There is no going back and sometimes looking forward feels like giving up...I am trying.
Yesterday I traveled to a nearby town to do some errands that I couldn't accomplish here in my town. So once the chore was done I stopped at a local garden and checked out the collected swans that live there...some had cygnets.
Yesterday I traveled to a nearby town to do some errands that I couldn't accomplish here in my town. So once the chore was done I stopped at a local garden and checked out the collected swans that live there...some had cygnets.
And others are sitting on eggs.
BLACK SWAN
MUTE SWAN
MUTE AND WHOOPER SWANS
Not all the birds there are part of the collection like this Great Egret....he comes and goes as he pleases...
And this Hermit Thrush also...
And this Wood Stork, ebird says rare, If I'd known I'd have taken a better photo of it!
After leaving there on the drive back I spotted a HUGE mixed flock of Black Birds, like Common Grackles, and Red Winged Blackbirds I think I saw some Brown Headed Cowbirds, along with European Starlings too...I think there was easily 1,000,000 birds in this flock! They were in a field where p-nuts have been recently harvested...
...seeing all these birds reminded me of how each being on this planet is going thru their own personal experience...some good some not so, but each one counts, and each one matters.
So I'm trying to reach beyond the fog of grief, it's been 60 days now....but bear with me, it won't happen soon, and thank you so much for all your kind words of encouragement. I took everything said to heart...and It helps me to know people do care and understand.
PEACE
Taking One Day At a Time
Hello, the swans remind me of a lake in Lakeland Florida. They had a lot of non-native swans. It seems weird to see the cygnets, seems early to me. I have seen the wood storks near where my sister lives in Ocean Isle NC, are they moving up the coast. They are common birds in Florida. Cute shot of the Thrush. I am looking forward to spring birds. Happy birding, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteHI Eileen. The wood stork does come here I think ebird puts a lot of emphasis on "time of year", anyways I was not all that surprised to see it. I love Ocean Isle it's very pretty there beach erosion is an issue we found out on our last visit there. I had a hermit thrush in the yard yesterday soon the migrates will be here again!
DeleteNice to see the swans and cygnets …
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing all of your photographs.
All the best Jan
Hi Jan, and thank you for your comment.
DeleteI envy you that sighting of all those blackbirds. It is scenes like that that are true spectacles of nature, and they reinforce our commitment to and fascination with the natural world. Perhaps in some way it will be therapeutic for you. I can tell you with certainty, that for me, my relationship with nature has been the cement that binds every time.
ReplyDeleteVery true David, I'm trying hard to reconnect with the world I love...those black birds were such a thrill to witness.
DeleteI was surprised to see the cygnets how cut little fluffy things. You really saw some beautiful birds and the huge about of birds in the field was something but for free peanuts why not.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo, I was really surprised to see the young swans there was 3 in total, and other birds were def on Eggs. The huge flock was beyond amazing...I couldn't believe I was the only traveler who pulled over to be a part of it!
DeleteWhat a sight the large flock is, it must have been fantastic to watch! There's no time limit on grief is there, you just work through it however you can :)
ReplyDeleteExactly Pam, each day is going to bring some pain, some joy, and some healing. The flock was beyond my wildest dreams I never thought I'd see so many birds, the flock in my video was about 1/4 of what was on the ground...the sound was deafening.
DeleteOh Sondra, I’ve been a terrible blog friends because I wasn’t here when you were at your lowest. I am so sorry ...grief contributes to low resistance which I’m sure you knew all the time, but with everything involved with that emotion, knowing doesn’t make it any better or easier to accept. Take good care of yourself... it is OK to do that! (And getting out in nature when you feel up to it is one of the best ways). You know that too of course. Very nice birds ... swans are kind of magical aren’t they...it’s from all those fairy tales we were brought up on I suppose. And love the wild guys who drop in and out, I always think that is so funny. ......i’m not going to be able to say this very well , but want you to know that I admire the way you are able to post about your down days in a way that we can all relate to (without sounding whiny (for lack of a better word). I admire that ability, but of course hope that you recover from the flu and that part soon and completely. The rest of it will take time . We all know that.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sallie, I am a realist and what is going on in me will end up on these lines, I hope I can cross each hurdle as I get to it, I know that life as I knew it is gone, now finding the new world order is where I find myself. Not easy when the last 12 yrs were devoted to the care and well being of my mom...I kept saying I was not prepared for her to go and I was right how can you prepare for that...I appreciate your visits and comments.
DeleteThat's a good comparison shot of the Mute and Hooper swans. Your cygnets are much earlier than here. It's very important to grieve and its different for everyone, and there are stages that you have to go through before you come to accept it. Your birding and projects will help.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I know these Swans are in captivity the place is big enough it seems that they are in the wilds...and lots of free birds come and go...so it's always interesting to visit. I was dealing much better when my sisters were here so their leaving has placed everything on another level...I am trying to stay busy! We've had horrid weather, it's been raining on and off for weeks now! We had an F2 tornado hit the school my son attended, climate change has really changed our weather patterns. We get so much rain it's impossible to get things done. Maybe we will develop gills after all, like the syfy movie I watched Saturday night.
DeleteWow that's a lot of blackbirds! At the end of the video it looks like there are some little blackbird tornados in the background- is that right? Super cool, even if it's just actual clouds. Your post here reminds me that nature can be a really good friend.
ReplyDeleteHI Jen, and thanks, I kid you not there were at least a MILLION birds there...the field was probably 500 acres or larger and they were all over it! The largest group I've ever witnessed.
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