Barb's beautiful view

Wood Stork, photograph by Barb Reis

Stunning Barb.

Today was special. Neighbor and friend Barb stopped by. Oh, how I love to talk to her. She's a birder. She dropped off a jump drive with a few photos to share with you. Let's take a moment to be with her, beginning with a few more photos she took of the stately Wood Stork. 

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Great Blue Heron

Breeding female Anhinga

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

A breeding Great Egret and its Brown Anole lunch. Its breeding plumage shows in the green around the eye, and though not in this photo, long feathery plumes grow from its back.

 

Last, the Brown Thrasher visits an area next to Barb's sliding glass door.

Stepping outside to look up

Good, beautiful morning, about 7:00 am, 4/9/23 (Easter)

I begin the day by stepping outside to look up. I see this sky. 

Often I walk and then sit down for at least 20 minutes. When I still and sit, I notice what's around me.

I heard someone say again, "There are no birds now." Maybe this was a comment about migration. The many different warblers that filled the oak behind our place have left. But, oh my goodness, there are birds. 

10 Wood Duck ducklings a few days ago. I saw them leave a natural area and hop into the pond. Maybe this was their first day. 

Saturday afternoon, 4/8/23 - there are 6 ducklings. A Little Blue Heron is in the foreground.

Female Downy Woodpecker, April 2023. Difference between Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers? HERE.

There are many ducks. Here is a Lesser Scaup, male.

Blue-winged Teal Duck, male and female (dabbling)

This (I think) Mallard female duck is going to get in trouble.

An Eagle flew overhead.

Susan Herman shared a photo of a soon-to-be Monarch chrysalis.

From the butterfly garden, I took a photo of a soon-to-be-born Monarch butterfly.

Behind Pat and Cathy's place, a Belted Kingfisher in the Southern Live Oak.

Cardinals are plentiful! A male portrait.

 A female looking for Betty, or its male partner.

Yeah. She's looking for him. A male Cardinal looking back at that female.

Tri-Colored Heron, breeding plumage. This photo shows its neck. That is a good identifying clue.

The TCH used its wings to hop along the shallow water to catch fish.

It caught one!

A Brown Thrasher. Not as good a photo as Barb would get, though you get the idea.

Three male Wood Ducks, big pond.

Behind our place, a pair of Great Blue Herons. One in the water spray mist.

The other a distance away. They kept an eye on each other.

Keeping an eye on us. This curious juvenile Raccoon came down far enough to peek out over the yellow orchid blooms into our back window. Happy spring morning little masked-guy.

Brown Anole often checks us out, too. After all, we share a neighborhood and world.

Enjoy this beautiful day! Take a chair outside and sit in the shade. After 15 minutes, the birds will get used to your presence, and if you're like me, you'll wonder why you don't spend more time in nature. This wonderful photo was taken by Terry.

Spending time in nature is good medicine for us

Anhinga is on the pond edge bathing, dipping, and shaking. What delight to photograph when the light is like this!

I took Anhinga's portrait just after it caught and devoured this fish. Notice how different the light is in this portrait? 

During this stay-at-home and care-for-self-and-others time, wise people suggest spending time in nature, relaxing as much as possible, letting go, thinking of others, and going with the flow as ways to practice resilience. 

The birds show me how.

Early this morning (May 14, 2020) I watched a pair of Green Heron fledglings enjoy climbing around these branches. 

No trouble hanging on when the wind gusted.

I've watched an adult Green Heron continue to gather twigs, perhaps building up the sides of its nest similar to the Yellow Crowned Night Herons. I believe there are several nests close to each other.

Brown Thrasher reminds me to slow down when I eat, even think about what I'm eating as a way to appreciate food and that I have enough to eat when so many others do not. 

Crows are a favorite bird. Maybe I'm influenced by Bernd Heinrich's books, especially, The Mind of a Raven. Raven and crow, jays, rooks, magpies, jackdaws, chows, and treepies are oscine passerines, known as corvids. Talk about smart birds. 

Which reminds me, are you interested in which bird you are? Well, you know. Cornell Lab Group created this fun "test." HERE. 

Sometimes birds appear unfamiliar because of perspective. Like this Carolina Wren. I had to check this photograph with a birding group because I think of a wren with its tail up. 

The Yellow Crowned Night Heron chicks are lively in their nests. Some are branching, some have just hatched. Looking up, I notice a variety of movements and transfer this to my life: move, get exercise.

I checked the Pileated Woodpecker nest. Saw the adult climb in and then it was all tail feathers. Perhaps he was feeding chicks? 

Something wonderful about this time despite distancing: we find ways to connect with others. It is such a delight when birders share from their lens. Marc Holtsberg sent these photographs of recent sightings: Spoonbill Roseate, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Great Blue Heron.

Tom Higbee sent this trio of Wood Storks. I wonder how he got them to strike that pose on that tri-branched Norfolk Pine tree.

Steve reports a female Wood Duck nesting in Box #1 in Woodlawn. The male partner sits on a nearby branch most of the day waiting. I see patience. Like us facing and going with our days to greet whatever arises. 

Steve also reports a Carolina Wren pair nesting nearby. Oh, such wonders. That's the biggest suggestion I take from being with wildlife: begin with awe.