What delightful temperatures today.
A front passed through lowering the temperature and giving us a late evening rain. March 2020 is on record for just a trace of rainfall (.01 inch, TPA International Airport). Plus it's on record as a hot March. Hot and dry means Florida Wildfire threats are in place.
I headed over to the big pond and stood under the magnificent Slash Pine trees enjoying the cool breeze. Then this Wood Duck female and 8 chicks caught my eye.
Mama duck led her flock to feed on Papyrus growing at the water edge.
A Peninsula Cooter had its nose above water, floating in the late-afternoon sunshine.
A pair of Spoonbill Roseates flew in.
The one with black and deep pink color is an adult. The other with lighter plumage coloring is younger.
What was that? My eye caught movement in the pond. Oh! Hello, otter.
Then, oh no.
I saw otter go underwater and watched its telltale line of bubbles quickly head to the Papyrus plants.
Since I can't fly, I sent my best uplifting thought to the Wood Duck family: stay awake, someone's hungry! As if telepathy worked, I witnessed a fast response. Mama Wood Duck called an alarm and flew just above the water towards the middle of the pond. Chicks followed demonstrating a remarkable ability to, what looked like, walk on water. Look.
One fell behind.
I take photographs with a long-range lens so it wasn't until I got home that I realized a miracle. Or luck. All 8 chicks survived. I could have saved my tears.
Otters (there were two), kept going.
Further upstream was what I believe is a Florida Mottled Duck female with chicks. I could not get a photo afterward to see how they fared. I didn't witness a fast swim away from this family.
Life is a good teacher and friend says Pema Chodron in her book, When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times. That book was a huge help to me years ago. Still is.
I continued a saunter around the pond. I heard, then saw, a Tufted Titmouse. See the rust orange bar under its wing? Dead giveaway for identification. That and a light grey coloring.
Next, a Pileated Woodpecker on a Southern Live Oak, the one we often see with strands of Spanish Moss waving in the breeze. I bet if Pileates voted, this might be their favorite tree.
This tree and woodpecker are near a row of Pineapple plants. All of them held soon to be mouth-watering delights for these neighbors.
I put my camera away for the rest of the walk except to check the Yellow-crowned Night Herons. A neighbor reported that they were not there. Ah. But they are. Low in the nest, just like us, they are settled in for about 6 weeks. They will alternate incubation responsibilities with their partner.
We are in a stay-at-home order because of Covid-19. Walks are allowed. So, it is my hope that what is posted here brings smiles, even reminds us of how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place at an extraordinary time.
