Before the heat kept me in!
it has been about a week since I have ventured out - I just can’t take this heat! I have instead been working on all kinds of backlogged photos from outings… so hopefully sometime in the next few weeks I will be posting a big variety for you - including more from New Zealand.
This post is from my most recent outing at Ragged - I lasted about 2/3rds of my usual amount of time because the heat started to get to me so I cut my time short. It was a very still and extremely humid morning, incredibly, even the bugs were mostly too hot to bother with me.
Oh, before I begin - thank you to all of you who let me know that the mystery feather was a turkey feather! I never would have guessed that - so thank you!
Now it is time to come along with me… I started out on my usual path at Ragged and decided to set up looking at that gorgeous celery plant. I planned on just giving it a few minutes and then move on. I was about 10 feet away from the plant when I looked back up from where I had just been because I saw a flash of movement. It was the behind of a medium- sized bear heading into the woods! Never had a chance of a shot but it was sure fun to see the back end of the bear bounding into the woods. I continued the final 10 feet to my spot and had just set up when I saw a very quick flutter to see this hummingbird for a millisecond on the celery plant! The morning was off to a great start!
As soon as I took the hummingbird shot I decided to head slowly over to the second pond. As soon as I started to walk over there a slight movement caught my eye. I kept squinting trying to spot what had caught my attention when I finally spotted this beautiful black and white warbler who had just snagged part of his breakfast!
It was so much fun to spot this black and white in the wide open! As I continued along my way, a flash of yellow caught my eye!
This is the only shot I was able to capture of this gorgeous little thing! According to Merlin it says that it is a Prothonotary warbler - If it is, it is my first ever sighting and photo of one! As always please don’t hesitate to correct me if you think otherwise!
After this exciting start to the day I decided to double back and go around to the other side of the first pond where I have been having luck with Yellow Warblers… I was there no more than a few minutes when this one flew in and made this cute pose as it was scratching its feathers! Just love the almost completely upside down head!
After this quick success I decided to double back again and head towards the second pond - I was just following my instincts! As soon as I was on the backside of the first pond - a Solitary Sandpiper (not the Spotted Sandpiper of a few days earlier) flew in for a quick stop!
Finally, I made may way to the second pond and heard the very beautiful song of the Chestnut-sided warbler! I could not spot him and he was sooo close! I set up and kept scanning and scanning with no luck when he popped up his little head practically in front of me! :)
I also kept hearing a Tufted Titmouse so I went a little further in search of him…. and scored! Found him finding breakfast…!
A flash to my right caught my eye… I slowly moved to my right just as clouds started to cover the sun making it more difficult for me to see deeper into the trees and bushes… but I kept at it because something was definitely happening in that next layer back. Finally I spotted who was flitting around - a Cedar Waxwing was gathering lichen moss to build a nest!
I heard a beautiful song to my left and went in search of its maker… and found a Black and White warbler singing at the top of his lungs! I have never seen a Black and White singing before… wow!
“Hope is the thing with
feathers that perches in the
soul and sings the tune
without the words - and
never stops at all.”
- Emily Dickinson
After all of these amazing sightings and songs I realized that the heat was starting to get to me and it was definitely time to head back to the car. I picked up my gear and made my way slowly back along the path when a hummingbird in flight caught my eye - and she landed for a split second for this shot!
And then a flutter of movement below and to the left caught my eye - in the direction that the hummingbird was looking!
According to my phone this is the beautiful Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - no wonder the hummingbird was looking in this direction!
I will end this post with this last shot from my morning…