Eagle in Action

Stealing Time

It's a busy Saturday today, but I stole twenty minutes to go down to the river this morning and see what I could see.  Today - it was eagles.

They flew past me up the river, like they were traveling their own super highway.

They congregated in a grove of trees near me.  From a distance they were just dark shapes.  I had fun listening to them as they called to each other, and only wished I had more time.  But I'll take what I can get!

Dancing in November

I saw these yellow flowers along a weedy hedgerow a few weeks ago.

What were they thinking - blooming so late in the year?  Didn't their plant genes tell them that the killing frost would be here soon - that they should hunker down?

Instead, they flaunted their delicate blossoms, richly colored, and laughed into the teeth of winter.

Bravo!!!

I have know people like this, who gave their all - even as the sun rapidly set on their span of days.  They donned their best gowns, and finest fabrics - and went to the ball!  They refused to be told that it was "too late" in the season for what they meant to do.

 I hope we all dare to dance in our Novembers.

My Little Chickadee

Study in Black and White

I took these photos for the bird, but in the end, I liked the entire composition of each photo more than just the bird itself.  So here they are, a study in black and white:

Fields of Gold

I found this field of gold when I was out last weekend:

It was such a deep, rich golden-yellow that I could not help photographing it, even if it is just a corn field that's been mowed over.

Here's another picture to give you a little more perspective of the scene:

It seems that in this time of the year (late fall, and winter), my eye is drawn to color - any color!  So today, you get fields of gold!

Gobble Gobble

I was on the trail the other day, in a nearby forest, which led me to a meadow.  (These things happen.)  I crossed the meadow and found myself near a roadway.  I decided to walk along the road for a little way and just see what I could see.  As I began to top a little rise, I found these gobblers.

Run for the Forest!  Run!!!

They were out grazing.  Not on grass - they were looking for insects and nuts and such other delicacies as wild turkeys like to eat.  (Think "snails".)  There were four adults - probably hens - and five young ones.

I was thrilled to see them, although they dashed for the woods as fast as their meaty legs would carry them.

I circled back around the clump of brush they had headed into, but for the life of me, I could not find them again.  They are wary birds and were probably just standing there, magnificently camouflaged, and laughing at me.  (Happens to me all the time.)

Word has it that their common name, "turkey", comes from - you guessed it - the country of Turkey!  Ding!  Ding!  Ding!

It's a long story, but here's the short version.  When Europeans first saw this native American bird, it reminded them of a different but similar bird that they had seen in Europe, which had been imported either from or through the country of Turkey.  At least that's the story in the 'hood.

A Buck Rub

In the fall, bucks rub their antlers on trees, leaving behind a scent message as well as a visual indicator that says, "Hey!  I'm in this area - don't mess with me!

A buck rub

It also says to the ladies, "Hey, Baby!  I'm in the area - call me maybe!"

Gray Squirrel on a Gray Day

Saw this little fellow during a chilly walk yesterday.  He was way up in a tree, and probably taking the brunt of a lot more blustery wind than I was down on the ground.  Of course - he had a genuine fur coat, and I didn't.

Here's a close up.  I love how you can see his little claw.

Cold Feet

I have always wondered how it is that birds don't have their feet frozen off in the winter, from the frigid temperatures in the air or water, or from the metallic objects upon which they sometimes perch.

As it turns out, their legs and feet have special scales that help conserve heat loss.  Also, sometimes the veins and arteries in a bird's legs sit side by side, transferring heat from one to another.

Of course sometimes a bird can just sit on their feet to help warm them as well.

Evening Hawk

I went hiking recently, in the afternoon.  It threatened rain, but did not deliver.  That was good.  But as my hikes usually go, I explored longer than originally intended.  I clammered up over a hilltop fully expecting to emerge in a certain meadow of which I know, and was surprised to realize that I was somewhere else.  Oh.

Luckily, the forest where I was walking is small enough that there was no danger I could ever really become lost, and I bushwhacked my way along the ridge and across a ravine.  I knew the sun would soon begin to set, and that, along with an already overcast sky, made the woods rather dreary.  At last I crossed a power line and came out in the right place.

Because I was in a hurry to cross the large meadow and avoid as many burrs and thistles as possible, my focus was no longer on looking for birds to photograph.  As a result, I missed seeing a large hawk that must have been perched very near to me, working on getting his last meal before nightfall.

As I "swam" through the tall grasses, I thought I saw something moving out of the very corner of my eye.  I almost disregarded it, but turned to check.  That's when I saw a very large bird flapping across the meadow, having just lifted off from a nearby tree. A hawk!

I had put my lens cap back on my lens, in order to keep it clear from the dust and bits of brittle plant material that can always be a problem.  As a result, I lost precious seconds removing it as the hawk flew past me.  I turned to track its flight and shot wildly.  (My personal mantra is, "Always take the shot.")

My photos are not great, but I was still pleased with them, because as you will see below, you can tell exactly what kind of bird this is.

This hawk was moving fast!

Having had his evening hunt disturbed by a bumbling human who made more noise than a heard of elephants and scared all the field mice away from miles around, this hawk quit the meadow for better hunting grounds.

So there you have it - my first red-tailed hawk where you can actually see the telltale red tail!  Compared to my usual sparrows and finches and cardinals, this was some pretty big game and I left the meadow with my heart soaring.  What a cool encounter!

Morning Starling

I caught this starling at the very top of a tree just as the sun was coming up.  He was up there basking in the first rays of sunlight.  I didn't blame him for being an opportunist like that.  It was a chilly morning at 21 degrees.

The starling's white spots are a dominate feature in the winter

Starlings, also called European starlings, have an iridescent or metallic sheen.  Their scientific name, Sturnus vulgaris comes from the Latin meaning "starling common".

They are noisy birds, and can take sounds from their environment, even man-made sounds, and incorporate them into their vocal patterns.  This one was pretty quiet as it soaked up all the warmth it could get, and if it had any anything to say, it was probably, "Brrrr!"

Morning Commute

Saw my neighbors the other day, as I pulled out of the drive.

They took time to stop and look both ways before crossing the street.

Then they hurried on their way - late for their morning commute.

My Heart Is There

Today's post is dedicated to the poem "Tadoussac" by Charles Bancroft.  It expresses so well my never-ending delight with the woods, and the hunger in my soul to be there when I must be other places instead.

I've seen the Thousand Islands

In the beauty of the dawn;

And sailed on lake Ontario,

When the shades of night were drawn,

I've wandered in Toronto,
Climbed the "Mount" at Montreal;
Run the great St. Lawrence rapids,
Where the waters swirl and fall.

I've slept up in the Chateau,
At Quebec; and known the thrill
Of rambling through the "Old Town"
And the fort upon the hill.

I've felt the sacred beauty
Of the splendor on Sag'nay;
The warmth of homespun blankets
That were made at Murray Bay.

But in my soul's a hunger
Once again for Tadoussac;
The endless fascination
Of its quaintness draws me back.

I hear again the mission bell
That calls the folks to prayer;
And as I walk the city streets
My heart is with them there.

Sycamore Leaves

Gigantic sycamore leaves are littering the forest floor right now.

The come in a variety of colors.

Some are as big as dinner plates!

Daddy Longlegs

Daddy longlegs are spiders.  That's the name that my family, friends and neighbors always used for them, anyway, but some people also call them granddaddy longlegs or harvestmen.  What do you call them?

They don't spin webs, and contrary to popular urban legends, they cannot poison you - no, not even if they were able to bite you between your toes where your skin is reportedly the softest.  (Check out snopes.com for more information on this, if you don't believe me:  http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/longlegs.asp .)

They are still kind of creep, however, when they are in your house or in your tent at summer camp.  I have known them to strike fear into the hearts of otherwise perfectly normal and mentally sound people.

Interesting fact - if their legs get cut or torn off, they still jiggle and move afterwards.  Don't let that freak you out next time you come upon just such carnage!

What Does the Fox Say?

"Big blue eyes

Pointy nose....

Chasing mice

And digging holes.

Tiny paws

Up the hill

Suddenly you're standing still."*

"But there's one sound

That no one knows...

What does the fox say?"*

"The secret of the fox

ancient mystery

Somewhere deep in the woods

I know you're hiding

What is your sound?

Will we ever know?

Will always be a mystery

What do you say?"*

"Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!"*

Rare view of my favorite fox!

*These lyrics are excerpted from the wildly popular - we might even say viral - song, "What Does the Fox Say" by Ylvis, which became a YouTube sensation in September 2013.

Up a Tree

Saw this creature in the back yard one morning last winter:

I couldn't tell what it was for sure, through the window.  I grabbed my camera and snuck quietly into the back yard.  When I got there, the creature was still up in the tree.

I zoomed in on it with my lens.  That's when I realized that it was our wild cat perched there.  She must have been scared up the tree by one of the two bully cats (also wild) that roam the neighborhood.

We "adopted" her about three years ago, when she came into the yard to eat some bits of bread we had thrown out for the birds.  Hers is a sad story, and maybe I will tell it sometime, but not today.

So - I didn't take this picture while out on a hike, but since she is "wild" and it is the day before Halloween, I thought I would include post these pictures today!  

Pennies from Heaven

I was walking along the river last month and came across a bright, shiny penny just laying on the sand.  It was inches from the water, and there were no footprints around it - only some animal tracks.

This was at an undeveloped stretch of river, far from sidewalks and parking lots.  It is a place where I have never seen another hiker, although I have come across their footprints every now and then.

I wondered if it had it been buried there before, and only just now come to light due to erosion.  But no, that could not be.  It was too clean, and was not partially buried.

When I told people about it, one person suggest that maybe a crow had dropped it there.  They are said to like shiny things.  Maybe that could be, but there wasn't an indentation in the sand, as if it had been dropped.

 It was resting on the top grains of sand - a shiny, new 2013 penny.

I picked it up, and have carried it with my in my camera bag ever since.  It wasn't a part of the natural world, and it wasn't an artifact from history, so I believe this was in keeping with Leave No Trace principles.  Plus, I liked it.  It was unusual.  And I felt that it meant something, but I didn't know what.

Then, last week, a friend mentioned to me something about angels from heaven leaving pennies for people.  I had never heard about this before, but the idea is that angels watch over us, and sometimes show their presence by leaving pennies in our paths.

I believe in angels, and I think that they might often be family members who have passed on before us.  I don't know if they leave pennies for sure, but I believe that God can speak to us in many ways.  And once I heard that story, I thought of my mom who passed away last year.  I don't know if she left that penny for me to find, but I do like to think that she looks in on me now and then.

Sunrise on the River

I only had forty-five minutes yesterday, to get in a walk.  I was a woman with a mission!  I hurried to a nearby park and jumped out of the car.  Brrrr!  I threw my coat on, grabbed my camera, and hustled into the woods.

It was so dark, my camera didn't want to take good pictures.  I switched it to its "night" setting but  I knew that wouldn't last.  Once the sun decides to come up, it races over the edge of the world.

Two rabbits flashed across my path, only visible by their tails.

Coming into a cleaning, I looked back and saw the sun lighting up the sky with a beautiful display of color.

The river slapped noisily against some downed trees on the shore.  It was either that, or some unseen monster schlepping its way out of the water.  I went with the first idea, and moved on.

I found a new campfire along the trail.  Someone had built rocks up in a half circle to protect their fire from the wind off the river.  A tin cans remained among the ashes.  And mysteriously, a yellow rag hung in the trees.

As I walked back along the shore, that magical moment happened where the day changed from early dawn to daylight.  The river was flooded with a perfect, golden light - the kind that makes all your photographs beautiful!  I rejoiced in the moment.