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Thursday, September 28, 2023

Between the raindrops

Hurricane Ophelia developed as a sub-tropical storm off the coast of Florida on September 6, strengthened briefly to a Category 1 Hurricane on September 8, weakened to a Tropical Storm the next day, and then meandered up the Atlantic coast, regaining Hurricane force on September 11 and again on the 13th. As it moved slowly along its winds caused a storm surge and severe coastal flooding up into New England. We experienced mostly heavy rain for 4 days, so I have not had many photo opportunities.

Cedar Waxwings have been the most abundant bird species seen from the back yard, but they feed and roost far to other end of the clear-cut, over 50 meters (160 feet) away. I am lucky when some venture close enough for a fairly decent photo:



Before the rains came, I obtained distant shots of an adult Cedar Waxwing eating the ripe berries of Pokeweed down in the clear-cut:

A fluttering juvenile harvested berries on the wing:

Small flocks of American Robins are gathering: 

They seem not to prefer the Pokeweed, but the abundant crab apples will soon be on the robins' menu:

Two Buteo raptors wheeled above against a gray sky. Note that this Red-shouldered Hawk's flight feathers exhibit a symmetrical molt pattern, allowing balanced soaring:


The other was a larger Red-tailed Hawk:

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds had exited gradually over the past two weeks. I sighted them more frequently away from the feeders, seeking insect prey among the shrubs and flowers. They are now much more difficult to photograph: 


Mourning Doves swayed in the wind and feasted on Safflower seeds:

During the rain storms, all my photos were taken through the window of our "front door." Four immature Wild Turkeys have visited several times to eat the abundant acorns on the side lawn:



They often ascended the granite slope along the garden steps just outside the window. They were too close for my fixed telephoto lens, so I captured them with my iPhone:


The bow-hunting season for turkeys began on September 15, but only "bearded" adult males may be taken, so these juveniles are safe. The beard is a tuft of hair-like feathers which protrude from the center of the upper breast and may reach a length of several inches. The beards of older male turkeys (Toms) grow at a rate of about five inches per year.  Some hens may also sprout much shorter beards. These youngsters lack the bright red color of the adult male's "waddle," the flap of bare skin which hangs from their chin. They resemble adult females but have somewhat duller plumage and the brownish tips of their breast feathers are rounded rather than squared off as in adults.

I captured some interesting portraits:



Most mornings, the bad weather kept us from walking along the lake, but I did get a nice view on September 17. Soon the foliage will start turning to fall colors:

On September 21, a colorful sunset heralded the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia:

This week's header: Sunset September 21, 2023

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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. We had three days of rain..Sunny today but more rain tomorrow..After that ...another dry spell..At least it got our deficit down to 5 inches from 12..Love the expression on the Turkeys face..

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  2. It must be fun seeing wild turkeys at your house. Beautiful sky photos!

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  3. Your turkey portraits are marvelous, capturing a sense of character in those faces!

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  4. I always look forward to scroll down your blog. You captured close encounters of turkeys showing their beards and necks and faces. Land a Goshen those sky shots are awesome!

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  5. I love how you handle your tecnique. That Hummingbird must be difficult to get right. This comes from man who´s photographed 20+ years.

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  6. YOu still got some pretty good shots with the weather issues, and I'm glad it was really just a storm. I can't hear the world Ophelia without getting that song by The Band in my head. Thanks for sharing with #Allseasons

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  7. Hi Ken,
    the Cedar Waxwings look interesting and have a strange name. We now also know severe storms with heavy rain, but fortunately they rarely have the strength of your natural forces. The third hummingbird photo looks funny.
    Kind regards - Elke (Nature Thursday)

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  8. Hello Ken,
    Your sky images are stunning, a treat for the eyes. Great captures of the Cedar Waxwings, they are lovely birds. Ophelia gave us some much needed rain, but not enough. Love the sweet hummingbird photos, I think my hummers have all left now. I am leaving my feeders up just in case one comes by. Cool series on the wild turkeys. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  9. The turkeys are fun to watch when they come close to your house. We have them walk through almost every day now. Love your cute poses! And the hummingbird photos are very nice! Enjoy your weekend!

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  10. The berries are a nice treat for the birds. Your waxwings are always nice shots. Great wild turkey pics. What a neck!

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  11. I love your colorful sunsets. I always love seeing wild turkeys. They just seem to appear out of nowhere here. Your cedar waxwings are beautiful.

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  12. Your photography skills shine through, even when faced with challenging conditions.

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  13. Hello :=)
    Your captures of the Hummingbirds and Cedar Waxwings are charming. Even when the weather conditions are not favourable you manage to take beautiful photos. The Buteo Raptor is another image I like, and the Turkey youngsters are cute, although they seem to have a forlorn expression on their faces which makes them look not only cute but adorable in my eyes. Your sunsets are fabulous.
    Enjoy your week.
    Best wishes
    Sonjia.

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  14. I always enjoy your amazing photos!

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  15. Beautiful photos as always I thoroughly enjoyed them :-)

    Have a tweettastic week 👍

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  16. Thank you for sharing your observations. I saw the last ruby-throat last week and I hope they survive the migration...Michelle

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  17. Awesome bird photos! That reminds me that I need to go fill up my birdbath.

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  18. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures! They're wonderful!

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  19. Very interesting are these pictures of birds.

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