Thursday, June 2, 2022

Crops & Clips: Flashback to June, 2019 #1,012

 As I do each month, I enjoyed looking back over my archived photos, taken three years previously, to remember how things were then and contrast it with what to expect here in Connecticut this year. As usual, I searched for images which reflected favorite memes: critters of all kinds (especially birds), skies and clouds, reflections, flowers and fences, as well as scenes which speak for themselves. 

We spent the entire month in Florida, where on June 3 we found a Killdeer capturing a long slender creature that looked like a big worm or a small snake. Actually, it was a legless salamander, either a siren or amphiuma, (See below)* 


Nearby, I found a Killdeer nest with five eggs in an exposed area of the traveled path. They usually lay four eggs. The bird could have had trouble covering all five of them. In any event, although it showed no signs of disturbance such as footprints or ATV tracks, this nest was empty when I next visited the area only a day or two later: 

The next day we heard, then saw a reclusive Yellow-billed Cuckoo:

A Loggerhead Shrike occupied a perch atop a dead tree:

A Little Blue Heron was transitioning from its white immature plumage to the dark blue of an adult. It exhibited a striking symmetrical molt pattern:


A Tricolored Heron foraged lakeside:


A Great Egret waded in the reflection of a neighbor's fence: 

A  White-tailed doe walked along the lake with her yearling fawn:

A startled buck leapt up out of the high grasses:

Another doe forded the flooded prairie:

This forlorn Yellow-crowned Night-Heron roosted in the remnant of the clear-cut rookery:

A male Northern Cardinal emerged from the foliage:

A White Peacock butterfly rested on a Cocoplum leaf:

Lantana blossoms hosted a male Julia longwing:

Nearby, a faded and tattered female Julia:

View of the Pine Bank before sunrise:

Over our back yard lake, a full double rainbow:


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This is a photo, taken in January, 2011, of a Little Blue Heron which captured either a siren or possibly a young amphiuma, commonly called "ditch eels." They are not fish, but rather legless salamanders:

Great Blue Heron with an amphiuma which it then swallowed whole, head first, November, 2017: 


"Greater Sirens (Siren lacertina) average between 1 and 2 feet in length, while Two-toed Amphiumas (Amphiuma means) can grow to lengths of 3 feet or more—one of the largest salamander species in the world. Both of these salamanders have an elongated body shape with reduced or absent limbs." REF: Giant Salamanders of Florida

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Linking to:



Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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19 comments:

  1. Such wonderful critters! I quite enjoyed them.

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  2. Another very enjoyable Flashback, Ken!

    Great action shot of that buck leaping out of the grass. I am always amazed at the number of "snakelike" critters in Florida. And usually, we only see them in the beaks of our wading birds or raptors.

    Our first tropical storm of the season is about to give us a wet weekend. Hope no one suffers injury or property damage.

    Take care!

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  3. They sure look like worms to me! Beautiful photos. I love the Killdeer eggs. They blend in wonderfully!

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  4. What a miracle just to get up close to a nest of Killdeer eggs. Deer images are up close and personal. Lovely just lovely images of Egrets, Herons, Butterflies. Class Act photographs!

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  5. What a joy to see such exquisite shots of wildlife, from deer to butterflies!

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  6. Wow, amazing captures of the birds and wildlife. The herons look like they have a feast to eat. Love the Herons, Shrike and the Cuckoo. The Killdeer is adorable. The Double rainbow is gorgeous, a lovely sight to see. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your weekend! PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  7. Those salamanders and legless things are really weird looking! I always think they are snakes when I see them. The rainbow is a gorgeous photo. Hope this month is a good one for you! Take care of yourself my friend! Diane

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  8. What beautiful shots of birds and wildlife.
    The butterflies are fantastic.
    The double rainbow is so beautiful, a beautiful sight to see.
    Greetings Irma

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  9. i see killdeer here all the time and their nest building skills are so odd. a great collection of large birds and butterflies, beautiful images!!

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  10. Wonderful animal photos! I like the double rainbow too.

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  11. Stunning capture of beautiful birds , I loved the capture of Great Egret reflection in water. Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.

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  12. So glad to be back here dear Ken, Have missed nature's beauty through your lens. The double rainbow is enchanting as are all the critters. Intersting to learn about Amphiumas...

    Hope you are staying healthy and in high spirits. Happy tidings and good vibes always.

    https://natashamusing.com/2022/06/i-forgive-and-flow-natasha-musing/

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  13. Such nice captures of birds, buck, and butterflies! We have the Fiscal Shrike in South Africa (I'm an American living in South Africa) and they are so fun to listen to when they chatter and call to each other. For being such small birds, they are very loud. I'm popping over from Sue's blog hop at image-in-ing.

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  14. I had absolutely no idea there were legless salamanders. How odd! Isn't nature endlessly fascinating?
    Thanks for sharing at this week's linkup!

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  15. I love the deer the best. Regine
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  16. All sorts of commenting issues this week - sorry! Thanks for joining in #Allseasons The feeding shots are great!

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