Crops & Clips: Fall arrivals

Having sold our Illinois condo in April, this was the first time since 2006 that we spent the entire summer (except for two weeks in early September) at our permanent home in south Florida. 

This Northern Cardinal has finished molting into a new, brilliant coat:



The weather continues its summer routine of heat, humidity and pop-up showers. I have added a new piece of equipment to my hiking gear-- a folding umbrella, which has come in handy several times.

Days usually start out clear, such as this morning under the waning crescent Harvest Moon:



 A Great Egret may be out on the lake before first light:



However, one morning the sky looked very threatening at sunrise...



...rain approached...



...and the shower was followed by a rainbow.



The earliest of our arriving warblers was a Louisiana Waterthrush. It showed up on July 30 and has been present every day through this morning (October 10), an unusually long stop-over. According to eBird, for the past ten years, except for a single sighting in December, 2008, this species has not otherwise been recorded in our County after the end of September. A very early migrant, it usually arrives in south Florida by mid-July and disappears to wintering grounds in the Carribbean or Central America by early September.

Louisiana Waterthrush:





A similar Northern Waterthrush arrived only this morning.  Louisiana Waterthrush has a broad white eye line which contrasts with its undersides and buffy flanks. The Northern Waterthrush has a relatively shorter bill, its eye line is buffy and is darker than or matches the color of its undersides, which are more densely streaked, often up into its throat.

  



Other arrivals included American Redstarts...





...Blue-gray Gnatcatchers...



...Red-eyed Vireos...



...Ovenbirds...



...Black-throated Blue Warblers, eating the Fireweed berries...





...Palm Warblers...



...Northern Parulas...



...Eastern Kingbirds...



...Ruby-throated Hummingbirds:



New arrivals bolstered local populations of Prairie Warblers...



...and Common Yellowthroats:



Days are getting shorter. Sunrise is later each morning and has shifted to the south of the gate in "Sundial Alley:"




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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

 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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