Birding / nature / photography ~ Older Asexuals for light walking and hiking nature adventures ~

[GeoAmy]

Migration season is winding down in SE TX.  Managed to add a few warblers to my life list, but the black throated blue was not one of them sadly. You're lucky @LVG! I did see cerulean and cape may though.  We also have a rouge pair of Whooping cranes hanging out about 1 hr east of Houston.  Surely they are going to be heading north soon.  Here's a Magnolia Warbler I saw a couple of weekends ago.

 

 

[Myssterry]

I love popping by to watch the peregrines on the live stream from the church tower.  This morning dad arrived with the remains of a pigeon, mum and he had a tug of war with the corpse and then he won and flew off with it.  Two disappointed chicks were then sat on firmly by their mother to wait for the next delivery.  The chicks have grown well so presumably he leaves some of the prey for them and mum.

[LVG]

I saw a couple of Baltimore Oriels today. They're so vibrant. 

[Myssterry]

@Peregrines this morning, dad arrived empty-taloned and sat looking out of the unglazed window.  Mum squawked extremely loudly and he flew off returning immediately with the remains of some prey, probably a pigeon.  It was already pulled apart and semi-eaten, so he obviously catches the prey, has his fill and stashes the rest.  So fascinating watching how the birds behave.  Mum has to take a firm line with him, and is twice his size, as is usual with birds of prey.

[Tunhope]

Hoping that the two none-too-clean windows between me and these four baby starlings don't mean that they're invisible. It was lovely to watch  first one, then two, then three, then four land on my cotoneaster and pose for the photo.

[Muledeer]

9 hours ago, LVG said:

I saw a couple of Baltimore Oriels today. They're so vibrant. 

I thought that was only the name of a baseball team!

[LVG]

Haha! It is actually a species of bird too. 

 

 

 

[Myssterry]

Watching the peregrines again this afternoon, the male was watching the female feed the chicks and then grabbed the last bit of prey remains and flew out with them.  I have been looking up reasons why the male raptor is often smaller, and have my own theory.  He does the hunting and brings food for the family while the chicks are small.  The female feeds the chicks. If he was large he would need more food for himself and judging by the way this male behaves, and I have seen him behave in the same way in previous years, if he were larger the female would be less able to keep prey items for the chicks once he had brought them.  She has a job with this one.   Just a thought, doubtless the more scientific on here will know much more about it. 

[Muledeer]

Baby Bison!

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[LVG]

Aw, adorable! 

[Myssterry]

The song thrush has been visiting the garden regularly and catching earthworms from the lawn.  I have been hearing its song every morning.  The robin was accompanied by a cute speckled youngster today.

[Myssterry]

Little Dog and I visited a coastal nature reserve today.  There were lots of oyster catchers, quite a few avocets, sandwich and common terns nesting, lovely wild flowers, including the yellow horned-poppy, and a pair of ringed plovers.

 

Little Dog on the beach.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Strangers on the shore.

[Muledeer]

Some recent moose activity:

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Myssterry]

So exciting to have moose wandering around, lovely pics @Muledeer

 

The song thrush was singing tonight until quite dark.  It is a lovely song.  The blackbird's is more measured, but there is a passion to the thrush's outpouring.

 

That ’s the wise thrush: he sings each song twice over
Lest you should think he never could re-capture
The first fine careless rapture!   Robert Browning, Home Thoughts from Abroad.   (Not my video.)

[daveb]

I was outside my house this morning and heard some crows making noise so I looked and realized they were up in the sky trying to drive off a bald eagle.

[Muledeer]

just another ordinary moose.....

Spoiler

 

 

...and a buck mule deer as well!

Spoiler

 

[Tja]

I have trouble thinking any animal is "ordinary", @Muledeer. 

[Tunhope]

Hello everyone. Hope you are all well.

 I've a lot of catching up to do having been away for a couple of weeks. Here is a link to some photos. All Yorkshire Dales. The tiny white 5 petal flowered are known as leadwort and only grow where lead has been mined apparently. Arkengathdale (where I Stayed mostly) used to be a mining area. I'll put some other photos on the over 50s thread Having trouble with the link Sorry. Will try again. 

 

[Tunhope]

Trying again..

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zeUrmekFFqr9zaZKA

[Tja]

27 minutes ago, Tunhope said:

Trying again..

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zeUrmekFFqr9zaZKA

Gorgeous!

[Tunhope]

So different fro the Cotswolds where you were @Tja. Bleak and remote and, yes, just gorgeous.

[daveb]

So many distinctive little regions in the UK!

Great pics, @Tunhope! Makes me wish I was there (except maybe not the place with the rocky cliffs).

[Tja]

4 hours ago, Tunhope said:

So different fro the Cotswolds where you were @Tja. Bleak and remote and, yes, just gorgeous.

Incentive for my next trip, for sure, @Tunhope.

[pickles.]

On 6/16/2019 at 7:50 AM, Tunhope said:

Trying again..

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zeUrmekFFqr9zaZKA

Beautiful pics. Is there anywhere in the UK that is not pretty? What makes the water orange in the one photo?

[Skycaptain]

@pickles mcgee, the water isn't orange. That's just an optical effect brought on by the combination of water descending from peat bogs and the colour of the sandstone forming that waterfall 

[Tunhope]

That's right @pickles mcgee and @Skycaptain and it's worse (or better because it looks so pretty) because there had been such a lot of rain. The water in the farmhouse I stayed in was spring water, and though it was filtered, the water in the toilets was discoloured by the end of our stay. I had to leave a little message to point out that the discolouration wasn't due to our  mucky habits!

 

 

 

[Myssterry]

Visitor to the pond area today.  I think it is a female broad-bodied chaser, but not sure.  Dragonflies are so lovely, like jewels when the sun is on them.

 

[Muledeer]

One time I met a dragonfly with crystal clear wings, a blue body, with black markings in a pattern,  and there was something about its eyes too.   One of the most beautiful insects I have ever seen!   At rest - so we just observed each other for a minute or two.

[Myssterry]

The male woodpecker is bringing a juvenile to the garden.  They are so striking - the male has a scarlet patch at the nape of the neck and the juvenile has a red crown.  (Not my photo.)

 

[Tunhope]

How lovely to have an adult and a youngster in your garden @Mz Terry. Occasionally get an adult spotted one and occasionally get a green one. I'm pretty sure there was a Painted Lady butterfly in the garden earlier. I didn't get a really good look at it. It would be the first I've seen this year.