An April Fools Surprise...

Lately I'm lacking motivation.  Don't ask me why because I'm not sure.  I have the desire but the follow through is just blah.  Im still trying tho, not throwing in the towel just yet.  

Brown Headed Nuthatch check out a possible nest hole 

Some weather issues, wind, rain, hot, cold, storms, humid can't even breath humid, pollen 2 inches thick...just to name a few...and every now n then the SUN shines...but the wind still blows...Today was one of those sun shine windy days.. 

Male 

 I had not been to Sandhills in a while  it's kinda my local but a little far it's in the 20 mile radius.  Today the wind was on and off, ...my coat kept going on and off  and eventually  I even had to add a warm hat to the mix...

and his mate the female Eastern Bluebird 

I got very few photos this week ...the wind was a huge factor.  I wanted to share some of the AMATUER video I was able to get of some unique natural behaviors...

Like this Loggerhead Shrike, he has impaled a grub on a twig of a sapling...he tugs and it comes loose so he reattaches it, I tried to slow it down to help with wind movement  so you can see how he works to get the grub attached again so he can rip pieces off..

 sorry for the movement and sound real life is kinda like that...

When  he saw me, he flew to a tree to wait till I left so I snapped this photo before moving on...Big Juicy Grub. 

This was up on Mary's Hill...they recently burned the area 

I found an old antler, the tips had burned off...

...the birds are  pairing up and getting on with life they are motivated.  Had two Osprey pairs, and they were doing the same thing.  I suspect the female was stationed at a tree while the Male was out hunting, making circles diving and such...was it a show? I can't tell if he got a fish or not but he flew off, didn't take anything to the female,  Normally they lay eggs in April I must check the 3 ponds that I know Osprey nest in...maybe on my next trip over. OH yeah it's April already.

Play

Here is the waiting female...I saw the exact same behavior in a second pair later on.  I think I was more impressed than she was...

Then I stopped to have a spot of lunch at the boat ramp of this pond. 

After eating I put on my coat, and hat and took a walk around the lake, on this fisherman's path...It does not go all the way around the pond as it gets very dense and soggy but it goes about 1/2 of a mile or more round trip. 

This is where I watched the Osprey show from....so once he left I kept walking and then I saw some movement in a back cove of the pond.  At first I didn't know what I was looking at them BAM it hit me, A BEAVER a real live BEAVER was sitting on a sandbar grooming,  

I don't know if it's a she or a he

Then it went  swimming and eating some snacks out of the water, looked like the root ends of lily pads...

This sighting really made my day worthwhile...and was a good shot in the arm. 

This old lodge has been in this pond forever, but I thought it was not being used...

But the Beaver swam over this way and I lost track of it as I walked back so I think he went to take a snooze in the lodge...!!

time to walk back

Finally got my first shot appointment, on the 28th of April.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Whats in a Wetland?

After my fast trip to Huntington Beach State Park to see the Dovekie, I've been hanging close to the local spots around me. So hodge podge is what this one is, I've been combining some errand runs with local birding, and dodging more rainy days...but the end of last week was nice blue sky days...my daffodils 

the ones that didn't bloom are the paper whites and they bloomed this week.  I wish I had more paperwhites so I need to make a note to get more in the fall.   These below are the Tee'aTee 

Lettuce and Swiss Chard growing in the garden tub all fort
knoxxed up against deer and squirrel  

It mine all MINE...lol but it wont keep the slugs out.  

Still Pine Siskins in the yard.

They fool me when they start singing.  I think they will be heading out soon.  I reported 10 to ebird, ebird said that's a lot for this time of year...the next day I had 25 in the yard...lol 

And a few Purple Finch too...

On Sunday it was sunny,  I like to go to the racetrack on Sunday when the horses are not using the track that is a rest day for them...I check the pond and the trees there.  Pond had nothing..but in the trees I found

The Ruby Crowned Kinglet sizing up some very large berries...

The American Kestrel showing off all his brilliant colors. 

He was eyeing up a caterpillar and he swooped down and got it..

I stopped at Goodale Park on the way to a grocery run, and found a Red-breasted Merganser in the pond, first one I've reported there...it was unfortunate in silhouette, and he flew away fast I took these shots from the car window when I first rolled up. I tired to edit the photo but it was worse, so this is what I got....

Just needed some light on it...

Yellow Rump Warbler, Myrtle

Then I heard a drumming, when I got out of the van this Yellow Bellied Sapsucker was busy making  a nice straight lines of pretty big holes to fill with sap.  Nice strong light on him...

Meanwhile the Mallards were busy in the pond...

Sometimes you're better off with your butt in the air...

I think the females are on nests already they didn't come out until the males started to call them...

Had my FOY Brown headed Cowbirds, not a good bird to have but its natures way...

I checked on the Pitcher Plants, there's 3 clumps near the pond, 

A pair of Wood Duck seem to be getting ready to nest
 I saw them check out some nesting boxes. One fisherman who had canoed around told me that none of the nest boxes are in good shape.  So the park is not keeping them in good usable condition...sadly. Our parks service is doing us a disservice.  See our park has no campground and has no entrance fee, so it gets NO full time ranger.  We have a part time asst ranger who has no staff...he has to keep up the grounds and do the canoe rentals etc...HE is only in the office one hr per day.  And now he is getting a promotion and moving to Dreher Island State Park...so I have to wonder what we will have now.  It's not that the State doesn't have the money they just don't allocate it.  

The box they flew  on to inspect has not Top on it, I did see that. 

On my next errand day I stopped at the Riverside Park, and took a walk on the new "cement walkway"  it is better than walking in the soggy ground, but Im not a fan.

LOTS of American Robins that day...

I took one whole day to go to Lee County.  Finally got a shot of the
FOY Blue Grey Gnatcatcher...

The pollen has already to collect on the top of the ponds, and it looks nasty..

This is a new find,  may have a beaver, Im gonna keep a check on it.  AND I went to the old fav beaver pond where there is no beaver anymore it is changing there quickly... much drier than it should be...There is marsh, and there is swamp...A marsh provides food and habitat for many species, A swamp not so much...good for warblers tho because a swamp has more mosquitos, and biting flies! Wetland marsh is more beneficial than swamps imo.  So I asked google the difference and here is what I got:

The world's wetlands are ecosystems in themselves, and are defined by the flora and fauna they support. Marshes are nutrient-rich wetlands that support a variety of reeds and grasses, while swamps are defined by their ability to support woody plants and trees.

 I went to check out the Eagle nest, this immature one still had an adult with him... he is big enough to fledge, sometimes the adults just fly away from the nest and leave the young inside after he has fledged, he can hunt from his familiar post.

I compared this photo with ones from the past and this tree suffered damage, it used to have another big truck section behind the nest...this nest is very exposed now. 

3 months ago

March of 2019 

this is from a different vantage point also but you can see the large trunk section has fallen off...and it had to happen during this year's occupation too.  So this young eagle has had some hardships to over come Id say. 

And a pair of Canada Geese seem to be nesting here on the old beaver dam side....I keep hoping another beaver will come along to save this wetland from becoming a swamp. 

The ever watchful Belted Kingbird...

And before you know it another week is  over.... a stop at Goodale's on the way this time along with the Mallards who Im sure are nesting in the cove in the back,  was an American Widgeon another first for me to record there...

That was a good surprise

And this really BIG Gator was cruising at the back of the pond...pretty far away but I will share this grainy image with you anyways...

And I've been hearing them a week now and got a couple shots of the
Yellow Throated Warbler.  

Then a few days  of rainy, drizzly, and wind not so fun weather and I did chores at  home mostly and some more photo sorting to try and replace the lost Flickr hosting in my old posts...Im making such a small dent but it's a good way to spend the evenings...I found out if I combine a quick stop for birding along with grocery shopping and errand runs it does 2 things, it saves gas, and make the shopping bearable. 

             By permission RH

Now here is a little treat for you...a Great Find!!  My sis and her husband took a trip to Bosque del Apache and the surrounding area and they saw some awesome birds...My brother in law  spotted this Porcupine in a tree and took this photo...he has graciously allowed me to share it...I thought this little guy has the sweetest face no wonder he needs those quills to protect him....

See ya next week...

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.