One Week Later...

All sorts of media was used to create this post...cause I'm scraping the barrel. 

...it's been a while since being out with my camera, I have little new on the nature front to share...but what I have I will kick in. 

My last trip to the race track I saw this Little Blue Heron on an old Windmill frame..there was about 8 white form little blue's around that day. 

You can hear a few Fish Crow in the background

Im feeling  better since my last post and worlds better than I did 3 weeks ago in the throws of the virus, I  hope that's the end of it, but please realize the virus is here among us, it's taking turns with each body it can find..be prepared is all's I'm saying.  I had my first outing on Monday day 16 after contracting the virus from hell...It was exhausting but I did it, made 2 stops for items I needed and put gas in the van...I left home at 8 back by 9:30 and it did me in for a couple of hrs but so far so good.

Yesterday I actually did a little work in my yard got out early while it was still cool and cut the grass, riding on the mower is easy all I have to do is turn the wheel...my grass was at least 8 inches tall!! Now it's back to normal and the dogs can walk around without getting morning dew on their bellies.

I refuse to use the new "blogger interface" voluntarily --just saying! Drag me to the alter kickin and screamin...

Had 2 Eastern Wood Peewees on the fence one feeding the other so welcome to the World.  It is quite nice to see all the new faces at the feeder, had 9 Northern Cardinals in 50 shades of red,  flying all over the place and the Wrens are busy as bees with their broods following them everywhere.  

carolina wren chaos

And I made this thru the window and screen video of a Northern Cardinal using the water fountain..

I had always planned to get a video of Casey drinking out of this stream, he was the only one of the dogs who would drink from the stream of water...so clever.  But I never got around to it...:0(

This Eastern Kingbird flew off just I was trying to snap a photo of him, they are so aerobatic..and such awesome flycatchers.

This was on my last trip up to Sandhills before I got sick, think I was there on July 24th, I wanted to see if any progress had been made on the pond they drained...still the same that day ,grass has grown where the lake bottom was and one Canada Goose seemed bewildered...

IT was scorching hot on that day so I didn't do any hiking just a quick look around...

Even the Egret was worried about the mud....

And if you like Sunflowers, you may enjoy this...

It's going to be a while before I'm up to any new exploring as I don't want to get out in the heat and trigger a relapse  I will be happy when I can go into the yard and water my plants or fill my feeders without it leaving me exhausted...so for now it will be what's in the yard or through the window that thrills me!!

It's amazing how small your world can become...to anyone out there who may be going thru it, I wish you a speedy recovery...

Cattle Egret from my last drive around...are about to start moving on they have been gathering in large flocks of about 50 or more in a nearby cow pasture...tempers are flaring...I think they're saying Im so ready to get outta here and go back home....where ever home is for them, maybe FL maybe Mexico..

today this beautiful little fellow showed up in my field...

So sweet...

Seems young to be alone...but I didn't see any adult they lose the spots at 3-4 months....

 the tall Goldenrod is so tall I had to tie it back with some string.  Most of my garden plants are about done even tho it remains hot fall is coming...I have some fall crops in mind for my garden pots and I already ordered my seed...some NON GMO. 

 Horn worms devastated my tomato plants while I was sick...my heirloom tomato has 2 large green tomatoes tho and my cherry tomato was eaten up pretty bad.  I sprinkled it with sulfur  powder and the worms are gone but so has the sun been gone lately...these rainy cloudy days don't help grow veg.  I had a good year with my 3 bush green bean plants in one pot...

I got a handful of beans daily perfect for me to add atop a salad...The asparagus has done well but I  think this coming year it will be even better as now I have twice the plants I had.  I harvested one butternut squash and some cucumber this week. 

I'm going with carrot, 3 kinds of lettuce, snow peas, cabbage, onions and broccoli and Im starting my Cilantro and Parsley inside and it will be ready to eat by spring.  I hope to over winter my banana and jalapeno peppers. I have a small watermelon on the vine hope it makes it...got it in sort of late and been so hot it may not survive...I have wrapped netting around it to keep squirrels away...The horn worms also got my Green bell pepper plant I hope it comes back out I over wintered it last year and I got some good pepper off it before they attacked. 

Its much bigger now this photo was taken about 3 and a half  weeks ago.  

Since Im low on news, I will share  my latest video also put together mid July, it's  happenings around the homestead, maybe you will enjoy watching, some of you have already seen it, thanks for your views!  My channel is mainly for my DIY projects but honestly I just don't tackle many projects in the summer it's just too hot...

I am excited about Biden's pick for VP Im so ready to see Trump rode out of DC on a RAIL...be prepared for all sorts of crazy antics from him to try and steal any votes he can...don't depend on the mail in GO VOTE IN PERSON!! IT's the only sure way your vote will be counted!! 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

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.

3rd Week Apr update

When you're writing a post do you write the whole thing in one sitting, or do what I do and work on it little by little?  I come back and add to it as the story develops unless I'm traveling and I know I will only have internet for a limited amount of time.  So this post has been building since the end of week 2 and here it is the 3rd week of April, our migrant arrivals are moving along quickly! So the 5 mile radius numbers continue to grow!!

A bluebird pair seem to be settled on this plastic gourd in the yard for a nest spot...

they took turns going in with very small bits of nest material...almost one small blade of grass so I will check later to see if this was a false start or a practice run or the real McCoy!

The very next morning I went to check out the Sorghum field area and found my FOY (88) Eastern Kingbird up on a wire...

Checked out my hotspot on the following day and BAM..got that Prothonotary Warbler to show himself..(89) Now no longer "rare" as I know he was here earlier than his normal arrive by date, but I don't need any unwanted attention preferring to remain in the background of life rather than be paving the way for others. 

"Finally got you on pixels!"  I made a recording of his call too...

Also while I was trying to pick this warbler out, the Northern Parula and the White Eyed Vireo were all over the canopy again...gleaning little tiny gnats and caterpillars off the leaves and branches. 

northern parula male

and the female!

she had me with going nutz for a while trying to figure out wtheck she was... finally it hit me!

                                                                          white eyed vireo

ALSO look who else is in Adams Mill Pond at my hotspot...

I've heard for years there are gators in that pond but this is my first sighting! Most of his body is hanging below the water I'd say he was a 4-6 ft specimen..I thought of sharing my find with the ranger but then I had this image of the gator being harassed so I kept it on the QT i have never heard of any issues with people and alligators here.  

We took a ride over to Lee county to do some cemetery survey work and we stopped to check out my new found wetland where the beaver pond is



...the eagle nest had 2 juveniles in it...happy to report, I had seen the one but there is two!! I don't know if they have fledged and still hanging in the nest I have not seen them flight testing or out of the nest...they will continue to use the nest and depend on the parents for help for a while yet. 

My priority this week was to find those cattle egret in my radius and that I did pretty easily! First I found 3 with cattle then a field where cows had been moved recently and there was at least 25 Cattle Egrets (#90) in there along with 4 PIGEONS! I was almost as happy to find the pigeons as the egrets.  

here's 2 of the 4 rock dove.  (feral pigeons) (#91) 

that same field had a flock of geese coming in...

This is a stretch of road where I pull over and look for warblers in the swamp I bird from the road...I had a red eyed calling but he would not come out for a photo opt yet! I'm trying to get his call to share but he stayed so far back it was not a good recording. 

Back at home that night I got up for a bathroom visit about 4 am and through the open window heard a Chuck Will's Widow!! (#92) And then last night I took a walk and recorded his sound...I couldn't figure out how to upload it to blogger. 

At home in the afternoon the wonderful sound of the Summer Tanager (#93) came floating in and soon I spotted him..

Then Sunday Morning whilst most were putting on Easter Bonnets, I was grabbing my binoculars and heading to one of my fav spots...it's only 1 mile away and it's more roadside birding but it's not a busy road...I got out and phished a little bit and got the attention of 2 Orchard Oriole, (94) one a first year male and one mature male..

They came in flying like Luke Skywalker in that scene of Star Wars, Return of the Jedi....when they flew at incredible speeds and taking runs down those narrow channels of the Death Star!  So I snapped a couple fast ones missed the immature male altogether. 

It is now going to get tough...Hope I can pull it up to 100 but most of my expected arrivals with a few exceptions are accounted for...

7 new additions this past week!  Total 94.  Im hoping for the Blue Grosbeak soon saw him on Sunday but not in the radius! 

Heard in the yard additions this week:

35. Chuck Wills Widow

36. Summer Tanager
37 Northern Parula

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

The Pee Dee Region!

Friday before mother's day...so as a gift to my Mom we did another town trip! This time it turns into 2 towns since they lay close to each other.  Society Hill and Bennetsville, SC .  Both of these towns are located in what is known as the Pee Dee region! Named for the Great Pee Dee River that runs through the region and that was named for the Pee Dee tribe of Indians who lived her before whites took over their world!

Mom viewing the Pee Dee 

Much of the history of these 2 towns are basically the same with deep roots in Pre-Revolutionary history and Civil War history..Would have loved to do the self guided walking tour but walking is one of Mom's big problems so we did some windows down looking, I got out for a closer look at a few spots.  The townies of Society Hill grew rich on the legacy of cotton...when blacks were slaves.

Society Hill Veterans Park Kiosk 

There is a cotton trail, it's a 90 mile stretch and I believe I'd love to do that when the cotton is high!..If you have never seen a field full of cotton, its quite a spectacle looks like snow!  There is a cotton museum in Bishopsville, SC it's only 18 miles from us.   We stopped and snapped this shot of the old Society Hill's 1828 library building.  

Then on to Bennetsville, we stopped at the visitors center, which is housed in the D D McColl house c-1826

I realize now I chopped the top off the house! Drat, my photography is not up to par...but you can see how charming this Queen Ann Style home was back in the day and it was moved here!! HOW in tarnation did they move this big brick mansion not once, not twice but 3 times!! 

I like this building it says McCall Block on top of it....and its across the street from the Marlboro Co. courthouse...

the Breedeen Inn 1886 a bed and breakfast in town...

At the end of town is Wallace Lake,...

We took a sandwich out and had it by the lake...saw a few birds there too..

A list of birds we saw included Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Northern Rough Winged Swallow, Cliff Swallows, Red winged Black Bird, Osprey, Cattle Egret and Blue Grosbeak!

Upon leaving the lake we passed a road sign that pointed to Colonel Kolb's tomb...had to go see that so we turned off and here is the story..

he is buried about 50 yards from the Pee Dee river..

And there was an American Redstart...

There's more to see in this town than one visit could bring back so who knows we may return!  I was able to Log these on my lists on Waymarking.  I am new to it and my first Waymark was rejected as it was already listed! Once I get the hang of it I know I would enjoy doing some geocaching. 

Time...well spent!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.