Thursday, September 27, 2018

Crops & Clips: In and around Batavia, Illinois

We just returned from a two week stay in northeastern Illinois. Surprisingly, we had a spell of hot weather with some temperatures higher than those back home in south Florida.

Although we were busy with volleyball games and preparations for a charity gala with 100 guests at our daughter's home, we found time to get out and walk in the nearby parks and forest preserves. We saw many more warblers than we were able to identify, as they tended to forage high in the trees against the very bright sky. 

At Les Arends Forest Preserve in their home town of Batavia, we encountered a mixed flock which included American Redstarts. I was only able to get a decent photo of a female:

American Redstart 01-20180912

There were quite a few Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers, which are quite similar in their dull fall plumage.

The Blackpoll shows some streaking of its underparts and has a more greenish cast to its head and neck, so this most likely is one here:

Blackpoll Warbler 03-20180912

Bay-breasted Warbler? It should have dark legs but these appear to be light as in Blackpoll:

Bay-breasted Warbler 02-20180912

Bay-breasted Warbler 01-20180912

This is a dull female Chestnut-sided Warbler:

Chestnut-sided Warbler 04-20180912

Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove has very nice walking trails and a wooden bridge over Blackberry Creek, where Mary Lou is looking at a goldfinch:

Bliss Woods 02-20180911

Bliss Woods 03-20180911

A Wilson's Warbler brightened our morning:

Wilson's Warbler 03-20190911

We saw migrating Swainson's Thrushes...

Swainson's Thrush 01-20180911

...and a pair of Red-eyed Vireos:

Red-eyed Vireos two 20180911

A favorite spot is Nelson Lake/Dick Young Marsh Kane County Forest Preserve: 

Tree at Nelson Lake 20180920

Northwest prairie Nelson Lake 20180920

I caught sight of an early migratory Red-breasted Nuthatch, but had to wait a few days before getting one of these little acrobats in my camera viewfinder. It was foraging in this grand oak:

Grand Oak 20180920

Red-breasted Nuthatch 06-20180920

Red-breasted Nuthatch 05-20180920

Red-breasted Nuthatch 08-20180920

The male American Goldfinches were in various stages of molting into their somber winter coats:

American Goldfinch 02-20180913

A Mourning Dove struck a nice pose:

Mourning Dove 20180914

A Cedar Waxwing had a regal appearance:

Cedar Waxwing 20180909

Canada Geese were numerous...

Canada Geese 02-20180909

...as were butterflies, including this Pearl Crescent...

Pearl Crescent 02-20180920

...a Red-spotted Purple...

Red-spotted Purple butterfly 01-20180913

...a Cabbage White...

Cabbage White butterfly 20180920

...and many beautiful Monarchs:

Monarch  butterfly 02-20180914

Colorful Milkweed Bugs clustered on the pods of their favorite plant, also host to the Monarch caterpillar:

Milkweed Bugs 01-20180920

A view of the upper reaches of the marsh at Nelson Lake is framed by tree branches:

Nelson Lake Marsh view 02-20180909

Back home at our daughter's house, their oldest and youngest pets rested on their patio. Tibetan Mastiff Agramonte is eleven years old and Standard Poodle Cazador is 6 months of age:


Agramonte and Casador 20180920

Casador 29180920

In their back yard, a Silver-spotted Skipper visited a Rose of Sharon:

Silver-sppotted Skipper 01-20180913


Upon returning to Florida, I captured this iPhone panorama of the western sky opposite the rising sun (click on image for full view):

Pano to west at sunrise 20180923

= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

 Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display


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Thursday, September 20, 2018

Crops & Clips: Birds preening

Too often I have discarded bird photos because the subject suddenly turned away, closed its eyes, or started picking at its plumage. Yet, some of my more interesting images have been those of birds preening and ruffling their feathers. 

Of course this is a vitally important behavior, as it cleans and restores integrity to feathers which have been soiled or disrupted. 

Individual feather barbs which arise from the feather shaft are attached to one another by tiny barbules and hooks (nature's "Velcro"). These become separated and must be carefully straightened, realigned and joined together to permit flight and protection from temperature extremes, wind and precipitation.

Herons take on such interesting shapes. The absence of hands makes them contort their necks into some unusual postures.

Great Blue Heron:

Great Blue Heron before sunrise 04-20171215

Great Blue Heron 03-20170207

Great Blue Heron backyard 06-20161210

Tricolored Heron:

Tricolored Heron 03-20160519

Tricolored Heron preening HDR2  20150722

Immature Little Blue Heron:

Little Blue Heron immature 20141118

Little Blue Heron immature neck 20141118

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron preening 20150311

Great Egret:

Great Egret preening 20131210

Great Egret preening 2-20150105

Great Egret preening 03-20180717

Wood Stork:

Wood Stork FOUR nestlings 02-20180411

Anhinga preening:

Anhinga preening 20150212

Anhinga 2-20131210

Sandhill Crane:

Sandhill Crane preening 06-20161027

Turkey Vulture with two heads (actually a companion is looking over its shoulder as it preens):

Two-headed Turkey Vulture 20140302

American Kestrel

American Kestrel preening 20151207

American Kestrel preening 4-20151207

Kestrel stretching 20101210

Bald Eagle stretching and preening:

Bald Eagle female stretching 20170106

Bald Eagle female preening 20151025

Bald Eagle male preening 20141229

Adult Preening 20090320

Mourning Dove:

Mourning Dove preening 20111105

Savannah Sparrow:

Savannah Sparrow preening HDR 20160629

Painted Bunting:

Painted Bunting preening 2-20170211

Perfect viewpoint early in the morning:

196th Avenue Canal HDR 20180724


= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

 Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display


________________________________________________