Nothing to do but sleep

An icy day on the sound.  Small pools of moving water are filled with ducks and geese, and most are sleeping.  These swans are having a nap right on the ice.

An unusual situation

Our osprey pair successfully raised three young this season, a first for them.  We have watched them come along; being fed and growing in a fever pitch, covered in the rain and sun by the adults, trying out the wings and flying to our boathouse on those first flights.  They are trying out their water skills, plopping down in the drink and pulling themselves out and shaking off the excess.  Three young birds provide plenty to watch.
By this time in the progression, Mama osprey is bringing fish and feeding just a bit.  Papa has all but disappeared.  The young are big enough to eat a fish on their own.
The unusual situation?  Yesterday a fourth young osprey appeared on the nest.  Was it lost, abandoned, lonely?  In any case it was fairly well accepted by the younger crew.  Mama had a problem when she came around with a fish.  She screamed and screamed ... like something wasn't right.  But the fourth did not leave.
This morning the fourth was gone but by  five p.m. today it was back.  We watched as Mama delivered a fish like nothing was wrong.  Here she is coming in and the four young waiting.
The fish was given to one who soon lost it, too young to handle one so large and still kicking.  The crew was suddenly depressed and Mama flew off to fish again.
Then we got to see one of the young fly off the nest into the water and pull up a pumpkinseed ... what a   sight!  It got to eat that little fish in peace on its own away from the others.
But the fourth osprey, what a puzzle.

A winter day on the Sound

It was icy on the edges of the Sound this morning.  The chorus from the night had moved on, perhaps to feed in the wheat fields or perhaps pushed out by a hunter's boat moving through.

An mid afternoon scout found a blue heron fishing along the icy edge.

Later the skies changed and the cold moved in.  Wildfowl of all sorts started congregating along the
shoreline.  What pure pleasure to watch swans and ducks come in from all direction and settle down in the
waters.

The snow started falling and visibility was low, but I stayed out to see what would come.
I spotted a flock of ducks in the foggy, snowy horizon.  Even more Swans followed!  A perfect bird watching day on the Sound.

 

Le Pelican

Pelicans are such a marvel.  I looked back at some shots I took recently in Florida and found one to show.  Pelicans are found along the coastline here as well.  Being on the Sound, we rarely see a Pelican flying about though they are just a few miles away generally.
I love this pose, it has a very coy look about it.

Bluebills in the fog

The weather has been very mixed of late.  Cold and then warm, and plenty of fog at times.  Some recent mornings the fog was layed in thick, the ducks were staying put but the hunters had moved in anyway.
Must be a interesting trek through that early morning fog in those duck boats ...
Once the fog broke a bit, the bluebills that I could see lifted.  I love the song of the bluebills when they are together and at peace.  It has me wishing for icy weather so I can sit on the pier again and hear them sing without the push of shot on their wings.

Sleeping Ruddy

Ruddy ducks are typically the first I see in the cold weather on the open Sound.  They are so fun to watch:   they charge, chatter (a mewing sound to me), dive for food and sleep. Here is one in a watchful sleep posture. Beautiful golds against the blue water. 

The Nuthatch

I love the 'neep, neep ,neep' sounds of the Nuthatch.  Unusual, the wood is full of the nuthatch this year.  The call replaces the frogs and the cicadas; you can step outside and hear them in stereo plus!
They have found my black oil sunflower seeds and don't just eat.  They steal them away to secret places to be found later when it's cold perhaps. My sago palm will be a splendor of yellow flowers if the seeds are not retrieved from it's tight spaces!
Busy all day long, capturing seeds and plying the trees for bugs hidden in crevices.
The beak is made for digging, just the slightest little upturn. 
Here are a few pics of a nuthatch on a hackberry tree in the garden.  The bandit stripe across the eyes is so apropos for my little thief.

A few more pics from Florida

Mid day walks are not always conducive to shooting pics due to the light, but you have to carry your camera to try.

Citrus trees are common in yards, as peach trees are in my locale.  Here is a female Cardinal in a Lemon tree twisting a sunflower seed from a nearby feeder.

Along the waterfront I saw preening birds of all sorts in the afternoon sun.  Here are some Pelicans getting their feathers ship-shape.

Heading back I spotted this Snowy ( Golden Slippers!)  walking the shoreline.

The trees are full of birds that I see here in NC, and the local waters sported ducks, cormorants, kingfishers, pipers and osprey.  The osprey call was a welcome sound along with the owls hooting at night.  So much to explore,  I'm ready to take my camera back south!

A Plover in Florida

I was in north Florida of late and what did I catch but a Plover.  I think it is a Piping Plover, a protected bird that I have never seen.
It was too cute and not very spooked by our presence.

Tiny and busy.

Heron in the morning

Herons are usually seen in singular.  I recently counted 10, yes 10, fly over me in straight line formation (well, a little squiggly) and high up.  The squawk is unmistakable, the shape and wing flap as well.  I have seen four or five together before this sighting.
This morning I shot this photo of a single blue on a perch along my pier.  Once disturbed, three blues went a flying.  The others were out of my sight.

Perhaps they roosted for the night.  They are a winter regular here, so pretty when spotted on the causeway perfectly camouflaged against the marsh grass.

Making tracks

The Green Tree Frogs were everywhere and anywhere last couple weeks, perhaps the height of the season for them.  Windows, doors, plants, and everything else were full. 
When the weather starts to turn we get a fog on the windows.  The frogs continue to do their thing, but the temperature change gives us a a little treat in the morning.  We get to see the tracks of a frog chasing a bug, making it's way to better hiding place for the day, who knows?  The tracks are there.
I want a rubber stamp that looks just like these tracks.
Here are shots of  frog tracks on my kitchen door on a recent morning.  Aren't they fun?
 

A bird in the hand

Today I had the rare privilege of holding a Pine Warbler in my hands.  I was sweeping away the green and yellow leaves from my door and caught a glimpse of a clump (even got a peep!).  I just swept a bird!  I scooped it up and held it for about 20 minutes.  Most likely stunned from hitting the glass storm door, it did not object to my hands or my cooing.  I couldn't leave it for my camera, I just soaked it in and warmed it.  It did fly from my hands and as I clapped in celebration I realized I needed to wash my hands good.   :)

The photo has nothing to do with my little story, but here is a male Kingfisher from a couple days ago.  The battles for territory have been great this past week.  This shot is closely cropped, these birds are hard to catch with the camera and I could never imagine one in my hands.
The migrants such as the Warblers and the residents such as the Kingfisher are all welcome and every view is new and different.  But a bird in the hand is simply incredible.

Pensive frog

Headed out the door this morning just as the rain began I spotted this little one on my rocks.  It has a very serious look which I thought 'pensive'.  Just google 'pensive frog' and you will find me in good company.

My pensive frog is sending a message, perhaps 'leave me alone'.  The look says it all , no?

The blue ones

"The blue ones are very good you know,"  this little tree frog seems to say as he finishes his morning meal of damsel fly.  I was surprised to find one eating in the morning. They are typically sleeping or positioning a spot to manage the heat of the day.

Swallowtail with no tail

Here is the Red-spotted Purple Swallowtail.  It has all the look of a typical swallowtail without the long tails on the hind wings.

This one has the specific Eastern US characteristic of the red orange spots on the forward wing top edges.
The underside has plenty of red spots and is a show on it's own.

So pretty, especially so on my Beauty Berry bush.

Leopard frogs

Maybe the wet summer brought them in, but we are loaded with Leopard frogs.  They are especially fond of the herbs and greens.  Just walk by and they start jumping!

Here is one trying to bury itself in the cool soil of an empty bed.  Maybe just for the day, like a mud bath at a spa!

And another in the bed of Field Crest.  My herbs and greens are frog approved!

Butterflies

So busy this morning, but I made it out to dead head my flowers before lunch time.  I was so captivated by the sheer numbers of butterflies that I traded in my clippers for my camera.

Skippers, the large swallow tails, fritillaries, painted ladies, sulfurs and more!  Newest fav is the long tailed skipper shown below.  Gorgeous blue back on this large skipper!

I have so many zinnias, a result from regular dead heading of the flowers through the summer.

A swallowtail hangs on the salvia.

Another sits on a bright zinnia.

 Two battle out for this pink zinnia's offerings.

So many swallowtails!  And of course the fall standard, the sulfur, on my false dragons..

Seagull Time

I know the season is changing because the birds are changing.  Ospreys have long fledged and moved on, Crows that love the Osprey fish scrap are plying other opportunities.  Grackles, Barn Swallows, and Blackbirds are no longer heard.  The high perch is still visited by a Kingfisher, a year round resident.  Today it was occupied by a Seagull.  The Seagulls are absent in the summer but show up in the fall, probably scavenging far and wide from the regular course.
Large gulls fly in and you look hard trying to make out an Osprey that is not there, an Egret that no longer moves back and forth across the sound. 
When the Gulls show up Fall is nigh.  They are here.  On the bright side my winter favorites are planning their trip down.  I can't wait to hear the honks!

The New Kids!

The young male hummers are feeling their 'wheaties', so to speak.  The fighting or play fighting has begun.  I have a feeder at my kitchen window and my breakfast was served with a live play of sword fighting, bump and run,  and plenty of tiny screams!
I ventured out just to make sure the other feeder was full (it was) so I found a hiding spot nearby to try to catch a few shots.
Near the kitchen window is a flower garden.  I caught this young male resting between bouts on the climbing rose.

You can see a few red feathers poking through, he's a fine mess! Here's a crop.

The view through the vines.

Lavender

I've been growing Lavender for a few years.  Letting the bees enjoy and cutting stems for friends.  It spreads! and I needed to do something with the lavender besides letting it just go!  I harvested it in the dried stage for use in sachet.  (I let it dry on the live stem after the flowering.)
The fragrance is super powerful.
I am making sachet packets out of cotton for my lavender.  And of course I am painting them up, what else I  would do?  The packets are about 4.5 inches square, filled with about 2 heaping tablespoons of dried lavender, hand painted!, and with a ribbon loop for hanging if you want.

A closer look at one of my favs, the sandpiper!

I need to grow more lavender!  I have more ideas for painting that I do dried lavender.