Thursday, April 26, 2018

Crops & Clips: Parting shots

It is that in-between season in south Florida, after many winter visitors have departed and the mass arrival of northbound migrants is just starting. The weather has been that way as well, with summer-like days interrupted by chilly cold fronts. Warm lake water and cool morning air produce fog which softens the horizon and challenges my limited photography skills.

Looking west over the lake in the Wounded Wetlands, the morning sun tries to pierce the fog:

Fog lifting 01-20180418

In the dark rookery, a female Yellow-crowned Night-Heron incubates her clutch in a flimsy nest...

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron incubating position 12  20180415

...while her mate stands guard nearby:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron imale on guard position 12  20180415

A second pair is still constructing their nest:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron pair at Position 6 02-20180412

Unexpectedly, a crow-sized male Pileated Woodpecker flies in to forage on the ground beneath a Live Oak tree next to the rookery:

Pileated Woodpecker male 04-20180414

Pileated Woodpecker male 03-20180414

Pileated Woodpecker male 01-20180414

Back at the lake, the fog has not yet dissipated, so my photo of a Common Gallinule (which I hope will soon revert to its more appropriate name of Moorhen) is soft but pleasing:

Common Gallinule 20180414

The limited sunshine only provides a hint of the rich iridescence of the plumage of this male Boat-tailed Grackle:

Boat-tailed Grackle 01-20180414

The fog burns away and the air remains still. A Double-crested Cormorant, capturing the warm rays, reflects nicely on the smooth surface:

 Double-crested Cormorant 02-20180414

A flock of migrating Blue-winged Teal circles overhead:

Blue-winged Teal 02-20180414

Blue-winged Teal 03-20180414

They settle briefly on the lake:

Blue-winged Teal 04-20180414

A single Least Sandpiper, distinguished by its warm brown back and yellow legs, prefers to forage along the margins of the lake:

Least Sandpiper 01-20180417

I catch a close shot of a male Black-and-White Warbler, a species which winters here but whose numbers swell as migrants arrive:

Black-and-White Warbler 05-20180414

Typically, it probes the bark of the trunk and larger branches:

Black-and-White Warbler 02-20180414

Prairie Warblers are permanent residents, but they are migratory and it is likely that our winter birds hail from further north. One briefly perches out in the open:

Prairie Warbler 01-20180412

Prairie Warbler 02-20180412

Least terns have arrived on schedule, a sure sign that spring is here:

Least Tern 05-20180414

We do not see a flush of wildflowers in the spring. One subtle sign is the flower of the Pondapple:

Pondapple flower 01-20180414

This flower is tiny but quite beautiful. I am not sure of its identity, but it probably is that of a Common Myrtle:

Flower on tree 20180417

A bee-like Hoverfly species photobombs my session with the flower:

Hoverfly species 20180417

These are truly "parting shots," as we are migrating to our second home in NE Illinois for a short spell. The upper Midwest has suffered over two weeks of cold and snowy weather but we do expect a more pleasant break after we arrive.



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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

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

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Thursday, April 19, 2018

Crops & Clips: Displaying Night-Heron

Fog lingers on the lake just after sunrise: 

Fog on lake after sunrise 04-20180409

A Great Egret forages at the water's edge:

Great Egret 01-20180326

Recent rains have re-charged the lakeside marshes. A Tricolored Heron casts a nice reflection in the still water:

Tricolored Heron 01-20180326

At lakeside, a Great Blue Heron preens:

Great Blue Heron 02-20180326

Great Blue Heron 01-20180326

The rookery in our local Wounded Wetlands has hosted up to eight pairs of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and three Green Heron couples. Last summer, Hurricane Irma toppled most of the nest trees into the canal. I believe that this is why I found only one pair of Yellow-crowned Herons nesting, although two pairs of Green Herons have been reliably present:

Green Heron 05-20180330

This Green Heron started fluffing its feathers just as I took the photo. I liked the blur created by the action:

Green Heron ruffling feathers 02-20180330

I saw one Green Heron gathering sticks for a nest, but so far have not located it:

Green Heron gathering sticks 05-20180314

Last week I captured a nice sequence of photos as a male Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in full breeding plumage displayed towards a rival male:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Display1 01-20180410

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Display1 02-20180410

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Display1 03-20180410

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Display1 04-20180410

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Display1 05-20180410

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Display1 06-20180410


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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

________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________

Thursday, April 12, 2018

The Gray Ghost: Northern Harrier

Sunlight touches the fog rising over the Wet Prairie:

Sunlight touches fog 01-20180317

I grew up calling it a Marsh Hawk, and the same species is known as Hen Harrier in Europe and Asia. This slender large diurnal raptor has long, narrow wings, a long tail, and a conspicuous white rump patch. It has an owl-like facial disc, and  is commonly seen flying low over open land. 

Like a Turkey Vulture, it glides with wings tilted upward in a dihedral, an adaptation for slow and low flight. For both species, this configuration allows the wings to stall alternatively as they lose lift, causing the bird to wobble or "teeter" rather than suddenly plunge down to the ground. 

Adult female:

Northern Harrier 2-20111127

A harrier photobombed my session with a Bobcat family:

Harrier over bobcats 20111103

Another appeared unexpectedly at the edge of an Illiniois cornfield, as I watched a Coyote walk away:

Coyote and male harrier 20130225

Coyote and female harrier 2-20130225

Note the yellow eyes and bulging crop of this adult female:

Northern Harrier 20110220

Northern Harrier close 20110220

Few of my photos are in good focus, as the bird's movements are difficult to track and predict:

Northern Harrier 20111204

Northern Harrier 02-20111204

Northern Harrier 09-20111204

In my collection of Northern Harrier images, nearly all are of the larger brown females or, more commonly, immature birds with cinnamon-colored underparts. The younger birds have dark eyes, while those of adults become bright yellow. This immature has spotted (or heard) prey in the high grass:

Northern Harrier 5-20131210

Northern Harrier 2-20131210

Northern Harrier 4-20131210

I got a poor image of this female Northern Harrier, through our daughter's kitchen window in Illinois. Her cinnamon undersides, which may be an artifact due to the warm morning  light, suggest she is immature but her eyes are quite bright yellow as in an adult:

Northern Harrier 4-20130114

Northern Harrier 20130114

She flew up to display her distinctive white rump:

Northern Harrier 3-20130114

This is a young Male Northern Harrier. It looks quite brown:

Northern Harrier Male 20090328

As they age, males mature into a  beautiful plumage of white, gray and black. I had only very poor and distant photos of male harriers until, in January 2018, this one flew overhead in the local wetlands and afforded me one shot as it sped away:

Northern Harrier male 01-20180123

I was thrilled as this adult male, perhaps the same one, approached my position in the Wet Prairie on March 23, 2018. It veered erratically and I thought the "Gray Ghost" would turn away:

Northern Harrier male 009-20180323

Northern Harrier male 011-20180323

Northern Harrier male 007-20180323

Northern Harrier male original 001-20180323

Males are a bit less common than females, but seem greatly outnumbered during the winter because of the similarity between adult females and the abundant immature birds of both sexes. Far north, on their breeding gounds, the males may collect a "harem" of several females.

Perched on road sign at Brigantine preserve in New Jersey:

Northern Harrier at Brig 20091208


= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

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

________________________________________________

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


________________________________________________