Pink toes, fledglings, those Wood Ducks, and an Armadillo

Juvenile Wood Stork, sitting under an Oak tree in Pineneedle, 7.17.21

When the Anhinga pair left the nest it built overhanging the pond, I wondered where they went. And then a few days ago (today is 7.19.21) when I saw this Anhinga in breeding plumage, I imagined it was one of them checking the nesting box.

Join the checking-out-the-box crowd, I thought. After days without a hen in sight, Steve found the box filled with over 18 eggs dumped by multiple hens. Fooled me. Not being able to distinguish one hen from another, I thought incubation was a go. I faithfully watched imagining the vigilant hens were tending ducklings in the becoming process. 

 

While waiting these last weeks, Wood Stork juveniles hung out. One napped.

Lately I've seen many young ones in the neighborhood. 

Two Yellow-Crowned Night Heron juveniles looking quite adult-like.

Red-bellied Woodpecker fledges learning to hunt for insects with an adult.

Mockingbird fledges exploring a Pineneedle butterfly garden.

Green Heron looking right and left in a salsa dance way.

A monarch newly emerging from a chrysalis's in the Holtsberg's butterfly garden (Springlakes).

I met Rose Marie from Oak Village as we observed a large Florida Snapping Turtle. She told me how someone driving by said, "Get that turtle out of the street." Rose Marie said she didn't know the turtle species here and decided to let the turtle cross the road. Wise thinking. 

Then Gail said hello and shared photographs of Armadillos. I used to see Armadillos all the time. This is the first time I've heard of a sighting here in Wildewood. This one is looking for ants, their favorite food. Here are five reasons they're awesome.

Birding fosters community

Wood Ducks, male and female and a Mottled x Mallard duck. March 6, 2021

Birding fosters a sense of community. It is delightful to hear from you about what you're noticing in Wildewood Springs. 

Steve from Woodlawn emailed. "Saw the Wood Ducks bobbing head courtship behaviors. Time to watch them." Yesterday I watched for over an hour and noticed that 2 hens are tending the nesting box! This photo is early morning; perhaps this is the nesting wood duck family.

Late morning, I can almost hear this hen say, "Your turn." Notice the change in light quality?

Maureen reported Red-shouldered Hawks mating at the corner of Wildewood and Oak Drives. If these red-shoulders have chicks, they'll look like this.

Maureen is a Lakeside neighbor who regularly picks up trash in and around our neighborhood. Maureen, do I say thank you enough? Thank you.

Faith saw an Osprey carrying large nesting material to their nest in the neighborhood and later, a pair perched together atop a tree on Wildewood Drive. She also saw one fly while carrying snake (a delicious meal if you're a raptor). So here is a photograph of a Wildewood residing Osprey taken by neighbor, Marc Holtsberg. Maybe its chick from last season is one Faith saw returning to its nest to have a family.

(Faith also saw 3 otters playing in the big pond. I photographed one in the Pineneedle pond this morning.)

Walter saw a Green Heron. I saw one of the pair flying back and forth nearby and then perch. I photographed it with Walter's camera. He loaned it to me when mine was recharging. Thanks, Walter.

Lois paints from her second story porch. While painting she said she had a visit from a small bird nibbling small insects from the window. Maybe it was a Blue-grey Gnat Catcher.

Or a warbler? Was it this one, Lois? A Palm Warbler? I took this photograph near the carport where your car is. Or look at this post for other warbler types. What luck to see these sweet, small birds up close.

Betsy mentioned that her sister who is visiting Wildewood thought that she saw an Oystercatcher since it had orange on its beak. This is possible, though I've not had a sighting in Wildewood. Head to the beach and you'll see them. 

Using that orange on the beak for a clue, I've seen the Black Skimmer skimming the big pond. Mostly I see them at the beach in large groups. Here is one of 3 skimming the water and some other photographs I took of their courting behavior.

Or, perhaps Betsy's sister saw a Common Moorhen or Common Gallinule. There are regular sightings of this bird here, especially on the edge of the big pond. 

Or maybe, it was a Muscovy Duck. Here's one I photographed near Timberlake. The fun part is that with our clues, we can check bird books and websites for help with identification.

Some exciting news! 

This week Jeanne and Tom Higbee and Toni had their first sighting of a Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the Slash Pine that held multiple nests for over five years. Though they are year-round residents in Florida, this is the time of year that they nest. Betty Pander wrote to say she saw the Herons on the bleached branches across from the Pineneedle and Woodlawn pond. Their sightings inspired me to go outside and look. There were 3 on the bleached branches.

Then they flew off in the direction of the Slash Pine they favor.

At 4 AM, I saw one of my favorite wildlife neighbors, an opossum, from our back window. I've been a fan ever since I had a chance to hold one when a wildlife group visited my classroom years ago. I wrote about how the opossum is a good friend to our habitat. 

Last, a common query: have you heard those two geese (Canada Goose) fly over like they're our early morning alarm clock? I have. These two.

Here is one settling in for a nap after waking us up. 

Green Heron hunts; REMOVE Balsam Apple vine

Juvenile Green Herons and adults fly from one side of the pond to the other, jig-jagging stops at a series of bushes and trees along the way. Fellow birder Barb Reis said, "It looks like they're playing tag." 

So, today, Sunday June 28, 2020. 

An adult Green Heron takes off as if saying hello to Anhinga, a juvenile Green Heron (hello child?) and circles around behind Deb and Bob's, Judy's, Betty's, Sandy's, Selma's to head north via the perimeter of the Pineneedle/Woodlawn pond.

(See that blue blur? Yes, I know, that Green Heron sure looks blue, but here is a good example of how confounding it is to be a birder. Color dances to its own rhythm with light.)

That fly-by startled the juvenile Green Heron to follow the adult until they parted ways. See it camouflaged on the bleached branches? 

Juvenile landed on the pond edge just east of the Woodlawn pool. The sun was bright.

I made a decision to watch the young bird through my lens until it left. The time was 8:27 AM. Green Heron was hungry. It began to hunt for what looked like snails in the water.

And then, it looked up. At first, I thought it saw a fellow GH inviting a fly-with-me. No! It was after flying insects. Here is a very blurry photo of a successful insect catch.

Two turtles, a Peninsula Cooter and a Florida Softshell watched as well. So much curiosity!

I practiced my best mountain pose (tadasana), sometimes realigning my stance and noticed my breath coming in and going out. A large-rimmed hat and cold neck scarf helped ease the hazy 90-degree heat that weather sites said felt like 105 due to the Saharan Dust wave. 

258 photos later, at 9:38 AM, after one hour and eleven minutes, I set my camera down and took a seat. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. Soft attention on Green Heron. Blue Jays, an American Crow, then a Fish Crow called. Two Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, one on a tree, the other drummed on the Wood Duck box. A pair of Cardinals chirped as well as a Gnat Catcher. Then a Great Crested Flycatcher call, a tease to find it. But, I resisted and continued to watch Green Heron.

A little later, a neighbor pointed to the invasive Balsam Apple vine full of seed pods growing over the azalea bushes. Oh! I've noticed this vine growing madly in Wildewood now. 

Curious about how long the bird would hunt, I didn't want to leave and I also wanted to pull the vines. I decided to take the Balsam vine cover off of the azaleas and every once in a while look over at bird.

(Pull this vine where ever you see it. It has a kudzu longing. It is rated as highly invasive to central and south FL. There is so much growing in Wildewood now, all hands are needed. UF link.)

A half-hour passed. 

In the entire time, Heron walked a distance of about 20 feet. 

Two hours, five minutes later, at 10:32 AM I photographed bird look and catch one last big butterfly or moth. Then it disappeared into the Papyrus plant for what I imagined was a nap.

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.