month-long stay at our second home Illinois. We returned to Florida on October 15 and the next morning found both adults at the nest. The female, partly obscured, was roosting above the nest to the right while the male was rearranging sticks on the nest:
We finally got out into the wetlands and found the landscape greatly altered by the hurricane. To add human-caused insult to natural injury, a vehicle crashed into the entrance gate on the day we arrived home. I am not sure of the circumstances but it happened in broad daylight and there were no skid marks:
Many Trema trees, so attractive to migrating and wintering birds, were uprooted. The few left standing were stripped of fruit and leaves. This is just one example of an area which was one of my favorite "sit spots," now quite impenetrable:
At the heron rookery, many of the nesting trees had been pushed over into the canal. The power distribution lines were no longer hidden by tall trees:
OK, enough of the doom and gloom. Nature has a way of healing, and Florida's flora and fauna have survived many hurricanes. Even the gate has been fixed. A white-eyed Vireo peered out of the rubble:
First of the season for me, a female Painted Bunting, perhaps disappointed at not finding any Trema berries, perched on a denuded branch:
A Red-shouldered Hawk surveyed the ravaged wetlands...
...and flew to the top of a Royal Palm:
Gray Catbirds have arrived in huge numbers:
Female Eastern Towhee-- its whitish iris is characteristic of local subspecies, while more northern birds have red eyes:
The male towhee has black plumage where that of female is "milk chocolate" brown:
Northern Waterthrush near the heron rookery:
Male Common Yellowthroat along the path:
On the home front, a late afternoon storm rolled in from the ocean:
One area of the cloud caught my attention. Maybe just a rugged old man, or-- is there a crying baby with hand extended next to the face of another man who seems to be in distress?
In pouring rain, a Great Egret hunted for lizards on our back patio. Taken through the glass door:
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Linking to Misty's CAMERA CRITTERS,
Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,
Linking to FENCES AROUND THE WORLD by Gosia
Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy
Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James
Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart
Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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The final week of our "warm season" stay in Illinois drew to a close a bit earlier than in most years. We missed the peak of autumn color. It was forecast to be much more subdued this year because of the late-summer drought.
A few maples, at nearby Lippold Park in Batavia, stood out among the oaks...
...and one accented the pavillion:
Usually our schedule permits us the opportunity, not only to witness the end of fall migration, but to see a variety of other northern "target" land bird species which spend their winters in NE Illinois.
I hoped to see Fox Sparrows which usually arrive late in October, but which have posed for photos as early as October 7. Slate-colored Juncos and Purple Finches become abundant after mid-October. Red-breasted Nuthatches are irregular migrants and may suddenly show up as early as August. American Tree Sparrows, Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings usually wait until November, although any of these birds might appear a month or more earlier. So far I had not seen any of the aforementioned species.
We had a lovely walk at Bliss Woods preserve in Sugar Grove, but saw few birds. Blackberry Creek provided a nice fence and reflection:
Rain and family committments limited the opportunities for birding as our departure approached. Rather than focus on failure, let's talk about what we did see in early October. Among the warblers were...
Nashville Warbler:
Black-throated Green Warbler:
The arrival of Yellow-rumped Warblers signals that the end of migration is approaching:
As expected, some of the earlier-arriving northern sparrows were present, including the White-throated Sparrow...
...and White-crowned Sparrow. This is an immature:
Speaking of crowns, the highlights of our final week were flocks of two kinglet species. They are very active and tiny and difficult to photograph as they flit among the leaves.
The female Golden-crowned Kinglet has a yellow cap:
Male Golden-crowned Kinglets have varying amounts of red in the center of the patch:
The red feathers may be retracted and become barely visible, as in this male:
Ruby-crowned Kinglets were present among the Golden-crowns. The males erect a red crest when excited or displaying to females or rivals, but they seem to be more placid during fall migration:
Here is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet displaying this May, at almost the same spot in Nelson Lake preserve:
My first photo of the precious ruby crown was taken at Lippold Park in April, 2010:
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Linking to Misty's CAMERA CRITTERS,
Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,
Linking to FENCES AROUND THE WORLD by Gosia
Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy
Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James
Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart
Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh
________________________________________________
Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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With our stay in NE Illinois drawing to a close, we have spent limited time in the field. Badly needed rain showers also "dampened" our plans.
A visit to Hannaford Woods preserve in Sugar Grove yielded a sought-after Red-headed Woodpecker, though it was not very cooperative. It spent all its time high in the treetops looking down at us:
A Magnolia Warbler posed nicely in a natural halo of bokeh created by a break in the canopy:
The barn at Hannaford is such an interesting subject. I rendered its image as an oil painting (Click on image for more detail):
At nearby Nelson Lake preserve...
...a Black-capped Chickadee welcomed us:
A male Eastern Bluebird stood guard near the entrance path:
Autumn colors were subdued, but the play of shapes and colors along the entrance path begged for an impressionistic interpretation (Again, click to see the painterly effect)...
...as did a bright patch of goldenrod under a lone tree on the prairie:
An Orange-crowned Warbler foraged among weed stems...
...and then flew to a small tree to get a better look at us:
A Tennessee Warbler posed in good light:
A foot bridge, dedicated to Audubon, spans the creek at Nelson Lake...
...but two months without rainfall have left it dry. Animal tracks punctuate the muddy course:
A Sandhill Crane hunted in a field near the preserve:
A small flock of bluebirds included this young male, not quite adorned in full adult plumage:
We walked in Jones Meadow, the "pocket park" only a few blocks from our condo in North Aurora. Homes reflect on the surface of its pond:
A Great Blue Heron roosted in a tree nearby:
At Hawk's Bluff, another small park just doors from our daughter's home in Batavia, we found more chickadees:
A White-breasted Nuthatch followed its upside-down instincts:
It was rewarded with a juicy titbit hidden in the bark under a crooked branch-- maybe it was a nut stored there by a squirrel or jay:
White-throated Sparrows had arrived from northern breeding grounds:
A resident Song Sparrow even sang a few notes:
A Cooper's Hawk kept the small birds in hiding at Lippold Park in Batavia:
Gathering clouds cluttered the sky over the twin oaks at Nelson Lake. Much-needed rain was indeed on the way!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Linking to Misty's CAMERA CRITTERS,
Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,
Linking to FENCES AROUND THE WORLD by Gosia
Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy
Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James
Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart
Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh
________________________________________________
Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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