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:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Image-in-ing

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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