Showing posts with label turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turkey. Show all posts

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Crops & Clips: Flashback to April, 2013

This continues my monthly retrospective on past experiences, memories from three years ago. I will continue to search the archives for photos which represent a few selected themes: Living CRITTERS of all kinds, beautiful SKIES and REFLECTIONS, as well as MACRO images and GOOD FENCES. I have met this challenge for the past 15 months in a row, so let's see how far I must travel into the month of April, 2013 to achieve my goal!

I started the month out right, while observing the local Bald Eagle nest, as a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks landed atop a light standard along the road (April 1, 2013):

Red-shouldered Hawks 20130401

The next morning the female eagle provided a nice fly-by photo opportunity:

Bald Eagle female in flight 5-20130402

A not-very-handsome "critter" was reluctant to get out of our path on April 8. This Opossum had not quite finished eating a rat which had been killed by the mowers, as its tail still protruded from its mouth:

Opossum eating rat 20130408

The juvenile Bald Eagle was still returning to the nest to be fed:

Bald Eagle juvenile 20130409

A Marsh Lily provided a nice macro study:

Marsh Lily 20130409

On April 14 we visited a ranch in Hendry County to the north, where Barred Owls had a nest, ...

Barred Owl 4-20130414

...a Swllow-tailed Kite flew overhead...

Swallow-tailed Kite 20130414

...and a wild sow shepherded her piglets:

Wild sow with piglets 20130414

At the ranch we also saw a Crested Caracara,...

Crested Caracara 3-20130414

...Wild Turkeys,...

Wild Turkey 20130414

...Burrowing Owls,...

Burrowing Owls 20130414

...and Roseate Spoonbills:

Roseate Spoonbills in flight 20130414

So far, we have seen a plethora of "critters," but I could not pass by this Gray Squirrel in our front yard:

Gray Squirrel 2-20130418

Thanks to the breezes which produce ripples on our Florida lakes, we are halfway through the month without a single nice reflection. Now we return to Illinois, to find a restless sky over the entrance to Nelson lake Forest Preserve, ...

Nelson Lake east entry HDR2 20130422

...and on April 29 find a fledgling Great Horned Owl in a local park...

Great Horned Owl fledgling 20130429

...as well as a weak excuse for the reflection of a dabbling pair of Mallards:

Mallards 20130429

Still no fences, unless Theresa allows me to count this poor imitation of one in a construction zone, with a Tree Swallow beautifying its post:

Tree Swallow 2-20130425

If you squint while looking as the flood water recedes in Jones Meadow Park, you may see another fence in the distance:

Flood receding at Jones Meadow 20130421

On April 28, another macro-- a White Trout Lily:

White Trout Lily 20130428

On the last day of the month, a Northern Waterthrush cast its true reflection in a brook, but can you see either? (click to enlarge)

 Waterthrush species 2-20130430

= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

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

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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Crops & Clips: May, 2012 Meme Mashup

Looking back three years in anticipation of what may turn up again this month. My potpourri gathered from the archives features images that I hoped would match the themes of critters, fences, skies and reflections. It took me until May 25 to fill in all the blanks.

CRITTERS:

The month started off and finished with me in Illinois, where I captured this brightly colored eastern subspecies of Palm Warbler (Batavia, IL, May 1, 2012):

Palm Warbler 20120501

A Wild Turkey crossed the path in front of us (May 1, 2012, Batavia IL):

Wild Turkey 20120501

The next day a Savannah Sparrow posed atop a rock in our North Aurora, IL yard (which, sadly, has now been developed into acres of town-homes):


Savannah Sparrow 2-20120502

On May 3 a Rose-breasted Grosbeak brightened our morning (Batavia, IL):


Rose-breasted Grosbeak male 2-20120503

What is prettier than the sight of an American Goldfinch in morning light (North Aurora, IL)...

American Goldfinch 2-20120510

...unless it is the song of a Yellow Warbler? (May 11, Batavia IL)

Yellow Warbler 20120511

The month is not half over and I am overwhelmed with color-- a Scarlet Tanager (May 13, 2012, Batavia, IL).

Scarlet Tanager 2-20120513

Yet, I cannot pass up this image of two fledgling Great Horned Owls, in Geneva, IL on May 23, 2012


Great Horned Owlets 2-20120523
Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

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FENCE:

The first fence that showed up in this month's archives was occupied by a Chipping Sparrow in our daughter's back yard in Batavia, on May 9, 2012:

Chipping Sparrow 4-20120509

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

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SKYWATCH: 

I was hard-pressed to find a single "sky shot" in the May 2012 archives. In this shot the sky is partly obstructed by a Red-tailed hawk (Batavia, May 9, 2012)...

Red-tailed Hawk 20120509

...and in this, the cloudless sky complements the coat of an Indigo Bunting (Batavia, May 11, 2012):

Indigo Bunting 20120511


Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

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REFLECTION:

A family of Mallards on the placid water of the Fox River, Aurora, Illinois, May 25, 2012:

Mallard with ducklings 20120525

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

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Also:

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

_______________________________________________

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