Thursday, January 26, 2017

A not-so Short-tailed Hawk

On a stormy morning, a sunbeam seems to be directed at the entrance gate to our local birding patch (click for enlarged view of the fence):

Sunbeam at entrance gate 20170115

Before sunrise, warm light bathes a Great Egret:

Great Egret 2-20170116


A Zebra heliconian sips nectar from a Lantana blossom:

Zebra heliconian on Lantana 20170115

When I first moved to south Florida I saw a hawk soaring over our home. Its wings were broad and its body was stocky, so I recognized it as a member of the Buteo (Buzzard) group. It had a reddish tail. Our only Buteo with a red tail is the Red-tailed Hawk, but this bird was smaller and its wings did not look right. I realized that this was my first sighting of a Short-tailed Hawk. I did not have my camera but subsequently saw another with a reddish tail. Admittedly it does not show up here as well as it did in life:

Short-tailed hawk 20160222

Contrast the above hawk with this immature eastern Red-tailed Hawk which I photographed in Illinois. Note its longer wings with dark patagial markings (referring to the patagium, which is the fold of skin extending from the body to the "wrists") on their leading edge at the "elbows:"

Broad-winged or Red-tailed Hawk? 20090819

Adult Red-tailed Hawks usually have much more red pigment in their tails. The red in the tail of the hawk I saw in Florida was not due to pigment, but to diffraction of light in its tail feathers. Although the field guides no not give this much attention, it is a rather commonly seen in Short-tailed Hawks.

Short-tailed Hawks appear in two distinct sets of plumage, dark and light color morphs. Here is a dark morph over our local wetlands (Nov 21, 2016):

Short-tailed Hawk in flight HDR 01-20161121

Another, on Oct 23, 2013:

Short-tailed Hawk dark morph 4-20131023

This is a light morph photographed on Feb 22, 2016. Note its torpedo-shaped body:

Short-tailed hawk 2-20160222

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Birds of North America describes this species as "one of the rarest and least-studied birds in the United States." Although fairly common in Central and northern South America as well as on both coasts of Mexico, its breeding range in the United States is restricted to the Florida peninsula, with an isolated population of 150 to 200 pairs. These birds spend the winter in the southern tip of Florida. As can be noted in the above photos, their tails are not short in proportion to their bodies.

Both morphs interbreed, but the dark form is said to be more common in Florida. It rarely roosts out in the open. Recently I was lucky to find individuals of both color morphs roosting along the road in our local wetlands.

Light morph Short-tailed Hawk (Dec 20, 2016):

Short-tailed Hawk CROP 01-20161220_1

The dark morph Short-tailed Hawk did not provide me with a very open view. It was facing away and partly obscured by foliage. (Dec 31, 2016)

Short-tailed Hawk 07-20161231


Short-tailed Hawk 06-20161231

However, before it roosted, the latter hawk flew right over my head. It approached on long glide with wings held horizontally, unlike the dihedral of the vultures with which it often associates:

Short-tailed Hawk 08-20161231

Short-tailed Hawk 03-20161231

Short-tailed Hawk 04-20161231

Short-tailed Hawk prey almost exclusively on small and medium-sized birds. They have a habit of hovering in place and then suddenly diving straight down with closed wings. I was able to capture the image of this dark morph as it hovered, but It then dropped so fast that I missed the dive:

Short-tailed Hawk DPP 20161121

This light morph hovered and as I clicked the camera it started to drop like a stone. Luckily, I got a single frame as it descended and disappeared:



Short-tailed hawk diving 20160222


Still feeling time pressures as Mary Lou will have her second cataract extraction today. After her first surgery she somehow injured her back and has needed assistance. In the meantime we had just learned that our next door neighbor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which had already spread to his liver when discovered just before Christmas. He was only 48 years old and had a beautiful wife and two young sons (I published a photo of one of them last week paddling the kayak with their Labradoodle puppy in our lake) He passed away this past week. Their extensive family from Argentina is here and we have opened our home to them. Hope to get back to normal as soon as possible. Luckily had this post prepared ahead of time.   

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES 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 Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

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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Thursday, January 19, 2017

Random back yard visions

Rainbow from our back patio:

Rainbow from back patio 20161123

Our next door neighbor's pet goes for a doggie paddle:

Doggy Paddle 20170106

A Tricolored Heron moves purposefully along the edge of our lawn:

Tricolored Heron 03-20170105

Great Egrets are much more shy, so I must capture this view through the back patio window:

Great Egret thru window 20170106

A Muscovy Duck leads her five new hatchlings:

Muscovy Duck and ducklings 20170101

A Gray Squirrel nibbles on an acorn in our front yard:

Gray Squirrel 20170101

A flyover by Egyptian Geese:

Egyptian Geese 01-20170101

Close-up of a Green Iguana on our lawn:

Green Iguana portrait 20161129

The International Space Station passed over our house in November, 2016:

International Space Station 20161129

A half hour before sunrise, we pass the gate to our subdivision as we head out to the wetlands:

Monaco Cove gate 20161229

A Long-tailed Skipper visits a Lantana blossom:

Long-tailed Skipper 02-20170101

Snow Moon rising:


 Snow Moon rising HDR 20160222

An early morning rainbow over the wetlands:


Rainbow north end HDR 20161125


I have placed the blog on auto-pilot for a couple of weeks as we are dealing with some demands on our time involving neighbors and loved ones, not me personally. I promise to get back to visit you all as things settle down.


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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES 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 Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

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

________________________________________________


Friday, January 13, 2017

As the fog lifts

We have had several foggy mornings here in south Florida. High humidity coupled with lower temperatures and calm winds create a layer of cooler air which settles over the ground. Under these conditions before sunrise the air may cool to the dew point (this morning in the low 60's F), causing moisture in the air to condense into tiny droplets-- a blanket of fog.

As the sun warms the ground, the droplets evaporate and give the appearance of "lifting" like a translucent ceiling above our heads as we walk out into the wetlands:

Fog Lifting HDR 20160304

Fog imparts beauty to the wet prairie, defaced by abandoned utility poles and scarred by "wreckreational" off-road vehicles:

Foggy wet prairie 20170106

The diffuse light isolates subjects and creates interesting photo opportunities. A Great Egret reflects in the lake:

Great Egret 02-20170102

A Great Blue Heron accents the landscape as fog lingers along the far shore:

  Great Blue landscape 20170105

Not accustomed to the human presence, the heron squawks its disapproval:

Great Blue Heron before sunrise 2-20170105

A Great Egret comes to rest on a small island:

Great Egret 20170103

Great Egret 2-20170103

The sky brightens as the fog layer continues to melt. The lack of shadows softens the images of a Little Blue Heron:

Little Blue Heron 2-20170105

Little Blue Heron 20170105

Little Blue Heron 3-20170105

On another misty morning before sunrise, the same or another Great Blue Heron shifts from a regal to a contorted posture:

Great Blue Heron before sunrise 2-20170103

Great Blue Heron before sunrise 20170103

Lakeside, a Belted Kingfisher:

Belted Kingfisher 20170105

A Palm Warbler in Brazilian Pepper:

Palm Warbler 20170105

A Turkey Vulture rests on the guard rail fence of the unfinished highway to nowhere:


 Turkey Vulture on fence 20170105

A female Soldier sips nectar from a Bidens alba. These flowers are the richest source of nectar of all Florida's native plants, second only to cultivated citrus:

Soldier female 20170101

= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES 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 Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

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

________________________________________________



Thursday, January 5, 2017

Crops & Clips: Flashback to January, 2014

I decided to keep playing the "game" of reviewing my monthly photo archives from three years ago, hoping to find at least one match for each of my favorite blogging friends' memes: Critters, Flowers, Macros, Fences, Skies and Reflections. This month I barely succeeded, finding few skies and only one image of a fence.

Sky to the west before sunrise over our local wetlands, on January 20, 2014

Harbour Lakes 3-20140120

Great Egret reflection in direct sunlight on a calm day appears to be two-dimensional:

Great Egret reflection 20140127

Another Great Egret photo, this one in 3D, accented by low morning light:

Great Egret 2-20140106

My favorite photo of a Blue Jay, exploring the recesses of a fruiting Royal Palm:

Blue Jay on Royal Palm 20140127

On the home front, a Gulf Fritillary visited our Ixora blossoms:

Gulf Fritillary 20140110

A Muscovy Drake posed next to a neighbor's fence:

Muscovy Drake 20140110

Two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (juvenile on left and adult female on right) drilled sap wells in the bark of our back yard West Indies Mahogany tree:

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers 20140128

The local pair of Bald Eagles were rearing two eaglets. These are the 12th and 13th known to have hatched since we started watching this nest back in 2007:

Bald Eagle chicks P Piney 13 and 12  interact 5-20140131

Pride, the male adult, called as he watched the nest from a nearby roost:

Bald Eagle calling 20140117

The female, Joy, took a break from tending the chicks...

Bald Eagle in flight 2-20140117

...and relaxed on a nearby snag to preen:

Bald Eagle female 2-20140131

Bald Eagle female preening 3-20140110

The eagles provided no end of photo opportunities. I will  bore you with just a few from the "family album:"

Bald Eagle male with 2 eaglets 2-20140126

On January 11, the proud parents looked down into the nest at about the time the first egg was hatching:

Bald Eagle 0912-3 adults look into nest  20140111

Both eaglets (subsequently named "Honor" and "Glory" were raised and fledged successfully. Sadly, this was to be Joy's last brood. She disappeared in October, 2014 just at the beginning of the next breeding season.


= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES 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 Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

 Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jeannette
________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________