Crops & Clips: Flashback to July, 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. This month's harvest makes me miss our summers in Illinois (or anywhere besides being locked down at home).

We spent the entire month of July at our (then) second home in northeastern Illinois. We watched our favorite grassland birds, and mourned the continuing loss of  their habitat. A family of Sandhill Cranes climbed on a pile of dirt where their prairie home was being converted into a housing complex. An unruly blackbird added to their discomfort, but only the colt paid attention to the attacker:

 

A Lark Sparrow perched on a sign advertising a home site. These birds had not been verified as nesting in Kane County until MaryLou first sighted them and we saw their fledgling. Later the nest was discovered and photographed by others. This entire area was staked out for development:

 

Documentation photo of young Lark Sparrow being fed by parent:





We visited Nelson Lake preserve as often as possible. This is a path through the prairie:



Wildflowers were abundant. These are Purple Coneflowers:



That's MaryLou beyond the mass of wildflowers:



Cedar Waxwing on a sapling in the prairie at Nelson Lake preserve:



The diminutive Henslow's Sparrow finds refuge here, where controlled burns are rotated to provide its exacting habitat needs. It usually nests two years after a fire, in the layer of dry grass which is packed down by the second winter's snow. They have greenish heads and are tiny and elusive:





Other small sparrows which nest more widely at Nelson's Lake are the Grasshopper Sparrow...



...Savannah Sparrow...



...and the rather plain-looking Field Sparrow which has a pink bill:

 

Dickcissels were abundant. This pair were tending a nest and the female was waiting for me to depart before delivering a meal for their chick:



Male Dickcissel:



American Goldfinches brightened the scene:





Common Yellowthroats sang along the trail:



The boardwalk and pavilion at Lippold Park:



Mallards preening:



We checked the Bald Eagle nest near our condo. The two juveniles had fledged, and one flew by:



One of the parents stood guard:



Fox River floodplain:



Common Buckeye butterfly:



American Lady butterfly:



A Painted Lady "attacked" me:

Agramonte, our Granddaughters' beloved Tibetan Mastiff, now 13 1/2 years old, is not doing well this year. He can barely climb the stairs. The girls hold out hope but must face the fact that he is failing. Three years ago he was sleeping on the cool floor as usual:





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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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