What Is Hiding In The Fog?

If you want to see what the fog hides in itself,

don't wait for the fog to disperse!

Instead of waiting for something to happen in this short life,

do something immediately!

Enter the fog!
~ Mehmet Murat ildan

Meadowlark (through the fence)

Another Meadowlark through the fence.

A major part of my "self-care" these days is the "bird crawl."* I once made these trips while on the way to somewhere else. I still do if I allow myself the time or find I have a few minutes before the next thing. But taking care and finding peace is now at the top of my agenda.

I am in the throws of my annual doctors' appointments (aging is not pretty), while DH has added a calendar full of appointments. These days we look upon a calendar full of scribble together with a notebook of directions, phone numbers and reminders. Thus, whenever there is a blank day (or more) on the calendar we celebrate and try to plan something to feed the soul - a trip to a favorite place or a visit with friends or a concert. 

When there is only a free hour or two we nap, or walk the dog, or run an errand, or escape to the park or the ponds. And today, between a blood test (me - isn't it good we don't have to study for blood tests - we just fast) and a class (him, but I have to go too), there was a moment to see what was shaking at the ponds.**

It is still a foggy/hazy hours after the rain stopped. Some days I check the ponds to see if the rain has made an impression. Drought has so changed our area - many of the ponds dried up not so long ago. And there are frogs that call in the winter when the fields flood. But lately I have tried to check before the fog burns away because the Bald Eagles like this weather. I believe I have only seen them on somewhat foggy mornings. It makes it impossible to get really good photos, but at least I see something. 

So I wasn't surprised that one of the adults was perched just far enough to make me try (unsuccessfully) for a good photo or two. The eagle stayed long enough for me to observe a few common species and to spy a flock of white pelicans fly by.***  

I also managed to achieve a decent photo of a Meadowlark. I don't know if it's an Eastern or Western Meadowlark (my skills are not there yet). I'm just grateful when I can celebrate this almost wild spot where the birds and other creatures show up from time to time. They hunt and feed and sleep, bicker and sing their songs.

If we are still and quiet they will forget we are there - with them in the fog.

I won't post many photos (most are terrible), but this is a list of what I saw:

• 1 Bald Eagle
• 1 Red-tailed Hawk
• 50-60 Meadowlarks
• 40 European Starlings
• 3 Northern Mockingbirds
• 1 Great Egret
• 1 Great Blue Heron
• Many many ducks (Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal)
• 1 Eastern Phoebe
• 2 Loggerhead Shrike
• 5 American White Pelicans
• 1 Greater Yellowlegs
• 1 Killdeer
• 1 Vermilion Flycatcher
• 2 Carolina Chickadees
• 2 Cormorants
• 1 Crested Caracara

And loads of other birds I either didn't get a good view of or I don't know yet. That's not bad for a few minutes' drive down this short little road**** It was such a rich day! And, of course, I love it when I can intuit when a bird will be there.

Here are the other photos worth saving...or worth it to me anyway. You can see in most of them what a gray and dreary morning it was. Even the bright green shots with meadowlarks are "dripping" with water.

Meadowlark

Same Meadowlark, different side.

Loggerhead Shrike

Vermilion Flycatcher - no good shot today.

The Greater Yellowlegs was in a marshy area and feeding alongside another bird. I was happy to see the other bird was a Killdeer. I haven't seen one in some time.

And I LOVE the graphic black and white markings of the Killdeer. It's an easy bird to identify by sight and by call. 

BIRDS IN TREES:

Red-tailed Hawk. You may have to trust me on this. This tree near the entrance to the area is about as far as I can reach with my equipment.

A Great Blue Heron was perched at the top of a Live Oak at the dogleg turn. It flew before I could get close. Again, note the grey/foggy conditions.

This Mockingbird was the first one I saw. It did not make a photo easy, but none of the three I saw was cooperative today.

As I was ready to go I notice where this egret had flown. It was either frightened by me or the eagle I guess. There has been a Great Egret at this pond every day I have come by for a few weeks. I've watched a feisty GBH chase it on a couple of occasions.

It was pretty windy aloft. Right after I took this shot the egret was chased from the perch...

...by this cormorant.

So the egret flew to this tree. You can just see it on the left. There's a bit of drama at the ponds.

EAGLE (and PELICANS):

See the eagle? The beauty of this place is that you don't have people scaring off the birds (or at least not often). The problem for me is that my camera just barely reaches this distance. I can see, based on size and coloring that this is an eagle and not a hawk. The white head showed even on this grey morning.

This perch is tough because of the twigs, but I wanted to show the  tousled feathers. I could watch them move in the wind as the camera focused. 

You must admit these birds are stunning - even in bad shots.

As I was taking photos and trying to get the doctor's office off the phone, a flock of "big white birds flew over the road. At first I assumed they were egrets, but I quickly recognized the shape of pelicans. I've seen plenty on the coast so I was surprised, but confident. These American White Pelicans flew from a larger pond to the south (that I can barely see because of distance and surrounding vegetation) and appeared to be looking for a spot to land. I watched them fly past the eagle's perch and lost them in the grey.

American White Pelicans

Here you can just see the 5 pelicans to the left of center and the eagle still on its perch.

The eagle flew off to the south/southwest and I flew away home.

 NOTES:

*As if it wasn't obvious. I should count how many posts here are my short adventures to this area of tanks, intermittent ponds, and marsh.

**Okay. Coffee and breakfast tacos came first.

***I've seen one White Pelican here before. It had met its end near the turtle pond. I thought it might have been an anomaly, but then began to see other sightings noted on the lakes.

****I was interrupted by a call from the doctor's office. I told them to send me a message or print it out as I was in the car. I'm noting this in case my children who occasionally read this know that I do not talk or text while driving. I was indeed parked on the side of the road, camera in hand, attempting to capture an image of the eagle.