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Thursday, September 2, 2021

Crops & Clips: Flashback to September, 2018

As I do each month, I enjoyed looking back over my archived photos, taken three years previously, to remember how things were then and maybe get some idea of what to expect this year. As usual, I searched for images which reflected favorite memes: critters of all kinds (especially birds), skies and clouds, reflections, flowers and fences, as well as scenes which speak for themselves. 

We started the month at home in Florida. Southbound fall warblers were starting to pass through, but prevailing winds directed most of them to the west (Gulf) coast. My warbler photos were limited to--

Louisiana Waterthrush:

Prairie Warbler:

Female Common Yellowthroat:

Black-and-White Warbler:

In the rookery (which has since been essentially abandoned), a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron roosted in a tree which would soon be cut down:

A tiny Bella or Rattlebox Tiger Moth rested on a blade of grass:

When is a goose not a goose and a duck is not a duck? Two gooselike members of the avian Order of Anseriformes (Ducks, Geese and Swans) enjoy rather uncertain positions as to where they fit into the classification scheme. Both bear some resemblance to each other and to the Shelducks, a group of large ducks which are smaller than geese. 

Male Muscovy Duck and Egyptian Goose (Drakes or Ganders, take your pick) posed nicely in our back yard, exhibiting rather similar characteristics of heavy bodies and thick goose-like necks. Both of these introduced exotic species are populating the urbanized areas of south Florida.

We visited our daughter's family in Illinois, our first return after selling our condo. Wasting no time, we headed to Nelson Lake, our favorite hot spot. In the prairie, Milkweed Bugs clustered on a seed pod of their host plant:


Fall flowers turned the fields to yellow:



A stately old oak at the edge of the golden prairie hosted Red-breasted Nuthatches which earned their nickname of "upside-down birds:"


I applied "oil painting" effects to this photo of a red barn and silo across the road from the preserve (click to enlarge):

Aging Tibetan Mastiff Agramonte and his buddy Casador lazed in our daughter's back yard:

By the end of the month we were back home in Florida, where a juvenile Green Heron provided evidence that at least some of the herons had nested successfully in the rookery:

It was a good month for flight shots, this of a Tricolored Heron...

...a Red-shouldered Hawk carrying prey...

...Great Egrets...


...and a Killdeer:

A perky Ovenbird on September 24:

At sunrise on September 25, the Harvest Moon reflected on the still surface of the lake:

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Linking to:


Nature Thursday

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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24 comments:

  1. These are wonderful! I love the milkweed bugs. There are so many critters who live on them.

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  2. I love your flight shots and as always the sunrise. The Muscovy duck and it’s friends’ heads Look more like geese to me…in their heads. Always love to See hawks. And I hope you didn’t have too much damage from Ida..stay safe.

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  3. What a beautiful shot of the heron. Sad to think it's tree might be cut down.

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  4. Tolle Flieger hast du mitgebracht...mit viel Geduld fotografiert...
    Die Eiche gefällt mir besonders gut.
    LG. Karin M.

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  5. Kenneth, this was another great end of month collection of birds, shorebirds, sunrise, with some insects included and a couple of very large dogs!

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  6. Greetings and Salutations! Harvest moon photograph is lovely!

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  7. Wow, you are a great bird photographer. Such variety and captured so perfectly. I really love the shot of the moon over the lake. Perfect.

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  8. Hello, ken
    Your birds photos are always lovely to see, such a great variety of birds too. The Tiger Moth insect is interesting. I love your view of the harvest moon and reflection photo. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend!

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  9. I wish you an excellent month of September in 2021 -- I hope you again see lots of beautiful wildlife.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  10. Water birds always appear so peaceful in flight, and your ending photo is the icing on the cake. Lovely post.

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  11. That killdeer in flight is phenomenal Ken!! Love the poochies in the backyard. And, as always, I must say your nature photography is as stellar as ever.
    Thanks for sharing and linking in this weekend.

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  12. Those bird in flight shots are fabulous - weirdly I thought I'd already commented with exactly that before!! How strange. Thanks for joining in the #Allseasons link up https://pandoraandmax.blogspot.com/2021/09/impact.html

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  13. I enjoyed seeing these pictures. The oak is impressive.

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  14. Beautiful post ! I love the beautiful milkweed bugs, Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair

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  15. We've been growing milkweed this year and have been gratified to see monarchs returning after years of not seeing them... but I've never seen milkweed bugs! They did draw a bumper crop of aphids, though :(
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/09/going-buggy-in-our-yard.html

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  16. wondeful selection. this time, my favourite would be the moth - how pretty it is.

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  17. Another outstanding look back! As we begin this year's fall migration, we hope all of us are able to get out a bit and enjoy nature's variety.

    A cool breeze would be welcome, too!

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  18. I hope September 2021 exceeds all expectations!

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  19. Great set of pictures - I think that Egyptian Geese may be on a path to world domination! They are becoming common in the UK as well.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: sorry about long gap between comments, being locked down is not great for me!

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  20. There is something so special about birds. It is nice you have a large collection of photos. That moth is beautiful. I have never seen anything like.

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  21. Fabulous images! I haven't seen the Egyptian goose here but I like that it has eyeliner like Cleopatra.

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