Beauty

I was looking through my photo archives recently and came across many spring and summer images that I had never posted before. I hope these colorful photographs brighten your day!

~ Identification corrections are always welcome ~

The beauty of a Common Checkered Skipper

A pretty Viceroy Butterfly delights in wildflower blossoms

The stunning wing pattern of a Common Buckeye

A large Black and Yellow Argiope wraps its prey

An American Painted Lady explores wildflower blooms

A pollen dusted American Hover Fly sits atop golden flowers

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is attracted to the bright purple blossoms of the Tall Ironweed plant

A Hickory Tussock Caterpillar inches along the edge of a leaf

A Great Spangled Fritillary alits upon Butterfly Milkweed

A Calico Pennant Dragonfly perches upon lush green ground cover

A lovely Monarch Butterfly lands in a field of golden flowers

Dew drops on a stray downy feather

Swooning over a Spoonbill

I am so very happy to finally be putting out a blog post! This summer blogging has taken a back seat to more pressing matters. Building our new home in Indiana has been a priority over the last few months. Bruce and his crew have been working diligently on the construction and the house is really starting to take shape. Though most of our time has been spent in the country working on the house, we have yet to acquire internet service. I have greatly missed reading all of your beautiful blogs, writing comments and putting out posts of my own. Most importantly and sadly, my wonderful Dad passed away at the beginning of August. It has been a difficult time for me and my family, but we have taken great comfort in all the kindness, support and generosity from family and friends.

I recently spent a few days in Longboat Key, Florida. Though the trip was not for pleasure, I managed to find a couple of minutes here and there to venture out with my camera. The highlight of my outings was finally being able to view a Roseate Spoonbill from a close distance. Over the past few years I have been enamoured by this elusive blushed pink bird. Until recently I was only able to catch a passing glimpse of a spoonbill. Oh what a joy it was to observe this cool bird with the odd shaped bill. This post features photographs of lovely feathered friends seen on my recent visit to Longboat Key and a few from past trips.

A splendid sight ~ Roseate Spoonbill

 

 

One of many Northern Mockingbirds seen on Longboat Key

 

 

The stunning plumage of a Tricolored Heron

 

 

A striking Great Egret seeks prey in the shallows

 

 

Soaking up the morning sun ~ Turkey Vulture

 

 

A statuesque Great Blue Heron has hunting success

 

 

Two pretty Willets spend a late afternoon at the beach

 

 

Looking out over Sarasota Bay ~ Snowy Egret

A beautiful White Ibis forages for food in the pond

 

 

A common sight on Longboat Key ~ Osprey

 

 

Drying feathers amongst the mangrove leaves ~ Anhinga

 

 

One last look at the Roseate Spoonbill

 

 

A Mother's Work is Never Done

Currently we have seven nestboxes placed on our country property. One is being used by a beautiful Eastern Bluebird couple. They have already raised one successful brood and are in the process of feeding their second crew. Two other nestboxes are occupied by House Wrens. One day, while tending to the fruit trees in the orchard, I noticed a very loquacious wren constantly bringing insects to the nestlings in one of the bird houses. She did not seem to mind my presence so I gathered up my camera and tripod to capture a few photographs of the goings-on at the wren house. My, what a busy parent she is! I observed her tending to the nestlings for about 45 minutes. Fascinated by her parenting skills, I returned the next day and snapped away for another 45 minutes. All the photographs were taken in the middle of the day where harsh sunlight does not make for great images, but I hope you find the series interesting.

Crickets must be plentiful and quite tasty, as I watched the House Wren feed lots of these insects to the nestlings

A Crane fly became the unfortunate prey for one fortunate wren nestling

Disposing of the fecal sac is one of the House Wrens many duties. A fecal sac is a mucous membrane that surrounds the feces of some nesting birds. Having it contained in a sac allows for easier waste removal from the nest.

I observed the wren bring back more spiders to the nest than any other insect

The little wren found lots of Daddy-long-legs to feed to her babies

The adult wren would most often fly to the top of the roof and scan the surrounding area before entering the house with the prey

A real treat, two insects at once!

Another Daddy-long-legs makes for a nutritious meal

I marvel at the variety of insects brought to the tiny, begging nestlings

All that food makes for lots of waste. The parent wren has more poop to dispose of.

Younger nestlings get fed soft-bodied bugs and caterpillars. When they grow larger, hard-shelled insects such as grasshoppers are served.

A leggy snack for one of the hungry nestlings

A mother's work is never done

Spring Brings ...

The first day of spring is only one week away. This post contains photographs from my archives featuring several birds I am looking forward to seeing over the coming spring season.

Beautiful Yellow Warblers will soon flutter about the marsh area at the back of our property

I've already spotted many American Robins hopping through the grass seeking sustenance

Tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets are always a delight to observe

Pretty Yellow-rumped Warblers will soon fill the trees

One of the most lovely birds I have ever seen ~ Blackburnian Warbler

This stunning Prothonotary Warbler was a life bird for me last year

The the high-pitched song of Common Yellowthroats will soon fill the marsh

Rusty capped Palm Warblers will be passing through on their way to Canada

I am looking forward to the arrival of diminutive Ruby-throated Hummingbirds during the month of April

Resplendent Black-throated Green Warblers briefly visit the Chicago area during spring migration

Eastern Bluebird  ~ We already have a few bluebird couples checking out several of the nest boxes on our property ~ Last year, one pair raised three successful broods in the same nest box

Backyard Birds

During the cold winter months, plenty of feathered friends visit our backyard for tasty treats and a refreshing sip of water. Black oil sunflower seeds and suet cakes seem to be the most popular snacks. Below are photographs of several birds that have visited our backyard throughout the winter season.

A beautiful Tufted Titmouse selects from many sunflower seeds

Blue Jays seem to favor sunflower seeds, dried corn and unsalted roasted peanuts

White-breasted Nuthatches are quite fond of suet cakes and a variety of seeds

A lovely Dark-eyed Junco samples the seed selection on the ground

Downy Woodpeckers can be seen quite regularly nibbling on suet cakes

 Northern Cardinals visit our feeders most often at dusk. They can't get enough of the fatty sunflower seeds.

Red-bellied Woodpecker ~ These noisy birds fly clumsily in and eagerly feeds on sunflower seeds, corn and suet cakes

Delightful Black-capped Chickadees are the most common of our backyard visitors

Male Northern Cardinal most always arrive accompanied by a mate and  other cardinal couples

Quick moving Red-breasted Nuthatches have been frequent visitors to our feeders this year. Suet cakes and sunflower seeds are their snacks of choice. 

I recently saw a Pileated Woodpecker flying about the area where many of our bird feeders hang. Though the photograph is blurry, I was thrilled to finally snap a shot of one of these shy interesting birds (photograph taken in November)

Tufted Titmouse ~ Delicious!