AUK TOE BURR

My "first week of October" got off to a really slow start! Seems I just couldn't get myself in gear.  I had a birthday I'm another year older...so there's that.  Aging makes everything harder...compared to my younger self.  Not comparing me to anyone else just to myself, what is hard for me may be easy for you, what is easy for me may be hard for you, that changes with time for us all...

what's missing in this photo?

Yep it was a challenge to get that line down...but now it's gone to the trash I wrapped it up in a brown bag so hopefully when it gets to the landfill no bird will get into it there and I also found that piece of weed eater line, and tossed that in too.  And notice spider's web still intact!


How many ducks? click to enlarge

I have yet to see the first arriving sparrow! Saw some low counts reported on the lists of coastal county residents but none here. We had this scorching record braking heat wave this week and it is now it has come to a close...Thank goodness, really hope that's the end of it, we have 8 months now before it comes again in 2020!




See the kayak stands on the far left of this shot?  Park employees put these up about 4 yrs ago...BUT the distance is too far apart for the kayaks they rent...the kayak will fall off... they never came back and to change to the proper distance apart...Question? When you make a mistake do you just shake your head, walk away, and never try to rectify it? 

Eastern Phoebe

Took this at the new County Park last week...this is the Wateree River...and I just noticed the arm of a guy (far rt) who was metal detecting...in the water! Never saw someone do that before.  This rock should be full of cormorants or gulls, yet---?  I see some white wash wonder who made that?

Had this immature Bald Eagle at my radius  hotspot today,  pretty far away

And last week when I checked the Racetrack pond, the volume was low, looks like a young a Red Shouldered Hawk on the ground hunting frogs, insects, and who knows what else...

red shouldered hawk, based on the reddish patches at the shoulder

Im digging those leg feathers...

Cattle Egret hang out with cattle, but mules really should not be put in pasture with horned cows!

Notice huge gash on mule's rump...and the sharp points on his pasture mates horns!  Strange bedfellows sometimes can be dangerous.



We're fostering 2 youngsters they come every day to the field and they overnight here too...they graze, play, and sleep...I didn't go outside to try for photos, thru the window shots is what I have..this is today's nap time. They still have spots and my research tells me they lose the spots at 3-4 months of age so these are brand new creatures taking their turn at life on Earth.  Each one having their own personal experience...as I look at the little deer he is experiencing the smell of the grass, the warmth of the air, the rustle of nearby birds, and they hear me walking around in my house with their big ears.  They are having thoughts and they are here with intention not by accident...they know who they are and where they are and what they are doing. They are living beings with family and friends, and a purpose in life. 

Sometimes an adult is nearby.  I have some old horse watering buckets.  A cool drink would be a good thing and I think they would appreciate it.  

Wood Duck Quizz = 6 one just visible on the far right in front of the shrub

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

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...

                           

What do you see in these shots?

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 

THORNS ouch! 

Mom Berry picking June 2008

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

The last bird of 2017

I hope everyone had a peaceful new yrs and if you made resolutions I hope you can make it happen!

 I dragged my feet on getting my end of year post up so this post should have been put up before the year end  but I just couldn't make it  happen.  And even tho I was victorious in my search I had little to show for this bird in the way of photos...but I will share what I found.

It's a beautiful area...

                                         Bennet's Point rd

I get the SC eBird Rarities alert in my inbox daily.  I had seen for about a week people reporting the Eurasian Wigeon in the area we call the Low Country, low meaning it is barely above sea level at Bear Island.

 

    Mary's Pond the birds are way at the back can't even see them can you? Neither could I!

I have blogged about Bear Island before it is a Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County, SC not too far from Charleston. Y'all may recall.  It's a solid 2 1/2 hrs south of me,  south east of I-95.  They do a great job with the water levels and keeping the habitat just right for waterfowl, waders, shore birds, forest birds, mammals and reptiles! BUT unfortunately Wildlife Management means hunting is allowed...so they close the place down every year (Oct 31 - Feb 8th)...just as all the ducks arrive! It's so infuriating.  The main gate is closed but if you have the secret code you can get in and kill your limit...grrrrrrr

        It was easy to see the Tundra Swans, I counted about 55 in total.

I was able to get a zoom on the big birds and see the little bit of yellow at the base of the eye on the beak to ID as Tundra Swans. 
 
The wigeon had been spotted in Mary's Pond which happens to be at the entrance and one can hang by the bank...so me and one other guy froze our asses in a stiff wind to look at the flotilla.  He was not looking for the wigeon, but he so kindly allowed me to scan with his scope and I did find it...all the birds were so far away it was especially hard trying to take photos...I never thought of bringing my tripod! It would have helped in the wind...

This huge mass of ducks is mostly Gadwall, there is some Bufflehead in there, some Hooded Merganser, Canada Geese, and American Wigeon.  Some Ring Billed Gull flew around, Great Egrets were hanging out in the trees out of the wind, and a Bald Eagle kept buzzing the ducks scattering them around each time I hoped they would resettle closer to me, but they never did...I guess the guy and I was as scary as the Eagle to them.

                                              Bald Eagle Duck Hunting

                                                       and away they go...

Mostly Gadwall these few came a little closer to the road, until the eagle returned to flush them away.

A Tri-Colored Heron settled in some marsh grass to look for a meal from a higher perch...

The Belted Kingfisher watched from the high line, mostly he watched me and the guy try to figure out how to get any photos of the far far away waterfowl.  

 

 The Little Blue Heron found a perch and hunkered down keeping his back to the wind...

 Across the road one Great Egret came out to hunt....

 

The Eagle finally settled in some trees nearby when I went to the Van to warm up and have some lunch...

And not far from  him Black Vultures rested too...

 

I had some left over home made hummus and I made 2 wraps and some olives, and a piece of left over fruit cake too!  I saved one wrap for later.
It looks like he is saying...
"WHATTTTTTTTT you eatin?"

LoL

I tired several shots of the wigeon and this was the best shot I got of him he was soooo very far away...a very shaky wind blown shot; he is the bird in the dead center of this image.  It would have been a better shot if he hadn't stuck his face in the water just as I clicked.

      

   (Mostly white on the sides trailing off to grey and black on the back...a cinnamon head and you can just barely see the shimmer of white down the center of his face..and a darker shadow around the eye.)

And actually my shot was about in line with others who were there that same day...this couple was there early in the morning check their list from ebird.  
 
So I felt a little bit vindicated when I saw their photo was not much different than mine...we all did our best under the circumstances.  I did however notice one thing on ebird.  (this is an aside) One list that popped up today was submitted by a fellow who happens to be an area ebird reviewer, the reason I know this is he has reviewed me a couple times.  When you submit a bird and the rare birds pop up it's the reviewers job to "confirm" or "not confirm" the bird as being correctly identified...I just happened to notice some that were submitted with a documenting photo, were still listed as Unconfirmed...and yet his personal sighting without any Photo was listed as "confirmed" 
Who reviews the reviewer? hmmm  Corruption in birding politics? Without a photo I'd say unconfirmed...lol.

The chill of the afternoon was really setting in by 2 pm and the man left, and an hour later so did I, he gave me his card and asked me to check out his website...so I did. 
Andrew Griner Nature Photographer.  He was an older man with some disabilities, and yet he was out there brazing the cold and enjoying himself while his supportive wife waited in the car.  I noticed she got out and helped him load up all his gear...it was sweet.
Take a look n see...some of his work is really good!

 https://andrew-griner.squarespace.com/

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.