Adventures on My Day

As my late mother famously observed, 

the one thing to be said for growing old 

is that every year there are a few more things 

I don’t have to give a rat’s ass about.

― Lawrence Block*

Ah, but I still care about adventures - even the small ones. They are everything.

My friend and I decided to get to the park a little early and to start in an area where we thought we might find the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. We have seen them each morning, but just in "fly-overs." 

It was still fairly dark so we stayed in the more traveled part of the park - safer.

No, it was not this dark, but this is how the camera wanted these limbs across the full-ish moon.

It was this dark. [I do love this park, but I'm not a fan of walking in the dark.**]

Then -- there they were. 

They are striking birds. [I do love these ducks - goofy as they are!]

Then you get close and you see the pink legs and bright beak, oh yes, and the odd mohawk. 

They once were called Black-bellied Whistling Tree Ducks because they spend a lot of time in trees, but they took the "tree" out of the name because some "whistling" ducks don't do trees at all. Who knew? Biologists know. [And sometimes it seems they change the names of species "just because they can" and   just when I've caught on.

We saw 14 ducks on the ground and three in a tree. A few flew. Then a walker came towards us and frightened the flock. As the rest of the ducks rose up we saw that there were actually thirty or more of those whistlers (I think it is more of a "peep," but they don't call them Black-bellied Peeping Ducks). 

After that stunning and joyous display we headed towards the hawks' nest. And we were accosted by a hunting dog - Dee! She and her buddy were some hundred yards away when she looked up and recognized us and came towards us at a gallop. As the dogs greeted each other the humans admired the Red-shouldered Hawk perched high atop one of our favorite trees.

There are times when I wish I'd kept lists of what birds I've seen on some trees - giving trees. This one in the park may not be here too much longer. Like one at the ponds that fell when I was there. It was quite the moment. Since it had to fall sometime, I was glad that at least someone was there to mark it.

This may be the first time I've seen this species on this tree.

This is near the nest.

Is it hunting? Guarding the area? Whatever...it is something!

And it was time to head home - but wait....

Bird Crawl:

As if the sights and sounds of the park weren't enough for this day, Zelda and I decided to see what we could see at the ponds - for the first time in weeks. We stopped at the bank and then the taqueria for breakfast. Girls do have to eat.

The ponds were alive with birds (some invasive non-natives) and we were greeted with flying Great Blue Herons and the Bald Eagle and so much more.

Bald Eagle in the middle tree. GBH and a variety of ducks and a Greater Yellowlegs in the foreground.

This heron was in the top of a tree two to the right of the eagle. Then it took off and moved to a lower branch.

Landing.

"How'd I do?"

I'm always thrilled to see this bird, but I don't cry anymore. Well, almost never.

Blue-winged Teal - I'd missed seeing these and the Cinnamon Teal. They seem to have showed up a bit late. Maybe it's just me.

Greater Yellowlegs

It was a very good morning.

OTHER STUFF 

Park: The wildflowers are starting to bloom - they nod as we walk along. It's almost like they are saying hello - unsurprised that we too are back.

Primroses (Yellow)

We used to call these "evening primroses," but everyone calls them Pink Ladies these days. 

White Clover. Years ago - in Ireland - they surveyed the populace to see what plant they considered the "Shamrock." Apparently there is no official shamrock species. The Yellow Clover won (weird). Now that I know it's just a thing for the tourist crowd I call them all "Shamrock" informally. [A park guide once told us that she thought the Wood Sorrel (which is an oxalis, not a clover) should have won. I kind of agree with her and now have an appreciation for the sorrels.]

There were a couple of herons in the park today, but we were there for the hawks and whistlers.

We found a large number of duck (goose?) eggs broken on the sidewalk and a few shells in the grass.

It's not clear what is happening. Did kids come and destroy a nest? Are there other predators raiding the nests? I'm a believer that there are too many domestic ducks (and geese) in the park. I understand "the circle of life" and have no concern about removing eggs (or birds for that matter), but trashing a nest and "egging" the sidewalk is malicious.

Bird Crawl:

It was mostly the usual suspects. I'm always glad to see them...resident bird or "snow bird." 

One of my spirit animals - the "mouthy" Northern Mockingbird

Red-bellied Woodpecker - had to move along as there was a car coming. I get a lot of "back of the bird" photos.

Canada Goose

Cattle Egret - Mating Plumage. Don't you love them? They always seem just a little awkward.

Mourning Dove

Savannah Sparrow

Weird morning shot, but my dear Pied-billed Grebe - there were 4 today.

Asian Collared Dove - non-native species. See the collar on the back of its neck?

NOTES:

* I love Lawrence Block. We once read just about everything we found of his. I'm sure I still have a couple of his books around here - him and Donald Westlake, and others. This wasn't the quote I was looking for, but then again, maybe it was.

** Yes, still afraid of the dark, heights, needles, and probably a few other things.