Last stroll through WWS of 2023

Barred Owl, December 29, 2023

A new year begins. May it be rich and meaningful!

As you might know about personal loss, the two months since Terry died have been full of grief with a particular loneliness and longing to talk to him about this remarkable dying experience. John O'Donohue knew of this when he said, "Lonesome for all the conversations we never had," and more. Conversations spontaneously arise in my mind as I wonder what Terry would think. 

When a wave of grief arose, I'd step outside and start walking. To be with the birds and trees. With nature. 

Poet Rainer Marie Rilke's recommendation for when things get turbulent and troublesome: stay close to nature. I have. So here are some things I noticed and photographed. 

I'll begin with the lucky sighting of a Barred Owl two days ago, around 4 PM, across the pond from the butterfly garden in Pineneedle near my place. I've heard it multiple times very early (3 - 5 AM), and then yesterday, I heard caterwauling, so it looks like a pair might nest nearby.

Cormorants on the big pond. Many of them! 

Wood Storks resting. Edge of big pond.

A female Eastern Grey Squirrel. Notice her teats - nesting in a Laurel Oak.

Mourning Dove taking a bath in a puddle.

A pair of Limpkins, north Wildewood. A Limpkin hanging out with juvenile Wood Storks, big pond.

Anhinga catches a fish.

Red-bellied Woodpecker. See the red belly?

Tri-colored Heron, north Wildewood pond near Pickle Ball courts.

Bluejay and Northern Cardinal

So many ducks in the ponds. This is an American Widgeon.

Monarchs finding nectar in Orchid tree blooms. Woodland Village.

European Honey Bee hive, north Wildewood Drive in a wooded area.

The Dombeya tree is blooming, and the bees are delighted!

A bird of a different sort - took a helicopter ride with a granddaughter. What fun! Saw the gulf from a bird's-eye view.

Pond level lowest ever?

When I went outside to take a photo of the pond level, a male Pileated Woodpecker was also peeking out. May 15, 2023

Many notice the low pond level. I found a photo from June 21, 2021: 

Here is the pond today, May 15, 2023. What do you think? An advantage: I stepped down onto the pond edge and removed a large "Ian" branch.

This is another personality of the pond. Photo taken on August 31, 2016 (Hermine).

And here are a few recent photos from the neighborhood.

An idea about what might be going on: a male Northern Cardinal is keeping watch over a younger cardinal. It could simply be an adult male and female, but the way the male red hopped around in the Wedelia looking for the bird when it was in there makes me think it's a juvenile. 

The first photo, see them both? In the second photo - the younger bird is now in the butterfly garden tended by Jim and Betsy while the adult watches over it.

A Spoonbill Roseate (with an injured leg - is it the same one year to year?) and a companion Snowy Egret. Neighbor Susan sent a photo, too. We were looking out together!

An adult Opossum across the pond scurrying to take cover in the overgrowth. Some of you will say ick when you see one. It's one of my favorite animals. A marsupial that does not carry rabies and loves insects. Come to the butterfly garden, Opossum.

Last, the native Pink Milkweed is blooming!

A red Passionflower also blooms. That's an ant. Ants like flower nectar, too.

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.