Crops & Clips: Flashback to July, 2016

Once again I am celebrating the new month by looking back over photos I took during July, three years ago. Favorite memes include critters of all kinds (especially birds), skies and landscapes, flowers, fences, butterflies and reflections, and scenes which speak for themselves.

We started July, 2016 at our (then) second home in Illinois. It was a treat to see and photograph a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in breeding plumage when we visited Les Arends Kane County Forest Preserve :





A peaceful slough along the Fox River at Les Arends:



Our daughter was hosting an exchange student from France, and we attended a soccer game with a group of the students at Mooseheart Stadium, about a mile from our condo. As we approached the venue an adult Bald Eagle flew across the road right in front of our car, to the delight of the visitors (Quick detour to the present-- sadly, the male of this pair was struck and killed by a motor vehicle at this location only about 2 months ago  View newspaper story. Now back to 2016...). 

Bald Eagles had raised at least two eaglets in a nest in the middle of the stadium parking lot. The tree began to decline during the prior two years and now was completely dead. The eaglets were free-flying. As dark approached both eaglets returned to the nest tree. I kept one eye on the nest and the other on the game:





I only had my pocket camera (a Canon PowerShot SX700 HS) but its optical zoom allowed me a good photo of one of the eaglets:



We returned to Florida by mid-month. A Snowy Egret on the lakeside marsh reflected nicely:



As expected, the bird species were all familiar summer residents. The daily species count hovered around 20 to 25. Yet, there was beauty to be appreciated. A Loggerhead Shrike posed on a high stalk of grass:



A male Common Nighthawk is distinguished from the female by its bright white throat and more conspicuous wing markings:







The weather was typical for this time of year. Clear humid and hot mornings evolved into afternoon showers and thunderstorms, or morning storms moved in from the ocean. Here is a view from our back patio around sunrise on July 21:



The next morning we dared to walk out just before sunrise, but kept an anxious eye on the sky behind us over the entrance gate:



The local pair of Bald Eagles persisted through the summer after losing their first brood and successfully raising two eaglets more than a month later than is normal. An adult swooped over the lake and splashed a few times but failed to catch a fish:



The local eaglets seemed to be at about the same stage of development as those in Illinois, which fledge 4-6 weeks later than Florida birds usually do. Normally, an eaglet from this nest would have migrated to the north by mid-July. Since they have not developed all their hunting skills, they benefit by moving into areas with cooler water where the fish are not hiding deep to escape the heat. They typically return to south Florida by mid-autumn:





Red-winged Blackbirds had raised their broods but they still inhabited the lakeside marsh and sang from atop the Pond Cypress trees:



Northern Cardinals were caring for fledglings. The juvenile cardinal has a dark bill...



...as compared to the bright red bill of its mother:



Lantana was in full bloom. It attracted butterflies...



...including this Gulf Fritillary:



An Opossum walked right up close before recognizing me:

 

A White-tailed buck was approaching breeding condition. Increasing blood levels of testosterone have made him more muscular and cut out the blood supply to the protective felt which has now been cast off his antlers:



High water in the Everglades has driven the deer to seek dry ground. The lake has spilled over into the marsh and wet prairie:





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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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