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Thursday, October 27, 2022

Small World

By now it may be obvious to readers that, lately, my observations and photos have been limited to a very restricted geographic area. Namely, the grounds surrounding our home ("La Casita") and within walking distance, usually a mile-long loop along the eastern shore of the lake. 

I assure you I am not a criminal under house arrest. Rather, my reduced mobility is related to conditions that impair my strength and  endurance. There are many scenic and well-marked wilderness trails nearby, but even with the help of a stout hiking stick, I have difficulty climbing over boulders and crossing streams on stepping stones. Our local morning walk follows paved surfaces and provides an opportunity for much-needed exercise. 

Feeder watching gets more interesting as winter visitors and wanderers arrive at our new Connecticut home.  

Although I have heard and seen this species from the property in spring and summer, I never obtained a good photo. As a kid in New Jersey I remember this large member of the Sparrow family as a Red-eyed, then a Rufous-sided and now, as an Eastern Towhee. It breeds in much of the eastern US. Most migrate south, but a few will remain here all winter:

Their eyes are dark red in northern parts of their range and paler toward the south.  In south Florida, the local subspecies exhibits yellow or straw-colored eyes. Here is a Florida specimen I photographed in 2014:   

The western form is classified as a separate species, the Spotted Towhee, photographed in New Mexico in 2017. It has bright red eyes:

White-throated Sparrows have moved in from their breeding range to the north.:

Scores of Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Juncos are passing through. Many will stay all winter:

A common feeder visitor is the Downy Woodpecker:

The plumage of this larger Hairy Woodpecker is similar, but its bill is proportionally longer and its outer tail feathers lack the black bars of the Downy Woodpecker:

We have a bird bath near the window, too close to capture the entire bird in my long lens. However, this provides some unusual and intimate portraits of visiting Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees:






It is easy to overlook the beauty of the common Blue Jay:

Autumn foliage has reached and finally passed its most colorful phase--

Leaves turn from yellow to orange and red to brown:


Suddenly the leaf-littered forest floor is visible through the understory:

Our granddaughter, son-in-law and his brother and I installed this handrail in just two days, as no contractor was willing to take on such a small project. I love our window view of the granite outcrop and beyond, a wildlife corridor

The handrail adds a measure of safety when negotiating the 12 steps which connect the path to our ground floor Casita ('little house") with the main floor level of the "big house" (La Casona), to which we also have indoor access:

This past week a Black Bear (or possibly a second) descended the stairway three times in one night, only to find that the feeders were gone:

Black Bears develop a ravenous appetite and store up energy in preparation for  hibernation. They have destroyed neighbors' bird feeders. The bears are most active at night and as daylight shortens, in the extended twilight. We have been taking the feeders inside much earlier. 

Only one year ago I underwent surgery (right hemicolectomy and liver resection) for Stage 4 colon cancer. MaryLou and I had been planning an eventual move from Florida to join our daughter's household in Connecticut. The surgeons believed they had removed all traces of the tumor, but after our expedited move to Connecticut (and then after a delay when the entire household came down with Omnicron Covid), CT and MRI scans revealed two additional liver metastases. I have been on chemotherapy for over six months and there has been some reduction in the size of the lesions. I am doing quite well except for some fatigue and continuing issues with arthritis and mobility. 

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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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24 comments:

  1. Even your energy may be limited, your pics are not! Great capture of the Junco, the Downy and hairy woodpecker. The fall landscapes there are stunning!! Am jealous:)

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  2. First off, you and your family are on the family prayer list. You have been through a lot.

    I love all your photos, epecially the closeups of the birds.

    The bear is amazing. We have issues with raccoons tearing up our feeders but a bear!!

    Take care!!

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  3. Beautiful birds and fall foliage! I wish you the best as you heal.

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  4. I look forward to your photographs taken near your home weekly. Glad a hand rail was installed. Adjust. Sleep. Repeat.

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  5. I'm so sorry about your health issues. How wonderful to be with family, though. My husband is managing his cancer. So far we haven't had our bears back, but I'm watching!

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  6. Thank you, Ken, for a breath of fresh air! All the "fall" birds, bears and autumn foliage have helped this swamp-dweller feel better.

    You continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

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  7. Lovely set of photos and I know that feeling that climbing over things is not as easy as it used to be! Have a good weekend, Diane

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  8. I am sorry to hear about the cancer and the reduced mobility. I am happy for you that you still have access to many beautiful birds tho. Nothing common about that blue jay!!

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  9. A wonderful collection of pictures. All of them are beautiful

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  10. These photos are great, and I am glad to see many birds. Photos of autumn foliage are beautiful too. I always enjoy reading your posts with bird visitors. So sorry to hear about your health condition. I hope it will be better soon. Stay blessed!

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  11. Hello Ken,
    I am sorry to hear about your health issues, sending prayers for you.
    Your bird photos are gorgeous, I love the Towhee, Woodpeckers, Junco and Titmouse closeups. The Chickadee images are adorable. I am starting to see the White-throated Sparrows here, but I am missing the Juncos. Your fall colors are looking beautiful, stunning views! I hope you feel better. 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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  12. I appreciate you sharing your health conditions with all of us. I have been a blog friend for a long time and I've learned a lot from you over the years about the birds and critters found here in Florida. I still go back to some of your earlier posts to check on a bird ID. I'm so glad to hear you can get out some and have a beautiful place to live and observe the birds there....oh and the wildlife! Take care my friend and enjoy your weekend!

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  13. I do pray that all the therapy helps. Be strong and fight for your recovery.

    Beautiful photos Ken. And photographs looking from your home interior to the nearby bird bath are extraordinary.

    Thanks for taking time to link in!!

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  14. Bears are seen very rarely in my part of North Carolina and it would worry me a bit to see one frequenting the neighborhood although I might worry the bear just as much!
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2022/10/i-dont-see-one-of-these-very-often.html

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  15. Good luck and good recovery. I hope the very tiring treatment is not too painful (kwarkito)

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  16. Thank you very much for entering in our game with such beautiful images.
    Awesome birds! The photos are excellent.
    I wish you a good recovery from these complicated treatments! Your space there is beautiful and fine for meditation in nature. This could help.

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  17. Take care and good luck! Wonderful pictures as usual!

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  18. Hello :=)
    You have been through a lot health wise. I am really sorry to know about your health issues and pray you will get better. Wonderful shots of all the birds. The large intimate shots of the Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees are lovely, and so is the shot of the beautiful Blue Jay.
    Take care, and all the best.

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  19. Simply lovely post about wildlife, nature and human strength. Of course you get my very best wises, but I see you still live life to the fullest it can be, that must be heart warming to all who know you. Fabulous pictures.

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  20. I always look forward to your bird photography . I am sorry to hear about your health. I have never seen those woodpeckers, they are beautiful. Thanks for sharing with Garden affair.

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