Nest Season

The past week was a mixed bag of weather cold nights warm days some sunny some windy some stormy..

A small flock of  American Goldfinch stopped to refresh themselves at my feeders while on their Northward Migration. 

I visited Lee County on one of the windy but warm days...One of my new favorite spots is on Newsome road, its only a short cut-through road and gets little traffic....so I can do roadside birding of the wetlands there,

without fear of being run over...

There is two different places on the road where I stop about 3/4 mile apart...

The newly migrated Common Yellowthroat is always good to react to my phishing and comes out to scold me...

Another Migrant who loves to share his call is the White Eyed Vireo.  They have a rather harsh loud call...

The white eye is striking...

Have you ever seen this kind of thing growing on the forest floor?  It's a Fungi, and it's called Stinkhorn Mushroom...

Here it is with a fly on it because it stinks like rotten flesh!! This is how it gets pollinated...it's a striking red color and grows close to the ground...but it's pretty disgusting otherwise!

Saw another Banded Water Snake, he was moving so fast I almost missed him...

A late to leave  White Throated Sparrow was seen...hiding in the Yellow Jasmine...

And I enjoyed watching a pair of Blue Grey Gnatcatchers work on a nest..

They both participate in the building, protection and care of the young, This is the male, wallowing in the nest to make it fit well and...

This is the female below giving it her touch...

Looks like a good fit! 

Below is a video I put together with little editing of the pair at work...and there's some nesting facts in the description so best to watch it on YOUTUBE I think you will find that info interesting!!

 
I plan to check in with them when Im in the area...see how it's going

Im trying a new idea to discourage squirrels....a man I  met in the bird seed section told me to use the Cayenne Pepper birds don't mind it and squirrels wont bother it...so I got some cayenne pepper suet...Im giving it a try.  But I will say don't handle it then rub your face like I did!! AND def don't rub your eyes. 

This was short but hopefully you found something to make you smile. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

On the Move?

I guess you all noticed that I changed my publish days to Friday Night instead of Sunday Morning,,,,mainly because email subscribers don't get their email notice till Sunday night meaning they read on Monday morning, so I think Monday morning is not the right time for my blog...a blog about my simple uneventful life is not Monday morning material.  Busy people are up and about on Monday...my writing is more for slow down weekend reading.  So I will see how it goes as I work on the post a little each day.  

Saturday I jumped out of bed wide awake...made my coffee the dogs eventually came in for their breakfast, then I fired up my laptop and saw a rare bird alert...so I decided why not...I'm not even thinking I will actually see the bird but it's a beautiful day...so I packed up my cooler with lunch fixins' and down the dreaded I-95 I shot.  Felt so sorry for these folks heading North...this looks pretty serious it was an 8 mile backup.  

Amazing the campground at the Santee Coastal Reserve was FULL...it is a FCFS campground.  What happened to the no more than 3 in a group thing?  I would not want to be in a full campground right now.  There is a visitor's center in this shot somewhere...behind these moss covered live oaks...

Anyway I headed to the Big Well Trail where I was around no one! 

The water level was low I figured it would be the opposite with all the rain we had in Feb.  The lower levels was perfect for the waders..

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron 

White form Little Blue Heron 

Tricolored Heron

Just off the trail a Downy Woodpecker stops to look at me..

                Good example of a Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs

I found all sorts of critters I could  give my solo attention to...def more than 6 ft personal space given here.

                                                           Love the patterns on his body...

          SAW many gators of various sizes from babies to over 7 ft...

this one is about 2 ft in length

I ran into 3 people in total on the trails, and no one stopped, all said hello and kept walking as did I. 

After lunch I moved the van  to the Cape Trail parking area, and walked around the impounds I ended up hiking 5 miles in total, my feet were pretty tired...






Many Glossy Ibis stayed distant but I zoomed for this shot..their colors are so deep and rich.

Monday:
Today it rained but I decided to go out and get some supplies in a neighboring town that has only 2 cases of the CV-19 not the 54 my town now has...I used alcohol to clean my hands when I removed my gloves upon exiting the store.  Then I went to my favorite spot the Beaver Pond!

 

The pond is in good shape the water plants are vigorous and the birds were out.  The young Eagle looked pretty lonely as the parents have left him alone now.  He will hang around the nest as long as he needs to.  I felt really sorry for him so I name him Solo. Could be a her...have no way of telling.  

Here he is in his Aerie.  He has those big wings and when he feels like he just can't stand to be alone anymore he will soar away....I will miss him when he goes. When I come to the nest and he is not there I will feel that pain deep inside the one you feel when someone really special is not there. 

King Fishers were out in numbers on this rainy day...a dull sky didn't bring out those awesome blues of this bird...

And a combo of the Kingfisher and a Great Blue Heron. 

This Tufted Titmouse may be feeding young already, while the White Eyed Vireo just got back in town!

A little farther down the road is Ashwood Lake, recently refilled after the dam there broke free in 2015.  It's not officially open but I go and park roadside and see what birds are there...some Ring Neck Duck about 15 today, Pied Billed Grebe, and at least 3 American Coots, and some Canada Geese on the water, an Osprey overhead, and at least one Double Crested Cormorant diving below.  

Up in the tree by the lake a Savannah Sparrow my FOY. 

Had Tree Swallow, Northern Rough Winged Swallow, and Purple Martin flying over the lake catching bugs...lots of competition. I may go back there tomorrow I think I heard a LeConte's Sparrow! There is only one call that has that sound...If it's not raining.

Purple Martin

Tuesday: buckets of rain, thunder and the whole 9...
Wednesday: Went to a couple spots...saw this cool Osprey...

 

It's fun staying away from people...a good week. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

October is Hard

...for me, the moon in my house must be falling...

I have been birding a little... my radius continues to draw the regulars nothing new so far this month...I hope it will improve as the migration goes forward. So I've been on warbler watch and I'll share some of what I've found along the way not all were photographed...none of these came out of my 5 mile...because I didn't want to miss all the good stuff that is out beyond the 5 mile. 

                                                           Olive Clouded Skipper

Eastern Phoebe 

American Redstart female

And a male

White eyed Vireo

And the first Ovenbird I've seen a long time!

                                             Palm Warbler

Eastern Wood Peewee

Scarlet Tanager Non breeding male, a county bird for me..

Summer Tanager Immature Male

Young Eastern Bluebird

A Northern Parula 

A Spice Bush Swallowtail Caterpillar

One of the deer went into the old barn...I think they like it in there...

Sadly my Mom fell again and she got some really awful cuts as she hit the door frame on her way down.  With old fragile skin it just ripped it to pieces...She went to the ER and was back home a few hrs later, but she will be house bound for a while till she gets able to use her walker again...

That morning we had taken her with us to the Congaree National Park..she didn't really want to go but we made her go anyway...

She had her 95th Last week...

...this reminds me of meringue on Mom's Banana Pudding.

She actually did not enjoy the outing and demanded we take her home so we did...home is not always a safe place to be...she has forgotten how much she loves a day out and about in nature... I hope I never forget all the great times I've enjoyed sharing nature with my Mom the tree hugger...taken Dec 19, 2010 on the same boardwalk!

I know you all have read many blogs featuring my Mom...I've been sharing our Adventures for many years so I will keep you posted on her recovery.  She has a strong will and spunk and  I know she will try hard to get over this set back...if love alone could mend her she would be healed instantly. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.