Bee and Oxpen Lakes

Please take note on my sidebar I have added a link to a Petition I have started to try and bring awareness to and stop the killing of Beaver by the USDA. it will only take a minute for your participation.  A donation goes to the World Wildlife Fund. 
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I am healthy and have stayed away from everyone.  I am wondering if its possible this is what I had in December? Based on what my symptoms were and what they are saying now... I never went to a DR because I don't even have a DR. Something I need to do....BUT if you recall I reported I had a Cold/Flu for the first time in like 14 yrs! I thought my immune system was shocked after losing Mom and dealing without her during the Holidays etc.  My son and I both had it, my sisters who we were in contact with did not get sick...so who knows. I heard people were recently tested and had antibodies and they reported being sick back in Dec some as far back as last November. This story of this virus is far from over and still a mystery. 

cute little Chipping Sparrow from the backyard

And a Yellow Rump Warbler was right overhead.

Since I'm at home I treated myself to this delicious flat bread with home made dip and Coconut Milk smoothie...It was delicious!  Add a little honey, vanilla, strawberries, banana, maple syrup and let me say it was heavenly...

During this time period I went to explore and hike a different area of the Sandhills NWR, the Bee and Oxpen Lakes area.  

I saw NO ONE and did not have to bother with social distancing, Which was nice to just forget about it for a while!  Im pretty sure this Yellow-Throated Warbler was more than 6 ft away I wanted him to come closer for a better look but he is pretty from any distance. 




He almost looks like a different bird from the back 

The sky was a bit dull...

Lake Bee

Brown Headed Nuthatch checked out this hollow in the tree...

And I saw quite a few Pine Warbler staring down from the trees above me,  In one area there's carnivorous plants! These Pitcher Plants work by trapping insects in the pools of water that stand inside and then taking nutrients from that insect as it decays, I know it's morbid but it's nature....can you see the water?  And they have a bloom stalk getting ready to flower...

And I found some Dwarf Iris in bloom nearby 

 

Wetlands are one of my favorite habitats, 

Someone else seems to like it also...I don't know if beaver are currently active in his area but I hope so..

This viewing deck had to be rebuilt a couple years ago...when  flooding messed it up..

I had lunch after my hike, and the view is really nice and a lovely breeze found it's way under the picnic cover.  

Just a sandwich, chips, and unsweet tea, think I had a Laura Bar in there too.  As I ate lunch I spotted more birds...in the nearby trees and bushes.  

Red Bellied Woodpecker...

And the Downy Woodpecker both knocking on wood while I ate...they were digging grubs out of the trees they visited...while this 

  Eastern Phoebe was on lookout with his keen eyesight for any insect that flew into range...actually we were all having our lunch...And after that I moved over to the Oxpen Lakes Area..and took another hike...

In this area I saw an Osprey diving into the lake, I could never got his dive on camera just his prep for it... Also saw quite a few Song and Savannah Sparrow hanging out...

Osprey preparing to dive....

Savannah, 

Found this Wild Turkey Tail Feather for my collection...

An Eastern Kingbird

Well as you guessed this post was written prior to my little friend's passing.  I try to create my posts and then they are scheduled to post in the order they are written. This ism to post on the Sunday  instead of Friday, the one prior was supposed to post last Friday and it just posted Wednesday.  This way I can stay only 2 weeks behind.  I am still hearing my friend all over the place and I reach for his bowl when it's feeding time. 

 I don't want to erase his having been  here I want to remember.   I saw Snapfish had a special on 8 x 11 photo books, 35% off so I made one of Casey and ordered some glossy prints of the same shots I just never have photos printed anymore...so I had only one or 2 actual prints of him but many digital shots of him...I can't wait for my book to arrive.  With the discount my book is 22 pages and contains 58 photos and Im getting 58 glossy 4 x 6 prints also includes shipping $27.  Pretty good deal.  I'll have to let you know about the book  when it arrives.  

Casey, Crater Lake, OR

This is the photo I've had on my screen since the day it was taken....and it will stay.  My State is easing up the restrictions I'm not sure it's a good idea I will continue to steer clear of people!  

For the record I think the demonstrations instigated by Trump was one of the most ridiculous displays of Narcissistic Control I've ever witnessed.  Talk about Flying Monkeys.  Kinda reminds me of Jonestown, if he told them to drink the poison they would.  IF those people want to go back to their old routine I'm sure no one could care, but don't expect everyone to agree...meaning your local businesses have the right to resume business as normal when they see fit. Have you ever seen such WHINERS?? wa-wa.

                                                                  

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Everything comes in 3's

One thing I'm learning is we must keep our minds and bodies busy to move past tragedy.  I've had 3 straight years of loss, I will say I'm a little bitter about it, but it is something I have to come to terms with somehow....This blog was scheduled to post the day Casey's life ended, so It's getting to be really old news by now.  I am trying to come to grips with not having my little friend, I hear him snoring, and I hear  his nails clicking on the floor, and yet he is not there...he is in my psyche and it's just gonna take time to adjust I still say, "come on you three." That's how I addressed my canine family, not its back to just the two...

 
                                                          My little family of 3

So 3 weeks ago....
GO HOME.....

 That's what the Text I got last Tuesday at 5 PM said! It was sent as an Emergency Alert, like an Amber Alert...it was from the State of SC it said GO HOME, AND STAY THERE, THE STATE IS UNDER A MANDATORY ORDER TO STAY AT HOME.  Can you believe that??   And half the people are walking around with bandanna's covering their lower face...so it looks like Dodge City. (auto fill tried to type banana's covering their lower face)...I think that would be way cooler what say you?

Before we went on lock down....I went here:

That Sunday we were not under any orders so I drove down to Santee NWR the Pine Island Unit, which I had not visited before.   It's a big place and a great place.  It was sort of crowded so I had to cross to the other side of the trail a couple times, and once a dog got after me, it was a Chihuahua so I wasn't scared, but the owner informed me that he thinks (the dog) that I am carrying a stolen backpack...OKAY some human traits do cross to other species.  The thing was the ankle biter made me miss a good Swamp Sparrow shot and honestly should they allow that small dog to run off leash?

this guy is at least 8 maybe 9 ft long he could take out a normal human  a small dog would be no contest...

 There was good birds and lots of walking I put in about 7+ miles mainly because I got on the wrong trail on the way back to the parking area...DUH...I think some signage would be helpful..the handout had a not to scale and completely useless diagram of the trail.

Santee Lake

This could be an Osprey feather...

I took the woods trail in, and got my FOY Prothonotary Warbler along the way...

And before the day was done I had spotted or heard 3 more...

I got very few birds in my viewfinder that day but I had a wonderful hike

 and ended up with 50 species of bird.  There was a large colony of nesting Tree Swallow...so since I have all this time on my hands I put together a quick piece of Media of the Tree Swallows...

Many of them have leg bands Red and White and one other had an aluminum band on one leg...They put out many nest boxes and the Swallows are busy moving in.  I enjoyed a rest by this area where bull frogs were doing what they do and Wood Ducks were nesting one spooked out of a box when I approached she went into panic mode and her partner came to check on her...





There was 3  Common Gallinule in this one area...

This guy decided to drive his boat through a flock of 300 double Crested Cormorants...

Poor things had to fly for their lives...

All in All it was a good day, I ended up meeting a guy whose name I see almost every other day on our Rare Bird Lister...he is #1 in our State according to Species seen, I think I'm 69 At least in the top 100.  Harold is a really nice person, and I remember emailing him once to ask where exactly he found a bird he reported and he gave me exact good directions  and was just really helpful.  That was a long time back and as soon as I saw him on Sunday he right away started sharing what he had found and where on that day.  I really can't deal with snooty birders.  Thankfully he does not fall in that category. 

Anyways as I said I didn't get too many birds in photos this Turkey Vulture allowed a snapshot of his backside.   So you'll be glad to learn I found a short supply of single TP rolls at the IGA limit 4, so I  grabbed up 3 single  rolls.   I think in this time we all need to show some restraint! 

Whats Blooming in the yard??



The knock out roses are opening up...



I have 4 or 5 bearded  iris that will bloom this year, and each one will have 3 or 4 flowers on when they open I hope they will all open together...

These butterfly will enjoy visiting

Red Spotted Purple

Painted Lady

Aquilegia

Black Swallowtail 

Clematis Henryi 

What's blooming in your neck of the woods??
Happy Earth Day and Happy Birthday John. 💙


                                                                   

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.