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.

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.

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: 

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.