Sweet Maggie Rest in Peace 🌹
10/22/2005 - 3/21/2019
Maggie lost her fight to cancer yesterday RIP till we see you again.
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
~A Sojourn~ Life on Planet Earth~ header photo-Riley Moore Falls, Oconee Co., SC "Did you ever suffer an attack of a wandering foot caused by the lure of that mystic unknown? There's is no permanent cure, relief only had while making the wilds your home."
Friday, March 22, 2019
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
March Madness?
"You don’t need to be a doctor to immediately realize how we feel better when we are outside, in nature."
and it is so...
finally got some Toms displaying...love is in the air for sure.
Just as figured I got my yellow throated warbler in the 5 mile the very next day after seeing it in Lee County at the Wetland by the cemetery...found it in my hotspot Goodale SP.
if the Video does not play you may click here https://flic.kr/p/T6TwKW
I've had black n white warbler right here in the yard no photo dang it he caught me when I was outside with no camera with me...also had a prothonotary answer my phishing! No sighting yet but I'm hopeful...If I don't see him by end of March I'll add it on the heard only.
And here is another sign of Spring...the E Tiger Swallowtail the plum tree in the pasture is blooming and bringing in the pollinators.
Had a really beautiful fox squirrel in the 5 mile radius...his tail was so amazing!
I didn't get him and his entire tail in this shot!
He was sooo lovely!
if the Video does not play you may click here https://flic.kr/p/24CvCg8
Had an Anhinga at the hotspot also this gives me 6 with the Prothonotary that I have not reported yet as I want a photo...since ebird says it is rare, but truthfully it is NOT rare in this park...saw the first one ever in my life right there many years ago. So to be sure it was the Prothonotary I played the call and got a few answers in 3 different directions...exact replies...but up so high in the pines I could not get my eyes on it under bleak skies...Hopefully the sun will return and I can get a photo. They will be moving on to swampier digs when the spring moisture dries out...I really gotta try for this one. Maybe I can get a recording if not a photo.
BEFORE
AFTER
so simple eh?
Today was another gloomy cold day and I tried one stop to refind the Prothonotary and no go...must keep trying.
I really need a string of good weather to get my March Bird Brackets to move up! Here is my kind of March Madness.
Peace
Everyday is a new Adventure!
finally got some Toms displaying...love is in the air for sure.
Just as figured I got my yellow throated warbler in the 5 mile the very next day after seeing it in Lee County at the Wetland by the cemetery...found it in my hotspot Goodale SP.
if the Video does not play you may click here https://flic.kr/p/T6TwKW
I've had black n white warbler right here in the yard no photo dang it he caught me when I was outside with no camera with me...also had a prothonotary answer my phishing! No sighting yet but I'm hopeful...If I don't see him by end of March I'll add it on the heard only.
And here is another sign of Spring...the E Tiger Swallowtail the plum tree in the pasture is blooming and bringing in the pollinators.
Had a really beautiful fox squirrel in the 5 mile radius...his tail was so amazing!
I didn't get him and his entire tail in this shot!
He was sooo lovely!
if the Video does not play you may click here https://flic.kr/p/24CvCg8
Had an Anhinga at the hotspot also this gives me 6 with the Prothonotary that I have not reported yet as I want a photo...since ebird says it is rare, but truthfully it is NOT rare in this park...saw the first one ever in my life right there many years ago. So to be sure it was the Prothonotary I played the call and got a few answers in 3 different directions...exact replies...but up so high in the pines I could not get my eyes on it under bleak skies...Hopefully the sun will return and I can get a photo. They will be moving on to swampier digs when the spring moisture dries out...I really gotta try for this one. Maybe I can get a recording if not a photo.
BEFORE
AFTER
so simple eh?
Today was another gloomy cold day and I tried one stop to refind the Prothonotary and no go...must keep trying.
I really need a string of good weather to get my March Bird Brackets to move up! Here is my kind of March Madness.
This post is defying all my attempts to format so who knows what the end product will look like. ON A weird note, the prism in my binoculars suddenly came loose...it was rattling around inside the left side. I was able to disassemble it and reattach the prism...but now the focus wheel is out of whack as I took that off and have not been able to get it back right yet! I will keep trying but it could be that I have NO Bins that are in good shape...my old ones have a blur to them so they're no good.
Peace
Everyday is a new Adventure!
Monday, March 11, 2019
Marching into breeding season...
March has been slow! A Lone Pine Siskin made an appearance at my mom's feeder when I was over visiting,,,and the Fish Crow who was menacing a Bald Eagle made an addition to the list. And so far that's all and it's the 11th! Meanwhile love is in the air! I don't think this pair is nesting here but they are very cozy date night maybe?
The blue birds have picked one of the fake gourds to build in, as they normally do...and they normally have 2 broods. Soon they will be joined by the Great Crested Flycatchers they also nest build in the gourds.
Got this hybrid activity kinda interesting...
Besides the fog and gloomy sky that is...
Yep thats' our challenge this month, to leave things better than we found it. Good Idea. Meanwhile we went to this really neglected cemetery ...something this way slithers!
One of 2 black snakes I saw...and the great thing was the cemetery is located right next to this really awesome wetland!
complete with an Eagle Nest...
After looking as closely zoomed as possible I do see at least one bird in the nest You can only see the back in this shot
...and here is at least one of the pair. I also heard a barred owl calling out! What a nice surprise that was! No it's not in my radius not even in my county but I will continue to bird here...it is not far from home. I suggested it as a hot spot. Had some other expected birds around and even my FOY
Yellow Throated Warbler, hope to get one in my radius soon too.
...this Female Pine Warbler, had me fooled normally on the feeders at home the male is around to remind me of what I'm looking at, she is really a beautiful bird!
Back in the radius
Yellow shafted northern flicker...
The Great egret lined up just right for a fun shot...
this old machinery has been here so long the trees have grown it "in" it's still in amazing shape! I bet if you pulled it out of there you could use it again.
Our state flower is blooming, the Yellow Jasmine
And look what we found...
A Hickory Nut sprouting I just mentioned not long ago how nice it is to have a hickory tree in your forest so Mom and I plan to plant this one at out homestead! Mom comes with us when we go cemeterying..she doesn't really enjoy it cause she has to wait in the car with Jimmy she forgot my name and called me Camden, hmmm I kinda like it, but she never forgets Jimmy's name...lol If it's sunny and the ground is level and not muddy she gets out and sits in the shade. She gets to eat lunch out -french fries-cookies- and ice cream, she is 94 and eats what she likes. In her mind we are berry picking why else would we put on straw hats and go tromping around in the woods??So we play along... and she asked how many did we get today I got at least
1 quart of blackberry
1 quart of blackberry
THORNS ouch!
Mom Berry picking June 2008
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
February Wrap
I really don't understand why "they" can't just make February 30 days like the rest...I really needed the extra days to get more birds on my February list for the 5 Mile Radius. Mainly because this is how most of the days of Feb were here in my radius! And this morning March 5th there was a tiny dust of snow on my van when I got up Weather Man Epic Fail!!
I can see youuuuuuuuuu...lol I also saw tons of Robins that day...and had this great look at a Tufted Titmouse in breeding plumage...
After the wood ducks mentioned in the previous post, I had added 12 to February I was hard put to find any new ones to add, mostly weather issues...Im hopeful for an influx once the Spring warm up happens. I have been consistently seeing all the species tapped so far, but in lower numbers than previous years. Since I knew the time was right after seeing the huge flock of Grackle I showed you in my video...I was looking hard for black birds, and this for my radius means HORSE OR COW POOP! Yes never give a black bird a kiss on the beak...lol SO I cruise the fields looking for birds, but non birders see this:
"911 what is your emergency?"
"I see this totally weird van with this strange woman creeping around...." YES I look like a total creep-oid in my Conversion Van with shades on the windows, cruising slowly around, glaring at their livestock through high powered binoculars...and taking PICTURES!! Yes I expect to be taken into custody soon on some sort of trespassing/stalking warrant.
"911 what is your emergency?"
"I see this totally weird van with this strange woman creeping around...." YES I look like a total creep-oid in my Conversion Van with shades on the windows, cruising slowly around, glaring at their livestock through high powered binoculars...and taking PICTURES!! Yes I expect to be taken into custody soon on some sort of trespassing/stalking warrant.
It's hard to look nonchalant while engaging in this behavior...but I found my birds right there digging in the mixed bag of cow and horse poop in this field where both are turned out. YES!!
The Rusty Blackbird with what I'm calling a Red Wing-Blackbird, but could be a Rusty X Red Wing just because of the rusty color outlining the tertials of the wings, it is visible sort of if you look close.
so 68 & 69 together in one mixed flock
Had this nice looking purple finch visit my feeders last week...actually he was accompanied by another male and 2 females.
the Yellow-eyed Eastern Towhee
He lives down by the vernal pool highlighted in my last You Tube video and in my last blog post as well...
and finally I got some footage of that Common Yellow Throat! He was in constant movement, but here he is...with his little black mask..I think a name change could do this bird well..."the lone ranger"
...and another resident of the vernal pool...one of the many yellow rumped warblers...of the Myrtle subspecies.
My 2 month wrap up = 69 species or 67.6% of county reported birds. The other 30% are birds reported by a very aggressive birder who comes up with some amazing and unbelievable species..while the rest of the field including me, are consistent with our numbers and species...somehow he finds birds that not one other birder is finding...so there is that!
...and in other news
For one overnight I was an anxious mom of these 2 babies squirrels Annie found in the yard! They are smaller than the kosher pickles in my jar.
I was soooo happy to find Pine Tree Hill Rescue and Margaret the director met me in the morning and I was relieved that she took them! I put the box out in the area where they were found and they did squeak, and no mom came to claim them after a couple hrs, Margaret suspected the mom was injured or dead. Annie may have attacked her I just don't know any details, all I know is Annie did not hurt these little babies and she showed me where they were, poor little guys were so cold when I found them it's amazing they survived. I put that fleece in the dryer to warm it then wrapped them up and they were frisky and moving later when I attempted to give them some liquid. I really did not want to try to rehab them myself they have to be fed every 4 hrs. I was thrilled she took them off my hands! WHEW, close call!
Here is a tip: GO ahead NOW and research rescue groups in your area put their number in your phone or your Rolodex, if you still have one, so you will be prepared. I see so many people on Facebook begging for help when they find an injured bird or mammal....so the old saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, works best.
I was the head cage cleaner and flight attendant at a Bird of Prey Rehab facility for a couple years, so I know enough to give immediate care but without the proper food and knowledge you have to turn to those more capable and prepared in a time of need.
Here is a tip: GO ahead NOW and research rescue groups in your area put their number in your phone or your Rolodex, if you still have one, so you will be prepared. I see so many people on Facebook begging for help when they find an injured bird or mammal....so the old saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, works best.
I was the head cage cleaner and flight attendant at a Bird of Prey Rehab facility for a couple years, so I know enough to give immediate care but without the proper food and knowledge you have to turn to those more capable and prepared in a time of need.
Our Feb challenge was a photo contest, and our March challenge is to clean up as we go...literally. Stay tuned.
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
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