Happy Thanksgiving

 Our back yard birds kept me busy. Some perched close by, as did this Northern Mockingbird, atop the "For Sale" signpost:

A Double-crested Cormorant climbed up on the goose decoy which serves as a float for the intake of our irrigation system...

...and spread its wings to dry:

The next day its turquoise-blue eyes glistened in the sunlight:

The immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker made numerous visits to tend the sap wells on the trunk of our Mahogany tree:

Far across the lake, I obtained distant shots of three heron species in one frame, a Snowy Egret with Little Blue and Tricolored Herons:

A Great Egret flew in near the Snowy Egret:

I almost overlooked a Green Heron perched among the other waders:

Thankfully, I was feeling good and visited Chapel Trail for a second time this week. We had to kill time as our home was being inspected prior to sale. It was rainy and the light was very poor.  I captured fleeting images of only two species...

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher:

White-eyed Vireo:

An afternoon shower produced a nice rainbow over our lake: 

Clouds moved away to the east, over the ocean...

...and reflected the setting sun:

Just before Thanksgiving Day I received a copy of this wonderful documentary on Bald Eagles and other birds of prey in the USA. It was produced as part of a popular wildlife series for the Arab World. I was interviewed to feature our local eagle nest (beginning around 7:00 minutes). Though it does not have English subtitles, it has very informative segments (in English) on urban eagles, the place of eagles in Native American culture, Florida Audubon EagleWatch, the American Eagle Foundation and also falconry. The series attracts millions of viewers.

If you have trouble viewing it, please visit this link: https://youtu.be/WDmWCTKs3ZI

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Linking to:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Late July Potpourri #974

It has been another week of clear morning skies and early afternoon downpours, some of which cut short our walks. The bird species list rarely breaks 20, but even the common birds can provide interesting sightings.

An immature Red-shouldered Hawk roosted high on an abandoned telephone pole:

The next morning it selected a cross-timber for preening:

A Great Egret preened lakeside before sunrise, its white plumage contrasting with the reflected pink sky on tranquil waters:

A bit later, the morning rays added contrast and a nice reflection: 

A distant Bald Eagle coursed above the lake:

Early morning snaps suffer from underexposure. I could barely see this Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in the dark foliage but was surprised at the clarity of its image:

It turned to look straight at me. During breeding season its cap would have been white with a yellow tinge, but now it is streaked:

"Take me to your leader!"

At nearby Chapel Trail Nature Preserve, a perky juvenile Northern Cardinal perched on the boardwalk railing:

I am not sure whether it is a male or female. Young birds of both sexes somewhat resemble adult females, but their dark bills contrast with the bright red of their parents:

The post-breeding molt is in progress. This Anhinga revealed its motley tail feathers after it took flight. The central corrugated feather is fresh as compared to the worn ones about to be replaced:

This molting adult Northern Mockingbird's fresh tail feathers are emerging on top of the old worn ones:

This adult male Northern Cardinal also shows loss of feathers on his head, exposing his black facial skin:

To be kind to the birds when they are not in their best attire, I often back off to show their habitat. This male is harvesting the berries of a Trema tree:

Another juvenile cardinal chews on a the Trema fruit:

I was surprised to find a warbler, an American Redstart, also plucking the berries:

Redstarts are not commonly encountered here during midsummer, as they normally breed north of Florida. This one appears to be an adult female. It was the only one seen in our our County, of the three reported in all of south Florida during this month:

This week's biggest surprise was a Coyote crossing the gravel road in front of me. It was quite far away and the early morning light was not very intense, so my photos are soft:

I found a small patch of wild Poinsettia. The cultivated "Christmas Flowers" have an array of entirely red petal-like leaves (bracts) which surround the tiny yellow flowers:

Lingering Saharan dust continues to provide color at sunrise. The rising sun issues crepuscular solar rays...

...which converge as anti-crepuscular (anti-solar) rays over the Everglades to the west:

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Linking to:

Garden Affair

Fences Around the World

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Crops & Clips: Flashback to February 2018

I combed the photo archives taken three years back and searched for images which reflected favorite memes: critters of all kinds (especially birds), skies and clouds, reflections, flowers and fences, as well as scenes which speak for themselves. We spent the entire month of February, 2018 at our home in Florida and processed 409  images. 

On February 1, as we entered the Wounded Wetlands we encountered a confrontation between a Northern Mockingbird and an American Kestrel which had stolen its perch. The mockingbird actually succeeded in chasing off the kestrel:

The kestrel retreated to a cluster of Royal Palm fruits:

In the rookery, badly damaged by Hurricane Irma, a single Yellow-crowned Night-Heron roosted on one leg:

Nearby, a Green Heron:

The local Bald Eagle male (Pride) tended to his 19th known progeny (" P Piney 19"):  

With three birders from New Jersey whom I got to know on the Internet, I visited Shark Valley in Everglades National Park. A Black-crowned Night-Heron posed nicely:

The park was rich in bird life. From the trail along the canal we watched waterbirds preying on the plentiful fish:

This female Anhinga speared an exotic catfish and swallowed it whole:

A Great Blue Heron caught and ate a Walking Catfish:

An American Alligator basked along the canal:

Out on our Wounded Woodlands, a Bobcat watched an unaware young lady on a bicycle, followed by her dog:

She stopped to use her cell phone, but the Bobcat was now more interested in what I was doing:

A Red-shouldered Hawk balanced in the wind:

Egyptian Geese flew over:

Two Egyptian Geese near the barrier rail fence along the Road to Nowhere:

A pair of Mottled Ducks reflected on the calm surface of the lake:

Monarch butterfly on Lantana:

A boy and his dog in a kayak on a fog-shrouded morning:

Just after sunrise on February 12:

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Linking to:

Fences Around the World

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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