birdwatching – The Hermits' Rest

That’s Better! Birds and Plants and Peace

At last! I have my stamina back. I can walk as far as I want to and not start panting. So I did that today. I walked a lot.

This Dusky Blue Groundstreak butterfly has a fake head and wiggling fake antennae on its back side. Clever.

Here at Brazos Bend State Park, I investigated some of the bends, horseshoe lakes created by creeks and rivers when they change course. This morning I crossed Big Creek to check out Hale Lake, which has a cool path that loops inside the horseshoe. The paths aren’t very well maintained, but there have been so many hurricanes and such lately that aesthetics may not be a priority. The ancient benches and gazebos still work.

Anyway. Even the many, many recently downed trees didn’t detract from how pleasant the walk was and how pretty the views were.

This is a White-striped Longtail, a skipper butterfly. It’s so graceful when flying.

I enjoyed many birds, especially a pair of garrulous Kingfishers who had a lot to say to each other. It was a nice break from the incessant cawing of the crows, starting before daybreak.

It was just great to take my time and check out new plants and scenery. It’s so good to go into discovery mode and let the pressing issues of the day slip by. Peace. Ah.

I can open my eyes to amazing sights, like sedges growing out of a log in the lake.

After I got back, Lee and I went for a drive around the area where he came from. There are many pretty parts, but so many industrial complexes. I don’t think I’d want to live there just from all the chemicals in the air.

But we did find some bird sanctuaries and interesting wildlife areas to explore.

The path I went down at the wildlife management area we found was not being maintained any longer. How did I know? An immense oak tree blocked my passage. It’s probably from the most recent storm.

Back at Brazos Bend, I checked out the next lake on my list, Elm Lake. It’s made from a dam, I think. This was late afternoon, so the light was pretty. I was delighted by the number of new water plants I found.

However, I was practically overwhelmed by the number of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying off to roost. Those are some loud and strange birds.

In addition to more Anhingas, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, herons, and egrets, I had a real-life Tippi Hedren moment. I heard noises in the swamp, which got louder and louder. I realized it was a huge flock of grackles making its way toward the lake. They were sneaky, not flying together in a murmuration, but going slowly from tree to tree until they were above me. Eek.

So I moved on, and found the swampy area where the birds roost. The herons were really pretty.

But then it got creepy again. An owl started hooting (Barred Owl), and odd sounds that were not from birds began. First there was a bullfrog. I’m okay with those. Then an alligator. It was far away. Then something else.

About that time a man who was obviously a birder showed up (camera, binoculars, birding hat). I asked him what he thought the sound was. Feral hogs. Yep. Once he proposed that it made sense.

There’s a flying heron and a duck in ia tree in this image.

We left, but had a nice chat until I turned to find Lee, who had met me in the parking lot, because the sun was setting. I was glad.

Well, I packed a lot of fun into today!

Best Birding at Home Ever!

Today was misty and damp, plus I had a lot on my plate between work and chores. Still, the time I did manage to steal time for firing up Merlin Bird ID and listening to/looking for birds paid off big time. I just knew I’d see cool birds this spring, eventually.

I can’t bury the lead: look who helped me feed the horses and shovel poop this evening! It’s a yellow-headed blackbird! Whoa! It was quite friendly and just hung around as I did chores (I was hyperventilating that I saw what I thought I saw).

Very cool migrant I welcomed from Mexico.

The morning was equally exciting. I heard a weird sound when I was out feeding chickens. Then I recalled Lee saying he’d heard something that sounded like a heron, but not like our usual ones. Sure enough, it was a green heron.

You can’t see it, but they were by this pond.

Actually, I saw them flying and realized it was a pair. We have them sometimes, so it wasn’t a big surprise, but the amount of calling these guys did helped cement the sound of green herons in my mind. They went on all day, I think.

Another bird was giving a concert as well. The great crested flycatcher had come up before, and I always figured Merlin had it confused with our common (yet breathtaking) scissor tail flycatchers.

However, the pair (or more) in the woods today sounded distinctly different from their showy cousins. I could tell exactly where they were, because they were calling repeatedly, but I only got a glimpse of two of them changing trees.

But wait, there’s more. Also among the cacophony (of course with cardinals, wrens, titmice, and woodpeckers), was another cool bird. I sure wish I’d seen the yellow-breasted chat, though hearing it was interesting enough. This is another bird I thought might have been identified in error, but when it repeatedly registered and I became able to pick it out, I believed it.

Even if you aren’t a birder, you can see why I was pretty happy with today’s variety—39 birds in all, even without all the winter sparrows. There was a gray catbird in the mix, too, and I almost got a photo of it!

I did get an excellent photo of an orange blister beetle, though.

In mammal news, the painkillers seem to be working on Apache. He had the gumption to try to get away when I came at him with his medication. And he’s eating more, too. The other horses are so good. They hang out with him a lot so he isn’t too lonely.

Oh, one more bit of bird news: there’s a harrier nest in Sara’s part of the ranch! That was exciting to me, since they’re my favorite raptor. Now, please enjoy some flowers.

Let’s Get Positive!

What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?

Now this is a good question! It’s been quite a challenging year, but the good stuff has been huge. I’m actually doing very well, considering. And here’s why.

Bonus: cool skies, like this sun dog this morning, Thank you, Nature.

Progress with Horsemanship: I’ve gotten to where I can ride Drew, at least on many days. And Apache and I have made so much progress that I can’t stop smiling when I think of it. My nerves are better and he feels better, which is such a great combination.

He’s un-learning a lifetime of holding his head high.

Learning about Birds: I gave the Cornell Ornithology Lab a nice donation this year, because the improvements in the Merlin Bird ID app have made this bird lover know so much more about what lives here at the Hermits’ Rest and wherever I visit. I feel like I have familiar friends everywhere I go now, even with eight similar sparrows here at once.

Since I got no bird pictures today, here’s a Red Admiral I saw in my meditation tree.

Camping in Seneca: one of the best things about this year has been going camping with Lee. It’s been wonderful for our relationship to get away and spend time together (when I’m not hiking solo). He sure loves to drive that thing.

Making Mental Peace with My Family: I’ve worked hard at accepting the way things are with my family. I just want my son and sister happy with their choices. I’m doing much better at accepting the family members who DO talk to me just as they are. And I feel more empathy with my parents, who did the best they could. Even Mom. This kind of thing has helped bring me more peace inside.

What’s good with you? Whatever it is, hold onto it! We’re in for some bumpy times, I think.

Happy Hanukkah for my Jewish friends. It’s such a hard time, especially for those close to me.