Step outside for 5 minutes, let me know what you see

Wood Duck male and female, checking out the nesting box behind Steve Rumpf's place

I stepped out the back door to see what I could see. 

In a short five minute span of time, I saw wildlife. First, Eastern Gray Squirrel is known as nature's tree planter since it caches acorns and then forgets where they all are.

A Tri-Colored Heron. Are you thinking, "Hey, is that a Tri or Little Blue Heron?" Look here and learn how to distinguish the two herons. Clue - it's in the beak and breast colors.

Anhinga is around most days. While spring cleaning in the pollinator garden, it rained lightly for about a half hour. Before flying to the Southern Live Oak across from us in Woodlawn, Anhinga sat on the black pond ring that suspends the irrigation pipe that draws water for our neighborhood. 

Before dawn, I hear this sound (click listen here) and was able to identify anhinga who was also awake.

Across the pond, I saw a Great Blue Heron practicing choosing material for a nest. 

That's a pretty amazing twig, Great Blue Heron.

Heron dropped the twig, now fascinated with an array of choices.

A Red-Shoulder Hawk landed briefly. 

As my five minute break ended, I looked for the Florida Mottled Duck pair nesting in the wild area of the butterfly garden. I noticed a nest there every spring for the last few years. Often a Mallard-mix duck hangs with this pair. I look forward to ducklings. 

Last, as if in a call out that it's not always birds, birds, birds, an otter says hello.

PS.  I wish I had photos of the Barred Owls I hear most mornings. They are here in WS2A! I take that as good reporting on our incredible habitat. Joel Sartore's photograph from Instagram and informative encouragement: 

It starts with a single animal - Joel Sartore's inspiration

D.J. is an 11-month-old Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and Dirgahayu “Ayu” is an 11-month-old Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). Unfortunately, both species are critically endangered, in large part due to the palm oil crisis. Both of these juvenile primates are cared for by the Taman Safari in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia.

I am not imagining things! These two adorable orangutans were not sighted in Wildewood Springs. 

Today I'm writing about the big picture inspiration to create this website.

Wildewood Wonders is inspired by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore's project The Photo Ark: I take and share photographs of birds (and other wildlife) in our neighborhood with hope that all of us living here will notice them and care for the incredible habitat we share. 

So I wrote to Sartore and told him about you and us and our sweet neighborhood. His response is motivating:

He also shared other ways we can help. (Here is a link to read more about these three things.) I smiled reading this list knowing that we have a good start on implementing his suggestions.

1. Support your local zoo, aquarium or wildlife rehab center (our local center is Wildlife, Inc.).

2. Plant a pollinator garden (there are 5 butterfly gardens in WS2A)

3. Reduce, reuse and recycle (thanks especially to the HOA and Deb Coomer for the informative sign installed in the garbage area).

Find Joel Sartore on Facebook.

Healthy owl population is a sign of a balanced ecosystem

Great Horned Owl adult and two owlets, 2018. More photos here.

I recently woke (about 5 AM) to the call of a Great Horned Owl. This is the easiest owl to identify because of its ear tufts. However, because I heard it before dawn, I could not get a photograph. 

Pat recently saw a Barred Owl in the neighborhood while walking - likely the one many of us have sighted or heard in the last half year. Here is its call. 

And, I occasionally hear the call of the Eastern Screech Owl. (Tell me if you ever hear its call.)

All this (Wildewood owl sightings and sounds) is good news. Joel Satore, an inspiration to create this website, says that "a healthy owl population is a sign of a balanced ecosystem. (Follow him on Instagram.)

In order for owls to thrive, populations of the species they prey upon must be abundant and healthy as well - a pattern that continues down the entire food chain. This means that if the health or number of prey species declines, something in the environment has changed and is altering the natural structure of the food web. A world without owls would spell trouble for humans, as their role as a top predator of rodents protects us from the spread of diseases and protects our crops from being raided."