A multi-media account of my travels through life
The seasons are beginning to change and signs of spring abound. This lovely female American Goldfinch is showing her new spring suit, looking for a mate. I have no doubt there will be plenty of suitors. ❧
Sorry if you were expecting a blog on Wild Turkey bourbon. This is the real deal, a young Wild Turkey from Myakka River State Park. At one point in time Wild Turkeys were virtually extinct in Myakka. Hunters had decimated the abundant flocks in the early 20th Century but the bird was re-introduced and protected. It now thrives. Perhaps these birds have some genetic memory of the slaughter their ancestors endured. They are always on the move, pecking quickly at the ground, never stopping…or so it seems. It has been hard to get a good picture but this picture shows quite a bit of the beautiful coloring on these birds. ❧
Tango and I got out to Myakka River State Park yesterday and had an excellent hike along Fox’s Low Road. Spring is definitely springing here in Florida. The oak trees have that lovely spring green color, wild flowers can be found and, as you can see from the photo, the blueberries have started to produce their fruit. From blossom to fruit is about 4-6 weeks, so these bushes will be ready to feed the birds when it is time to fly back north. What a marvel nature is. ❧
One of my favorite “Florida birds” is the Cattle Egret. I put that “Florida birds” in quotations because this bird is in no way exclusive to Florida. It is found just about everywhere on the globe, rather like the Great Blue Heron. It is thought to have originated in Asia which is a long way from Florida. But I associate this bird with Florida because it was so ubiquitous when I was growing up. In those days Sarasota County had lots of pastures and lots of cattle. These little beauties were always in evidence. Sometimes they would be perched on the cow, picking bugs from the cow’s back or up near the cow’s ear. The cows seemed content with this arrangement and why not? Florida bugs can be very irritating.
This particular Cattle Egret was a long way from a pasture (although several decades ago it was grazing land). It was in a parking lot, using a car as a wind shield. The wind was wicked yesterday and it was cold by Florida standards. This little guy was smart to take a breather — on the leeward side and in the sun. When I looked up Cattle Egret on Wikipedia the entry stated, “The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron …” Too right! ❧
Back in Florida for a spell. I managed to miss the mess that has happened along the Eastern seaboard this week. It hasn’t been a pretty picture, certainly not as pretty as this one. The Florida woods are beautiful now. It is spring here and, in the left hand corner, you can see some of that wonderful “new green” that occurs only in the spring. It is more than green…it is living color, full of promise. Rejoice! Spring is on the march! ❧
What an incredible winter this has been. On the news tonight I learned that Chicago is likely to break the record that has been in place since 1885 for the longest period of below zero days. The joke in Chicago is -20 is the new 40. How awful.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I have decided to leave it all behind and visit Florida for a few weeks. I have gotten out of Dodge just in time. The heavy snow has already started in the mountains. I’m half way to my Florida destination, spending the night in Valdosta, Georgia. The most amazing part of today’s drive was the endless convoys of electric company repair trucks heading north. Easily a couple of hundred trucks and some of them sported other vehicles “hitching” a ride. These looked like National Guard vehicles. Looks like a rough time ahead.
This picture was shot last night from my back porch. There is some adage about a ring around the moon being a bad omen. It seems that might be the case. ❧
I never tire of these guys (and gals). Cardinals are a special bird. “Winter’s flowers,” as one friend said. They have so brightened my days. This particular fellow was digitally captured during our recent snow storm. Another is forecast for this week…8-12″ are predicted. I hope to be far away by then. I am throwing in the towel and fleeing to Florida for a few weeks. There is plenty I can do there. If I stay here I can watch the Cardinals…which isn’t a bad thing…but life is short and it is best to make hay when the sun shines. The Florida Supreme Court has ruled and medical marijuana will be on the ballot in November 2014. I plan to do what I can to make sure that it passes. Stay tuned. ❧
More bird pictures from last week’s snow storm. These American Goldfinches are showing their spring and summer coat of bright yellow feathers…more indication that spring is on the way. Just a few weeks ago they were so drab, almost olive green. It is a complicated bird according to Wikipedia:
“The American Goldfinch undergoes a molt in the spring and autumn. It is the only cardueline finch to undergo a molt twice a year.[14] During the winter molt it sheds all its feathers; in the spring, it sheds all but the wing and tail feathers, which are dark brown in the female and black in the male.[13] The markings on these feathers remain through each molt, with bars on the wings and white under and at the edges of the short, notched tail.”
Surely not ALL of its feathers? Can’t say that I have seen one naked American Goldfinch and I think he/she would stand out in a crowd. 🙂
A good snow fall, like the one we had last week, brings many birds “out of hiding.” The Eastern Towhee is one of those birds. Throughout the months that I have been here I would catch a glimpse of the Towhee, normally its backside, frittering about in the underbrush but rarely did I have a chance to study this beautiful bird. The snow changed all that. This fellow was grateful for the scattered seed on the porch as well as respite from the wet underbrush. I have now learned that Towhees are part of the sparrow family and it is wide-spread throughout North America. And apparently I am not alone in my inability to study this bird. According to Wikipedia, “The taxonomy of the towhees has been under debate in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the Spotted Towhee were considered a single species, the Rufous-sided Towhee.” ❧
Two female Cardinals during our recent snowstorm. I have quite a flock of cardinals: two, possibly three males and at least four females. ❧
Alice's WanderLand 