Silent sunrise

We usually set out into the local Wounded Wetlands preserve about an hour before sunrise. This provides an opportunity to hear (and sometimes see) nocturnal bird species such as owls and nightjars. 

For the first half hour it is nearly pitch dark unless the Moon is in an early phase. Flashlights are essential, if only to keep us from stumbling on the rocks or avoid stepping on a snake. Wildlife photography is essentially impossible without artificial light. 

Below the horizon, the sun progressively brightens the sky and its glare obscures the stars and all but the brightest planets. Depending upon the seasons (which affect the angle at which the sun approaches the horizon) "civil twilight," also known as the "crepuscular" period, begins when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon and ends 20-30 minutes later at sunrise. The morning chorus of bird song usually builds up during this period and tapers off after sunrise. 

Now, many birds are undergoing the post-breeding molt. To save the energy needed to replenish their feathers, they are quiet and reclusive. For the past two to three weeks the morning chorus has dwindled into a few solo notes from...

...Northern Cardinals...

...Northern Mockingbirds...

...and Carolina Wrens:

One advantage of the early walks is that we are spared the heat of the sun. Heat exhaustion is a threat when, soon after sunrise, temperatures and humidity quickly become oppressive.

Another advantage is the opportunity to see some marvelous skies. I know that trying to interpret cloud formations can be a bit silly, but could this possibly be a swordsman ready to do battle with a monstrous dragon?

Persistence of Saharan dust in the atmosphere this past week enhanced the morning colors. Shadows of clouds on the eastern horizon created ever-changing interruptions of the crepuscular rays:

On the opposite horizon, the anticrepuscular rays filled the sky and converged over the Wet Prairie...

...and reflected on the lake:

In the poor morning light, an immature Red-shouldered Hawk roosted next to the lake:

It took flight and landed on a flimsy branch atop a Pond Cypress:

At nearby Chapel Trail preserve, an immature Little Blue Heron foraged with a Mottled Duck:

In our back yard early in the morning,  a Muscovy Duck loafed on the decoy which serves as a float for the intake of our lawn irrigation system:

An Anhinga entertained us by resting on the same decoy: 

Later, the Anhinga decided to bask on our patio. These are my iPhone photos, taken through the glass of the patio door:

Since my DSLR camera cannot zoom, its viewfinder captured only the Anhinga's neck and head as it aired its wings. It was next to a Coontie which I had recently planted. I liked the aesthetics of the portrait as well as the symbolism. The Anhinga is a representative of the ancient Darter family whose fossil records date back 40-50 million years. The Coontie is a primitive Cycad which originated some 280 million years ago:

As to be expected, my visits to medical facilities increase with age, but they can provide photo opportunities for some interesting reflections:

That's Planet Jupiter, still visible high in the blue sky above the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida:

The fountains turned on and spoiled the reflection:

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Linking to:

Garden Affair

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Struggling to meet my Birder's RDA

To beat the heat here in south Florida, Mary Lou and I set out on our daily 3 mile walk a half hour before sunrise. Temperatures are usually in the high 70s F (25-26 degrees C) but within two hours climb into the high 80s (31-32 degrees C). It is still quite dark at first, so I bird mostly by ear. A White-tailed Deer buck peers at me through the semi-darkness:



The sun is still well below the horizon, but its light reflects against the high clouds:



Not many birds are singing in late July. Many have raised their families and are undergoing an energy-consuming molt. While mockingbirds may sing even during the night during breeding season, they are now quite silent.

Adult Northern Mockingbird:



Fledgling mockingbird in June:



An older juvenile mockingbird exhibits a speckled breast:



Northern Cardinals are a welcome exception. I can often count a half dozen singing males, some in duets with females, which also sing (as do female mockingbirds):



Female Northern Cardinal:



We may hear one or two Carolina Wrens singing despite the heat:



Mourning Doves coo persistently before sunrise...



...as do White-Winged Doves. This one used the roof of our home for his performance:



I walk out on the little "peninsula" and just listen. Maybe I will hear a Pileated Woodpecker or a Red-Shouldered Hawk, but only the calls of Blue Jays and Red-bellied Woodpeckers pierce the silence:



The monotone trill of an unseen Eastern Screech-Owl is like music to our ears and a reward for being out early. This week I heard two calling, about a mile into our walk. One had a more high-pitched voice. It may have belonged to the juvenile owl, which I briefly viewed through the branches of a thicket, about ten minutes before sunrise:



Here is an adult Screech-Owl which paused in better light very near this spot last year:



This is the time of year when I sometimes fall short of meeting Birdchaser's Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of 20 species

Seeing fewer than 20 species in a morning makes me feel "malnourished." If my list seems to be stuck at 18 or 19, I may delay my return home and risk heat stroke, hoping to see one or two more. It is especially frustrating when I fail to find one of the more common birds, such as a European Starling, or the sky does not contain any vultures or crows. High water discourages wading birds and one morning this week I saw no herons at all.

The fun of birding is not just about "body counts."  There is so much to discover at any time of year. One day last week I saw only 15 species but had the thrill of seeing the eaglet from the local Bald Eagle nest suddenly pass low overhead. Why has she not wandered north, as is the habit of south Florida's younger eagles? By July, most of them are following the Atlantic coast up into the Carolinas and Chesapeake Bay, where waters are cooler and fish are easier to catch. Oddly, she is carrying some grass in her talons. Why?



We know she is a female by her bulk and the extension of the gape of her bill below her eye She exhibits first-year (juvenile) plumage: a dark body, dark beak, head and tail, along with white "armpits." Her set of fresh and longer wing and tail feathers cause her secondaries to bulge and add more than an inch to her length. She flies a direct line from the nest tree to a lake in our subdivision. Her lighter wing linings are also visible in these views as she moves away:





At the lake, the water is still. A Little Blue Heron dashes to find a better fishing spot:



There has been a hatch of White Peacock butterflies. Many seem to be taking their first flights. By tomorrow their wings will be tattered from their constant struggle over territory and mates:





Walking home at 8:00 AM, the restless clouds portend the rain which is sure to arrive by noon:



A Northern Curly-tailed Lizard appears at the base of a tree as I exit the wild area. This species, native to the Bahamas, was introduced into Palm Beach County to the north in hopes that it would control insect pests on the sugar cane. It has spread over the southern part of the State, although this was the first I have seen at this particular location. While invasive, they seem not to be a threat to native creatures:


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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh


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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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The Super Blue Blood Moon eclipses the birds

To some, our early morning walks in the local "Wounded Wetlands" might seem to be a dreadful waste of time. We usually start out on the three mile route about a half hour before sunrise. Mary Lou and I walk together briskly the first half mile. It is too dark to see any birds, but I usually can identify a handful by their calls and songs-- mockingbirds, cardinals, catbirds, jays and doves.

The sky lightens up and I fall behind as Mary Lou continues her pace. I may hear the song of a Carolina Wren...



...or the calls of an Eastern Towhee:



However, on the morning of January 31, I covered the first half mile in quite a hurry, not wanting to repeat my experience only 2 moons ago on December 3, when I tarried and nearly missed the setting of the SuperMoon.

The night before, from our back yard, I had watched it rise over the lake:



The sky was dark but crystal clear. It was a perfect morning to see the third consecutive Super Moon and the second to appear in January-- a Blue Super Moon! But there is more-- it will also be in partial eclipse and its penumbra will turn red as it approaches the horizon-- a Blood Moon.

At 6:38 AM the deepening penumbra mostly involves  the upper left edge of the full Moon, and exhibits no color:



The Moon was scheduled to set at 7:06 AM, only one minute after sunrise. Half way to the lake, the sky was already lightening and the rays of the Moon were taking on a yellowish hue. My pace quickened:

 

The view from the lake shore:



By 6:59 AM the penumbra covered the Moon and the umbra had progressed to about 20%:



Bt 7:02 AM over a third of the Moon's surface was in darkness:



Within two minutes it sunk out of sight as the sun rose:





Later that morning I checked on the local Bald Eagle nest. Their first egg presumably hatched on January 11, based upon ground observations that it had been laid 35 days previously, on or about December 7.

The adults were seen feeding one or more eaglets over the next two weeks, but the rim of the nest is very high and one chick did not become visible until January 28. I watched the nest from about 9:00 AM until 9:45. When I arrived the female (Jewel) was sitting rather deep in the nest:



She never looked down to tend or feed any offspring. so I thought they had just been fed and were probably sleeping. After about 20 minutes I walked back to the car and was ready to attend to other chores. No sooner had I closed the car door when the male (Pride) flew in, carrying a large white bird (an adult White Ibis).

I reached for the camera but was too late to get a photo before he landed on the nest. Pride is on the right:



Jewel promptly flew up to roost just above the nest:



Pride got right to work, tearing at and "butchering" the prey. Very soon a curious little fuzzy "Bobble-head" appeared...



...and waited patiently to be fed something which does not appear to be a tasty morsel:



To date, the suspected second eaglet has not been seen, and I saw no evidence that another was being fed.

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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