Crops & Clips: Flashback to June, 2017

At the beginning of each month I enjoy looking back at photos from three years previously, to refresh old memories and perhaps anticipate what beauty awaits this year. Especially, I look for favorite dreams, memes and themes-- critters of all kinds (especially birds and butterflies), flowers, clouds, skies, reflections, fences... and images which speak for themselves.

It was a busy month, in which I processed almost 900 photos, beginning at our (then) second home in NE Illinois, returning to Florida for three weeks before going back to Illinois. 

My first subject was a rather common bird at Lippold Park in Kane County, a European Starling. It is a male, indicated by the depth of iridescent color and the blue at the base of his bill:



A Baltimore Oriole provided a last flash of color before we returned to Florida:



Lippold Park had undergone some improvements, including a pavilion overlooking a boardwalk which traversed the wetlands:





We returned to Florida on a rainy June 3. The next morning a Snowy Egret posed on our back lawn:



At the local rookery, a Green Heron gazed inquisitively:





At the Bald Eagle nest, the two eaglets, now about 120 days (17 weeks) old, had fledged in late April and early May. They continued to return to the nest to be fed as they gained hunting skills. We have observed this behavior to be common when there is more than one eaglet, as it is a more efficient way for the parents to feed and protect their brood. 

The younger (male) eaglet was resting on the nest on June 8...



...as his sister flew low over the area:



In our back yard, a White-winged  Dove roosted on a metal pole: 



A Loggerhead Shrike replaced the dove on the perch:



In nearby Weston, the Wood Stork colony was a busy place. Most of the birds were juveniles (distinguished by their feathered heads and light beaks) waiting for parents to bring in food:

 





Tricolored Herons had successfully raised many young, which clamored to be fed:







An adult rebuked an over-demanding fledgling:



A White-tailed Doe waded across the wet prairie in our neighborhood patch:



A Swamp Lily casts a nice reflection:



Then back in Illinois to finish the month, we visited Nelson Lake prairie:



We caught up with the Dickcissels, which had not arrived until early June. They are hard to pin down, but so photogenic:







Other prairie birds included the Grasshopper Sparrow...



...Savannah Sparrow...



... American Goldfinch female...



...and male:



Along the wooded border we saw an Indigo Bunting...



...and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak:



Common Buckeye:

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Linking to:

Fences Around the World

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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