Thursday, July 14, 2022

New Beginnings

This past week the pair of bluebirds turned up their level of excitement. Presumably their brood was about ready to fledge. Both members of the pair perched near the nest, flying down like little hawks to catch insects and feed them to the nestlings. 




The male sang quite frequently. Then, three days ago, all was quiet at the nest box. We could hear the bluebirds calling and singing at the edge of the woodland and presumed (and hoped) that the chicks had fledged. So far, we have not seen the fledglings although the adults continue to forage near the birdhouse and  appear to be fying away to feed them.

Heavily streaked Immature Chipping Sparrows now outnumber the adults. Both share the dark line through the eye and grayish collar which distinguish the species:




We were delighted when a spotted White-tailed Deer fawn appeared with its mother in the clearing in the rear of the property:


The fawn bedded down in a patch of vegetation just under the back fence. The next morning it surprised me by appearing as if out of nowhere:



The mother deer grazed nearby:

Strangely, all three friendly baby Cottontails, each of which occupied a different corner in the back yard, disappeared on the same day. Did they all develop a fear of humans at the same time? Or, is it possible that the Coyote which appeared the morning before, or the Red Fox or the black house cat which prowl our yard at nighttime were responsible? 

A flock of Wild Turkeys again showed up in the yard. There were three adults and 20 or more chicks of at least two different ages. It was difficult to see them through the trees:

Suddenly, they paraded across the driveway. My camera settings were poor, as I did not have time to increase the depth of field and the photos were overexposed as they moved into sunlight against the dark background:



I had trouble tracking the flock for this video as they moved back into the woodland:

Our daylilies are blooming a bit later than those of many of our neighbors as we are at over 800 feet elevation and the lake surface is only 690 feet--

Yellow Daylily:

Pink Daylily:

Orange Daylily:

Late afternoon rays spread over the distant Hartford skyline:

The lowering sun peeked out from under the cloud deck...

..creating a sunburst as it settled behind the hills

Another evening, our granddaughter caught me photographing a fiery sunset:

Here was my view at that time:

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Linking to:



Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World
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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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27 comments:

  1. What a lovely spot for visitations!

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  2. ...I love bluebirds, but I rarely see them. We were out taking pictures today, sadly there was fawn perhaps smaller that your lying along the road. Last week we went to the Adirondacks and we saw lots of turkeys and chicks. This week we went to a public garden that has a nice collection of daylilies. It was overcast so I got lots of nice pictures of them.

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  3. As always, I love your photos and background info on the birds. And who does not love a fawn!!? Our rabbits come and go, and sometimes reappear. We have Coopers Hawks in the neighborhood so I am sure they get their share.
    And the skies you shared, gorgeous!!
    Another great post, thank you.

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  4. I always enjoy your beautiful photographs..Love the deer.!! Beautiful skies...You are fortunate to live in such a photogenic area..

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  5. I really enjoy seeing and watching bluebirds. Wonderful photo of one on each chair!

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  6. We just spent a week in the Black Hills of SD where we were lucky enough to see a pair of Bluebirds raise young in a nest on our front porch. We were there when the young fledged and had some trouble flying, but were all gone the next day. What a privilege it was to see them.

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  7. Wonderful photos and the view is amazing! I've been seeing lots of king snakes, coyotes and rabbits but still no turkeys. :-)

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  8. It feels so good to be looking at your wonderful photos.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  9. Loved the turkey video. Reminded me of the times when I worked at a state park, and I could watch the turkeys and chicks out my office window. Every week the flocks would get smaller, but some did manage to grow into adults. Beautiful photos.

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  10. Hello,
    Love your sky photos. Great video on the turkeys, the little ones are cute.
    The Bluebirds will always be a favorite of mine, they are so pretty. The Chipping Sparrows are cuties too. Wonderful post and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.

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  11. That one special photo I believe is birds in conversation mode. Lovely nature moments and critters that are wonderful to see in their own sweet little world.

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  12. Kenneth, you are a talented photographer. I loved every photo but you really captured the sweetness of that fawn! ☺

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  13. Photographing in nature needs passion. I found it here. Thank you for this vsptures .

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  14. Extraordinary, beautiful photos Ken! I really enjoyed the scenes & ambiance surrounding....the portraits of the fawn leaves me speechless.

    Thanks, as always, allowing us to visit with you via your link you shared at I'd Rather B Birdin'

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  15. A super selecting of pictures Kenneth. When I see your Bluebirds I am always reminded of our European Robin. It has the same profile but not the colours of your Bluebirds.

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  16. Very professional photos ~ awesome shots of the sweet Mom and baby deer ~ thanks ~ Xo

    Also ~ thank you for your supportive comments about my loss of my Yorkie, Angel ~ it is difficult ~ still grieving ~ Xo


    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  17. The red in the last shot is so dark - what a sunset. The bird shots are great too. Thanks for joining in #Allseasons

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  18. All of it is so very beautiful. So lovely. #allseasons

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  19. Wow ! Your sky capture took my breath away, Day lilies are magnificent. Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.

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  20. Beautiful captures, all of them, but the turkeys were definitely a special treat to see!
    Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/07/milkweed-visitors.html

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  21. Absolutely beautiful pictures Ken! I have high expectations that the bluebird fledglings are OK! Not so much hope for the poor baby bunnies. The fawn and (her?) mother look so healthy -- mother is keeping an eye on that baby even while she herself grabs a bite of lunch by nibbling on your lawn! ....800 feet is quite a lot of elevation for somebody who recently spent a lot of time in Flatland Florida ;>)! I am so glad you are finding so much beauty in your new surroundings. (And I loved seeing the picture your granddaughter took also!)

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  22. the bluebirds are such a sweet pair. And the deer, so sweet to find a baby, Gorgeous. Loved those images. :)

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  23. Our bluebirds seem not to have done so well this year. Tree Swallows on the other hand have had a spectacular breeding season and many have second clutches. The insect population, however, seems to be severely depleted so whether they will be able to adequately feed their young remains to be seen.

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  24. Lovely post! Bluebirds and fawns are so cute!

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  25. Such gorgeous awe-inspiring skies and beloved critters.
    As always I am bowled over by your awe-inspiring images, Ken.

    Sending you good vibes and prayers for a healthy life always.

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