Back yard visions and decisions

Even though my condition prevents me from traveling far and wide, I do keep an eye on our back yard lake. Two very similar birds appeared together on November 2.

They represent our two largest tern species...

The Caspian Tern is largest and has a massive bright red bill. Its dark cap extends through the eyes into the forehead. Usually the tip of its bill is black, but apparently not on this specimen:

The dark cap of the streamlined Royal Tern generally does not extend in front of its eyes. Its longer tail is deeply forked and its bill is slender and more orange than red:

This female Anhinga believes she "owns" a spot at the edge of our lawn. The morning sun and prevailing easterly wind helps dry her extended wings:

Threatened by my approach, she inflated her gular pouch:

A Great Egret was so nearby that it was necessary to rotate the camera for a portrait exposure:

When the egret extended its neck I had to back away and process the image uncropped:

A Tricolored Heron rested at lakeshore:

Across the lake, another Great Egret hunted intently:

An Osprey passed overhead:

An angry red sunrise on November 2:

Today marks the fourth week since my surgery. The primary cancer in the cecum had not penetrated the colon and there was no evidence of local or lymph node spread. However, there were two small metastatic nodules in my liver. One was removed completely. The other was entirely ablated (cooked) with microwave energy. 

The minimally invasive laparoscopic colon and liver surgeries were done in sequence by two surgical teams and each took about 2 hours. I feel very good right now and undergoing tests to determine whether any hidden metastases may be secreting tumor DNA into my bloodstream. 

At my age (86) the possible benefits of chemotherapy are uncertain. It seems to be a choice between quality versus prolongation of life. Decisions are complicated by  the fact that we are in the middle of selling our Florida home and moving to Connecticut. 

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Linking to:

Garden Affair

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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Missing my MDR of twenty species

Although I do not keep a running total of species seen as I enter them into the eBird app, I usually reach my Minimum Daily Requirement (MDR) of  20 without trying very hard. I just noticed that my last eight eBird checklists (since May 18) never got above 21 species: 20, 19, 19, 16, 20, 21, 13, 14. 

Warblers and vireos (even a couple of locally breeding species), egrets, Killdeer, and Common Nighthawks have been scarce or absent from the Wounded Wetlands. Some birds are less conspicuous because they are tending to nests and young. Cardinals and Carolina Wrens are singing less often or are silent, but doves and mockingbirds do fill the air with their songs. 

On one of those dull mornings this past week, standing vigil lakeside just after sunrise, I heard the call of a Green Heron. "Heard only" birds are accepted by eBird, but I tried unsuccessfully to find it-- until it walked out into the open:

A shaggy immature Great Blue Heron cast a reflection:

A Loggerhead Shrike hunted for grasshoppers from a low perch and a hungry youngster waited:

A singing Northern Cardinal was only visible with my flashlight:

An Osprey flew low overhead:

This adult Mourning Dove allowed a close approach:

Nearby, an immature of its species eyed me with suspicion:

A Little Blue Heron foraged along the canal:

Overhead, Purple Martins dined on mosquitoes:   

Sunlight brought out the iridescence in the plumage of a male Boat-tailed Grackle:

A venomous Cottonmouth Water Moccasin lounged near shore:

Close look at its black mask and slit pupil:

This curious Gray Squirrel was far from any trees and dashed off to find one as I approached:

At sunrise, a sunburst:

The sky was brightening up, but the Pine Bank had not yet been touched by the sun's rays:

UPDATE (MAY 26): Sad news about the youngest Bald Eaglet P Piney 27

The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, Florida released this statement about P Piney 27, the first eaglet to fall from the nest, at the age of about 5 weeks on April 18:

“The Audubon Center For Birds of Prey is saddened to report that the first eaglet rescued from the Pembroke Pines nest had to be humanely euthanized due to the severity of her injuries and lack of response to treatment. These difficult decisions are not made lightly and are discussed with a consulting vet and US Fish and Wildlife to determine what is best for the bird and their future quality of life. While this is not the outcome we all hoped for, we are grateful to those who watched this nest and helped rescue this young bird when her nest collapsed. The prognosis for the sibling who also has a wing fracture is still uncertain, but we are doing our best to give it every opportunity to heal and get a second chance at life. We appreciate your support and understanding.”

This was my first photo of P Piney 27, on March 18, exactly one month before he (we assumed a male because of its slower growth and passive behavior in the nest) fell from the damaged nest. He was probably a little over one week old at this time: 

This was my last photo of him with P Piney 26, his older and larger (presumed) sister in the nest, on April 7: 

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Linking to:

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

Bird D'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
________________________________________________

Back yard visions

One needs not travel far and wide to experience the wild and natural world. Good luck can bring wildness right to our back door, in this case a door which slides and is made entirely of glass. 

I just happened to look out the window to see this soaked Osprey, half-flying and half-swimming towards the shore of our lake at the edge of the lawn. I ran for my camera, but the sharp-eyed raptor saw me approaching the window while I was still quite far inside the house. I stopped in the middle of the room and shot through the window. It had just made landfall and was ready to fly:

The Osprey took off very laboriously with a trophy-size Largemouth Bass. Ospreys weigh about 3.5-4 pounds (1.5-1.8 kilos) and can carry prey that weighs almost as much. The fish was probably too heavy to allow the bird to become airborne while struggling with it while swimming in the water:

On February 27, a Muscovy hen marched across our patio, followed by a single-file row of 10 newly hatched ducklings. She was headed straight for the edge of the lake. They had almost gotten there when a drake appeared, rapidly swimming towards them. I have seen this scenario played out before, as the drake may attack the ducklings if he is intent on mating with the hen. Copulation usually takes place in the water. I took a quick shot with my phone before retrieving my camera. 

By the time I got outside, the hen had retreated and gathered her brood up on our lawn, away from the lake. The drake was intent on driving the hen into the water and indeed was hostile toward the ducklings, attacking them and biting two of them. They did not appear to be injured: 

The ducklings huddled together. One plucky ducky, the first who had been attacked, decided to confront the drake but then seemed to accept the admonishment of  the drake while their mother and nine siblings looked on:

I finally had to intervene and chase the drake away as he continued to go after the ducklings. I have seen this activity attract a crowd of other drakes and even gulls, killing and carrying away the ducklings. This may have happened, as two days later there were no ducklings following this hen. (In an earlier blog I explored this disturbing behavior:  Purposeful Infanticide: Birds killing babies ) 

Early morning deep blue sky over the canal:

One last look back at the canal on the way back home, as I stopped atop the levee and saw my shadow:

Sunrise view from the corner, a block away from home:

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Linking to:

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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