Sky to the west before sunrise over our local wetlands, on January 20, 2014
Great Egret reflection in direct sunlight on a calm day appears to be two-dimensional:
Another Great Egret photo, this one in 3D, accented by low morning light:
My favorite photo of a Blue Jay, exploring the recesses of a fruiting Royal Palm:
On the home front, a Gulf Fritillary visited our Ixora blossoms:
A Muscovy Drake posed next to a neighbor's fence:
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:
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:
Pride, the male adult, called as he watched the nest from a nearby roost:
The female, Joy, took a break from tending the chicks...
...and relaxed on a nearby snag to preen:
The eagles provided no end of photo opportunities. I will bore you with just a few from the "family album:"
On January 11, the proud parents looked down into the nest at about the time the first egg was hatching:
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.
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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 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
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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oh, thank you thankyou thankyou for boring me
ReplyDelete:O)
That photo of the Egret reflection is just spectacular!
ReplyDeleteKenneth, this entire series is gorgeous and captivating, and I love the reflection of the Egret!!! Happy New Year to you, and I hope that 2017 will be fantastic for you. :)
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful photos! I love egrets for some reason but only see the gray ones here in New Zealand. The eaglets are just too cute for words. It's a shame about Mom. All your critters are just awesome to see.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY NEW YEAR Kenneth. What a wealth of fabulous photographs to start off the new year. I loved seeing the young eagles with their parents adn the reflections shot os stunning.
ReplyDeletethanks for joining o Good Fences. Love from snowy Europe. The ducjk is grea nex to he fence
ReplyDeleteHello, great series of photos. I love the eagles. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that Good Fences was back after Theresa left. I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteOf course the bird photos of yours are always so greatly composed, I love 'em all. But today I think I find a favorite in your very first image just before sunrise...the colors are extraordinary.
Thank you very much for taking time to share this post with us birders at I'd Rather B Birdin'. You're truly appreciated!
Those baby eaglets are some of the best photos..I know you are proud to have seen that and taken them. Happy New Year and happy birding! It's been amazing to see so much variety here in FL this winter!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your flashback. As always stunning photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, especially the Eagles!
ReplyDeleteYou succeeded again! Loved the look back at your Eagle family. You took such amazing pictures of them --
ReplyDeleteSome wonderful shots here...love the reflection and the 3-D of the Egret...loved the eagles and their babies. But could almost cry that Joy is gone. I hope it was an old age death and not something else. But have a feeling it was something else.
ReplyDeleteThere are/were 3 whooping cranes we seen every year down at Goose Pond, and would see 3 here near us at the strip pits. Well, on the news the other night, someone had killed a whooping crane not too far from Goose Pond. I cannot help but wonder if it is one of the three we always seen down there, and wonder if the three we see are always the same three. Plus wonder if it is the three passing on through here.
Either way, what in the world is wrong with people that they will kill something like that? Or an eagle? Not too many years ago heard where an eagle had been killed, but don't remember just where. But it made the local news.
Thank you so much for sharing the beautiful butterfly with ALL SEASONS! Interesting comment about earthquake insurance:) Up till now we have been very fortunate - it's the power outages here (3 within 2 years) that make me think maybe we should get a generator!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!