High clouds persisted after sunrise. The shade was welcome, but made it difficult to identify and photograph some birds in dark foliage against the ground-glass sky. One rather large bird showed very little color. Its very large bill stood out. Luckily, I had attached a flash unit. Before it flew off I captured a burst of full-color images which revealed it to be a female Summer Tanager, only the third I have recorded in my patch over the past ten or more years:
![Summer Tanager 01-20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50309571787_fc75abb785_z.jpg)
![Summer Tanager 03-20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50309404581_f4ec4810c0_z.jpg)
![Summer Tanager 04-20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50309572407_833288c2bb_z.jpg)
Earlier, I heard the call of a Green Heron but could barely see it:
![Green Heron 20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50309558792_1640a0a387_z.jpg)
About five minutes before sunrise, an adult Bald Eagle passed overhead against an amorphous pink sky. Its image is grainy at 1/1000 second exposure and ISO of 6400, but I like the effects:
![Bald Eagle 02-20200909](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50324253247_3af7d629c3_z.jpg)
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were numerous:
![Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 01-20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50320505273_4529d28b12_z.jpg)
![Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 0220200907](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50316366247_3fac6a1e3a_z.jpg)
A male Northern Cardinal carried a berry:
![Northern Cardinal male 02-20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50308720008_da97e3dd8d_z.jpg)
A female cardinal with a berry-stained bill peered out of the shadows:
![Northern Cardinal female 20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50321179436_3e7413375d_z.jpg)
My flash brightened up a female Prairie Warbler...
![Prairie Warbler female 01-20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50320507168_6a4d489aba_z.jpg)
...and brought out the hooked bill but not the eye color of a Red-eyed Vireo:
![Red-eyed Vireo 20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50321182206_b38dac4364_z.jpg)
A Brown Thrasher scolded me briefly:
![Brown Thrasher 09-20200909](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50323391573_12e572ec99_z.jpg)
![Brown Thrasher 08-20200909](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50324061781_90af6777d0_z.jpg)
A Loggerhead Shrike kept watch from a treetop:
![Loggerhead Shrike 02-20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50321179061_7bae05761d_z.jpg)
A Gray Squirrel was almost invisible as it crouched on a limb. I think I can see my reflection in its eye:
![Gray Squirrel 01-20200907](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50315516633_274ce8ae40_z.jpg)
Sunrise over the Bar Ditch Trail:
![Bar Ditch Trail 03-20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50310749483_5c40013959_z.jpg)
This is my favorite stop along the far reaches of the trail. Here the ditch widens a bit and is surrounded by Cattails and Sawgrass:
![Bar Ditch Trail and ditch 05-20200905](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50311416026_a589d9ff29_z.jpg)
Back on September 3, the Corn Moon reflected in the lake in pre-dawn twilight:
![Corn Moon 02-20200903](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50302390576_c96d589dc6_z.jpg)
While photographing the Moon, about 10 minutes before sunrise, I caught motion out of the corner of my eye. It was a Coyote, carrying something in its mouth:
![Coyote with prey or cub 02-20200903](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50301708153_5f9c9bcc04_z.jpg)
I then adjusted my camera settings to "see in the dark" by manually cranking the ISO up to an unprecedented 25,600, which allowed the shutter to function at 1/1000. The results were poor, but I hoped to identify whatever the Coyote was carrying. Was it a prey item, or possibly one of its pups. It might be relocating its den?
![Coyote with prey or cub 01-20200903](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50301707988_53668d65d5_z.jpg)
The (same?) Coyote soon walked out from the same area of brush. It appeared to be a female with swollen teats. She wandered off to the north, sniffing here and there as if hunting:
![Coyote prob female 06-20200903](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50302395346_e0065e4181_z.jpg)
Moments later, a second Coyote emerged. This looked like it was probably a male, larger and with a robust tail:
![Coyote prob male 02-20200903](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50301706598_a2613eb09e_z.jpg)
To my surprise, when I turned around, a third Coyote was staring at me. As soon as I raised my camera it fled (a Mourning Dove stood by):
![Coyote third one 05-20200903](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50302396691_21351bc901_z.jpg)
On the way home, looking back from the Levee Trailhead, clouds were gathering to the south:
![Levee Trail 02-20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50324383027_6a2d9552b2_z.jpg)
Are those birds flying or angels dancing?
![Angels dancing 02-20200908](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50323536048_b0661ae246_z.jpg)
Links to earlier posts about the Bar Ditch Trail (the last two tell how things were here ten years ago, quite a contrast now in the Wounded Wetlnads):
https://rosy-finch.blogspot.com/2020/09/beauty-is-in-eye-of-barn-owl.html
https://rosy-finch.blogspot.com/2020/04/bobcat-on-bar-ditch-trail.html
http://blog.rosyfinch.com/?p=275
http://blog.rosyfinch.com/?p=274
Linking to:
Skywatch Friday
Weekend Reflections
Saturday's Critters
BirdD'Pot
Camera Critters
All Seasons
Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)
Natasha Musing
Our World Tuesday
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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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