Rosyfinch Ramblings

Thursday, March 11, 2021

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

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Thursday, March 4, 2021

Crops & Clips: Flashback three years to March, 2018

Going through the archived photos from past years excites fond memories and often gives me an idea of what may again be out there in the wild this year. March is a month of transition, as winter residents depart and spring migrants start arriving. During February my daily bird sightings can become a bit monotonous as the same twenty or so species seem tp show up every morning. However, by late March there is greater diversity. I look for favorite themes and memes in the monthly collection-- critters of all kinds (especially birds), skies and reflections, flowers and fences.

We spent the entire month at home in south Florida. Our morning walk on March 1st yielded nice photos of a Green Heron in subdued morning light:

Red-wing Blackbirds males had returned earlier to set up territories and now were rounding up harems:

Females were present in greater numbers:

A male Boat-tailed Grackle seemed to be checking his reflection:

Overhead on the first day of March were Bald Eagles, one carrying a small fish...

...and a Wood Stork:

A male Bobcat crossed in front of us on March 2. Males occupy a very large territory (in roadless wilderness habitat, up to 30 square miles vs about 6 square miles for females) and visit several females during the breeding season, which peaks in February and March:

This Tricolored Heron's bill was turning blue, an indication that it is approaching breeding condition:

Although streaky and dull for most of the year, the head of this male Yellow-crowned Night-Heron turns clear with a yellow wash and its legs turn from gray to red as spring approaches:

Later in the month, a male extended his scapular plumes in a courtship display.

Pileated Woodpeckers had become more vocal and conspicuous. This is a female. The male has a red "mustache:":

A Northern Harrier male "Gray Ghost" searched for prey over the wetlands:

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers would soon be migrating back to their northern breeding range:

Northern Cardinals were in full breeding plumage:

Great Crested Flycatchers would soon be breeding:

At the local nest, the adult Bald Eagle (Pride) was tending to the one surviving eaglet

Still present on March 17th, the Yellow-rumped Warblers will have migrated far to the north before the month's end:

American Kestrels would also soon abandon their winter range:

Killdeer were courting:

Prairie Warblers were with us most of the year but would soon undertake a "lateral" migration to nest in the coastal mangroves:

The prior year, for the first time ever, Wood Storks were recorded breeding on an island in a city park to our north. They had returned. On March 27 I counted over 100 adults:

Great Blue Heron on March 28:

A pregnant White-tailed doe was a sure sign of spring:

Sunlight breaking through the fog on March 17:

Up North, the ground was beginning to thaw, hence the Farmer's Almanac name for March's full Moon-- the Worm Moon.

Full Worm Moon on March 3:

Waning crescent on March 13: