Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Returning home

Both MaryLou and I were born and raised in New Jersey, where I was in private medical practice and had three children when drafted in 1966 and commissioned into the US Public Health Service. After service in west Texas and residency training in New Orleans we moved to Dallas, Texas. There, our three oldest children attended elementary and high school and were married with children when I retired in the early 1990's. 

When we moved to New Mexico and eventually to Florida, our kids lamented that they would have no place to stay when they attended high school reunions. Now we have returned nearer to our roots in the northeast by moving to Connecticut to join the household of our younger daughter, her husband and family of two teenagers.  

The progeny of our backyard family of Eastern Bluebirds have enjoyed a reunion of sorts. All four of the fledglings disappeared over a month ago, but suddenly, on my birthday, reappeared together at the nest box:



I found this feather under the box, possibly left by one of the juveniles:

The American Goldfinches now are caring for recently-fledged offspring. Both members of the pairs ingest seeds and regurgitate them to feed the youngsters.

Adult Male:

Adult Female:


Fledgling:

A fledgling goldfinch aggressively begged to be fed by the female:

The male arrived and fed the fledgling:

The youngster wanted more, but the male parent ignored it:

Another bird landed on the fence. It was some distance away and at first I could not identify it. A closer look at this photo verifies that it is a fledgling Eastern Phoebe: 

There had been as many as 8-10 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the feeder into late August, but only a few juveniles persisted into the second week of September. They may be distinguished from adults by their duller plumage and often dark markings on their undersides:


My first warbler image of the fall season was this Northern Parula, foraging for insects among the goldfinches in the Sow Thistle:  

A wary female Coyote appeared in the clear-cut in the back of the property. The deer suddenly became much more cautious:


A very talented neighbor carved this Raccoon out of a stump in her front yard. She was just putting on the finishing touches:

We celebrated my 87th birthday with our extended family and the three grand-dogs. Moncada, the older of the two Tibetan Mastiffs, looks very serious:

MaryLou's brother flew in from Florida and we visited the Mystic Seaport on Long Island Sound. Here is a view of Mystic Harbor:

"Located in the beautiful Olde Mistick Village, Kitch is the ultimate foodie’s heaven. A favorite stop for local home cooks and professional chefs alike, if you love food, gadgets and cool cooking gear, you’ll love Kitch!...""

After a prolonged hot and dry spell, rain has returned. This was sunset after a shower, with the city of Hartford nestled between the hills in the Connecticut River Valley. Fog was moving into low areas:

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Linking to:



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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23 comments:

  1. I'll miss our insect-eating birds! Thanks for sharing yours.
    What a great housing situation for all of you!

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  2. That looks like a great birthday. Mine was fabulous too.
    Happy Birthday to us.:) I turned 50.

    All the winged wonders are gorgeous as is the deer and coyote.

    Wishing you good health, joy, love and laughter always, Ken.

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  3. Happy belated birthday, Ken!

    Our lives have a few similarities. I joined the Air Force in 1968, retired in 1990 and settled in Texas. We eventually returned to our native Florida. We've been avid birders for many years.

    I see your opening of this post and the following images of parents taking care of young ones almost as a metaphor for us of a certain age. We took care of the kids, now it's time for them to do the same for us if they are able.

    Our fall migration is still at the "dribble" stage as a few Yellow Warblers and American Redstarts are showing up.

    Take good care.

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  4. Hello, A belated Happy Birthday to you, and you don't look a day over 50. :=) Being able to spend it with your family was lovely for you. Moving nearer your family was a good choice. Great bird and also deer and coyote photography. The carving is so well done, and the village of Kitch looks quaint, and with up to the minute cooking equipment and quality food, it sounds like my kind of place.
    Enjoy all that is good in this life, and Many Happy Returns.

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  5. Marvelous images! Congratulations on your birthday.

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  6. Thanks for the beautiful pictures, Ken. And belatedly my best wishes for your birthday. Elke (Mainzauber / The Nature Thursday)

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  7. That is SOME sunset! Amazing. You're fortunate to have been out when it happened.

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  8. I love the photo of the cautious deer. Great capture!

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  9. I will be turning 80 this year. Happy Birthday!

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  10. That second photo is magnificent! You did a fantastic job to capture the wings like that. And as for 87? Looking good! Happy Birthday and enjoy the celebrations!

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  11. And thanks for joining in #Allseasons

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  12. Happy Birthday my friend! You are looking very handsome in your birthday photo! I'm glad you had a nice celebration. I am sharing young bluebirds today too. I would say they are just for you....but it really is a coincidence! Enjoy your weekend!

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  13. Hello Ken, happy belated birthday! I really enjoyed seeing your Bluebirds and the Goldfinches, they are both missing here in my yard. Beautiful captures of the Hummingbird, the Parula and the deer! The sunset is gorgeous. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend! PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  14. I'm always grateful to the goldfinches for nesting later than the others and prolonging summer for me; even though they can be quite the pills when Lucy and I are out together.

    And I'm grateful for your photographs of Hartford. I lived there for 23 years and even now, 20 yrs later, I can still miss it despite all of its problems. But those kids in the Hartford schools? I will always, always miss them. <3

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  15. A birthday reunion of sorts. Love seeing all your beautiful birds. And that wood carving is spectacular!!

    Sorry for my late visit. A computer glitch yesterday! Thanks for sharing & linking in.

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  16. What a stunning sky capture to end an adorable birdie post. Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.

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  17. What a sweet birthday visit you had - both feathered and human! Wishing you many happy years to follow!
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/09/probably-coolest-carousel-ever.html

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  18. A belated happy birthday! Olde Mistick Village reminds me of a place in Pennsylvania. Thanks for sharing!
    Oh, I think Mario got his start in the 1981 video game "Donkey Kong", Luigi came along later.

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  19. What a nice post and phoyos thanks for sharing

    Happy Birthday to you and best wishes from London 👍

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  20. Happy belated birthday! We love Olde Mistick Village; we frequently head to that region for field trips and it's such a fun little shopping village.

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  21. That last one is freeking fantastic. Great shot!

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