Solitary Spotted Sandpiper

It's always so fun running across an unexpected bird.  It was a treat to spot this spotted sandpiper and get a few pictures of him.

You can tell it is breeding season for him by the clearly visible spots on his belly and his orange beak.

Note the big, round tummy on this one, and the white streak above the eye.  These are typical features of the spotted sandpiper.  

They are often a solitary wanderers on the shores rivers and ponds.

Pelican Serenity

I took these pictures on a chilly, overcast day, as two pelicans were swimming between the bands of shadow cast by the walls of a canal.  I like their serenity in the midst of "troubled" waters.

Canada Goose - Branta Canadensis

Here is a Canada goose.

Sometimes they are informally called Canadian Geese.

The term "branta" from their scientific name, Branta canadensis, refers to the prominent black coloring that waterfowl in this species have.

Male Red-winged Blackbird

I'm on a roll with these redwings!  Here is another:

All dressed up in his fancy duds!

This one was photographed at Pigeon Creek Park in Bettendorf, Iowa.  This park is unknown to many residents and is a hidden gem, tucked away is it is behind some industrial businesses.  But what a lovely place to take a walk along a relatively undisturbed stretch of the river.

Female Red-winged Blackbird

It is always a special thrill to get a good shot of a female red-winged blackbird.  They are very coy and I was so happy this picture turned out!

The females are the nest builders.  They secure their cup-shaped nests to branches and defend them against all comers.  They may be drab in color compared to their male counterparts, but they are just as fabulous on the hunt and in caring for their nestlings.

Ring Leader

Ducks in the Artwork

Look At Me!

It would be hard not to notice the big personality that male red-winged blackbirds have, with their flashy shoulders and loud, constant calls.  

They crave standing out in the crowd, and love perching on elevated vantage points where they can SEE, and BE SEEN.  

Not much slips past them as the take commanding positions overlooking their domains, and letting everyone else in the vicinity know that it IS their domain.

They are unaware of how little they are, compared to most other creatures on the earth.  They simply feel that everything is theirs and they will tell you all about it, especially if you get too close.

These photos were taken in the spring, when the males are rounding up females to mate with.  

They are clearly saying, "NOTICE MEEE!"

Their scientific name is Agelaius phoeniceus.  The first part indicates belonging to a flock of birds, and the second part means "red".  There you have it!

White Heath Asters

These are white heath asters.

They grow in old pastures and abandoned fields, and bloom in the fall of the year. 

They are also known as frost asters, due to their color, and as white prairie asters, and as the many-flowered aster.

Domestic Roses

I had the pleasure of seeing these beautiful domestic roses out at our local scout camp.

They were pruned in August, and were blooming like crazy in late October.

I love the splash of color, and had to share!  :)

Rage Against the Dying of the Light

I do not understand all of Dylan Thomas's poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night", but somehow the words of that poem came to mind as I walked the autumn woods and saw the season dying.  Everything is folding up, shrinking, and blowing away.

When I saw these weeds standing bright and tall in the woods, I thought how they blazed with glory in the afternoon light, arms stretched up in a show of defiance.  They are not going gentle into the night of winter, but are standing fast against the wind and frost.

It cheered me to see it, and reminded me that I, too, can rage against the dying light as we go into the darkest season of the year, where the minutes of daylight shrink at an alarming rate.  I can get out and take walks and keep my thoughts elevated, and focus on the joys of life even as the world is slowly wrapped in the darkness of winter.  It will be a long traverse, but I know that in February and March, life will spring anew and everything will bud and be beautiful again!

Bull Frog

Bull Frogs are large frogs, with a call that gives them their name.  

Their backs and upper sides are olive green in color.  Females are bigger than males.

Their eardrums (tympani) are easy to see.  They are the circular marks behind the eyes.  On a female, the eardrums are about the same size as the eye, while on a male the tympani are bigger.

Their bellies are lighter in color with yellow spots.

Their upper lip is olive green while their lower lip is often lighter.

Bull Frogs can grow up to a pound or more, and are hunted for their back legs.  They are most often a source of food in the southern United States.

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfishers have been on my bucket list for a long time.  They are such fast birds, racing up and down the river banks, that I had never gotten one on film.  I've had three confirmed sightings that I can recall, but they've but they all darted away before I could even raise my camera.

But now I have finally photographed one.  All I have to share with you is this photo:

Kingfishers view their pray from perches above the water

That is a kingfisher.  You can tell from the silhouette.  It has an over-large head with a crest, long pointed beak, and a kind of protruding, barrel chest.  It has a wide band of white around its neck - hence the term "belted".  It alighted on this channel buoy down from Lock & Dam 14, and was off again in a flash.

Interesting facts:

• They burrow in the ground
• They regurgitate pellets, similar to owls
• Females are more brightly-colored than males

Their scientific name is Megaceryle alcyon.  Remind you of any words you already know?  Mega, of course, means huge. Here's the rest of the story.

"Ceryle" comes from Ceyx, a minor god in Greek mythology,  He was married to Alcyon, who lends her name to this bird species as well.  They angered Zeus by calling each other by the pet names of Zeus and Hera.  Zeus blasted Ceyx's boat at sea.  When Alcyon heard of her husband's death, she cast herself into the ocean.  Other gods took pity on them and turned them into the mythological halcyon birds, who built floating nests on the sea during the two weeks period of calm at the winter solstices.

When you break halcyon down further, "hal" is related to the sea and salt, as in halite (rock salt), while "kyon" is related to the idea of conception.

Porch Decorations

Whoever lives here has put out some lovely autumn decorations!

Taking Flight

Was lucky enough to see this Great Egret the other day, and took these pictures of it taking flight.  Watching it was a marvel.  No wonder mankind has always been fascinated with flight!

Beautiful Decay

These mushrooms are quickly decaying but I thought they were still amazingly beautiful:

Serenity

Serenity:  Serene, calm, tranquil ...

composed, collected, peaceful.

Flying High

I took a glorious river walk after work and was treated to the sight of this eagle:

I believe this is a year-round resident and one that I've seen before.  

I was walking along the shore when I heard a rustling overhead.  I looked up and it flew over my head and up over the river.

Evening Primrose

You have probably heard of evening primrose oil, and all of its wonderful benefits - from aiding skin conditions to lowering blood pressure to helping reduce cramping and breast tenderness in women.  Here's the source of that oil:

Visually, this wildflower really comes into its own in the fall, when its pretty yellow blossoms stand out against the dead and dying grasses around it.

It's a biennial plant, like mullein.  In its first year, it forms leaves close to the ground, in a rosette.  During the second year, the stems grow quite tall ( 6 feet or more) and the blossoms appear, as in this stand that Hyperion is examining, below:

Evening primrose has distinctive, barrel-shaped seed pods, which spiral their way up the stalk like little stair steps.

Another identifying feature is the color of the buds.   They are first green, and then take on a rusty color before blooming.

Parts of the plant are edible, but do your homework first!  Some people are allergic to compounds in the plant.  

The blossoms open in the evening, hence its common name.  The blossoms apparently give off a lemon scent but I did not notice that at the time I took these pictures.  The blossoms open in the evening, hence this plant's common name.

To see very cool videos of blossoms opening in real time, check out this website for Yosemite National Park: 

 http://www.yosemitehikes.com/wildflowers/evening-primrose/evening-primrose.htm

The scientific name Oenothera refers to wine generally.  I read that this name means everything from "wine-scented" to "wine-imbibing".  The jury is also still out on whether this is truly a native species.  Some claim it originated in Europe, but this seems unlikely.

Mother Wood Ducks

Please note:  THE PHOTO IN THIS POST IS NOT MINE.

It was taken from the Wood Duck Society page, at http://www.woodducksociety.com/qanda.htm .  Please visit that website if you would like to learn more about wood ducks.
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Wood ducks make their nests in holes in trees and in wood duck boxes built especially for them.  They like to nest near the edges of ponds.  Mother wood ducks lay about 15 eggs in one brood.  Their babies are able to swim within 24 hours of hatching.

Photo taken from the Wood Duck Society page, at http://www.woodducksociety.com/qanda.htm .

When the time is right, and after checking for nearby predators, the mother wood duck calls to her babies from the ground or the water underneath their nest.  She uses a particular call, and they leap from their nest like fuzzy little paratroopers.  Depending on the height of the nest, they may jump from 50 feet or more.  They land near their mother, and never return to the nest again.

Ducklings face many predators. Even before hatching they are subject to raccoon and snake attacks.  In the water they are gobbled up by large fish and snapping turtles.  On land, they are prey to mink, fox, and owl.  A mother wood duck keeps a weather eye out for dangers and will quickly lead the ducklings away into tall grasses to hide. Sometimes she will even feign injury to lead predators away from her young.

In 60 or 70 days, the ducklings that are left alive are able to fly.  That's not a very long time to teach these young ones all they need to know to face the world successfully.

If they survive this precarious beginning, they still face the threat of duck hunters who employ powerful tactics to call them in and woo them with promises of safety among a floating flock of decoys.  Wood ducks are one of the most popular game birds in North America.  So - yeah, a rough beginning and no easy life.  They have to be on their guard all the time.  

As I researched wood ducks, I was struck by the correlation between mother wood ducks and those of us trying to help young people grow up in this world.  While baby wood ducks can swim soon after hatching, they are still novices in the wider world and subject to many dangers of which they have no knowledge or experience.  In the same way, young people leave home at tender ages.  They are equipped with many abilities but are not always aware of potential dangers around them.  They don't yet have the experiences that we older folks have.

Like the mother wood duck, we parents, aunties and uncles, grandparents and youth leaders can call to them and invite them to follow us on safe paths.  We can raise the alarm when dangers threaten.  And we can do our best to help them sail in safe waters. 

We have a distinct advantage over our feathered friends, too.  We have a Heavenly Father who knows and loves us, and who knows the beginning from the end.  He knows the plans He has made for us.  Through prayer, and personal revelation, we can receive inspiration on how to help these young ones leave the nest and thrive.  Life will not always be easy, but when we rely on the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will have a sure foundation to lead them along. 

End Band Net Wing Beetle

Here's an End Band Net Wing - just another beautifully colored beetle of the deciduous forest:

Each antenna is jagged, like a saw blade.  These are harmless insects.  I loved the colors of this one against the nondescript gravel.

American Toad

This is an American Toad.

You can tell because it has warts on top of each spot on its back. This is a most common variety of toad in North America, and one that most people are familiar with.

The species name for the American Toad is Anaxyrus americanus.

Anaxyrus is a from Greek.   "Anax" stands for king, and "yrus" may stand for tail.  (That's the best I can tell you, based on the research I've done.)

Toads don't have tails as adults, but they do as tadpoles.  Americanus is from Latin, meaning America, of course.

By the way, toads do not give you warts!

Running Deer

Here are a couple of pictures of a running deer I took last weekend:

Must have heard that my friend Art was in town, and wanted to get well off the roads before he came by!