Sometimes You Have to Drive a Different Road

With a bound, the sun of a molten fiery red cam above the horizon, 

and immediately thousands of little birds sang out for joy, 

and a soft chorus of mysterious, glad murmurs came forth from the earth; 

the low whispering wind left its hiding-place 

among the clefts and hollows of the hills, 

and wandered among the rustling herbs and trees,

waking the flower-buds to the life of another day. 

― Elizabeth Gaskell, Ruth 

If I lived any closer to the ponds I would never get anything done. As it is, we are four miles away and we often drive past the turn on the way to class, or Z's day care, or the doctor.

Sometimes there is time to stop. More often I make time.

Today I was running errands and found myself checking three times. Mid-morning found me taking photo after photo of the Bald Eagle perched high above one of the ponds. A heron flew over. And there were other birds. Some posed, some teased. It is peaceful here.

Well, it is mostly peaceful. One thing after another caused me to turn around to "see what that was."

I finally drove away - happy to have captured a few images in the camera, but more in my heart.

Whatever it was up in the tree, it was big.

It was too big to be a hawk. It had to be one of the Bald Eagles...and it was.

I cannot always see what birds are doing from this distance...preening maybe?

I will the bird to move a little...

There must be a breeze aloft. The bird seem disheveled.

It would be a very "eagle-like" pose if the twigs were not in the way.

Herons often fly from pond to pond (as do ducks, cormorants, kingfishers and more. I rarely catch a decent flight photo).

Northern Shoveler

Another shoveler (female)

One Pied-billed Grebe was paddling around in the turtle pond. Another was closer to the "turn-around."

Northern Mockingbird

The Vermilion Flycatcher (subject of one of those rare bird reports) was present and active.

A group (not really big enough for a "murder") of American Crows moved from pond to pond - here feeding at the edge.

I've heard this Belted Kingfisher the last few times I have been out to the ponds, but never saw it until today. It was on a utility line in a place I would not have expected it to be. Usually I see it over a pond.

As I drove home I thought I should check back on that eagle. I was fairly certain the eagle was gone (and it was), but one never knows what might be at the ponds. This spot just keeps on giving.

Ducks and a Great Egret, but no Bald Eagle

The Loggerhead Shrikes were everywhere today.

Another bird I hear, but do not always "see." This one flew low across one of the fields and then stopped long enough for me to get a glimpse. I saw two other hawks (Red-tailed) but they were moving. I'm so glad to be seeing more hawks. There seem to be many fewer than I observed last year.

The Canada Geese were making their presence known. Those birds can be so loud. We often see a pair here or at another location about a mile away. Today there were three.

They may be the "rats of the bird world" as some northerners call them, but I love to see them.

I'm even learning to love the Turkey Vulture...it's taken me a while.

More Northern Shovelers dabbling at the pond.

The Great Egret fed peacefully for most of the time I was there. But as darkness fell one of the Great Blue Herons chased it away from the pond. I have seen that behavior here 3 or 4 other times. There is one very territorial GBH.

I guess the Vermilion Flycatcher got tired because it stopped long enough for me to "focus" a bit (but I cut off the tail).

And again...

And then. It's hard not to love this cheeky little guy. 

Another of the shrikes....

and another.

In late afternoon I found myself rewriting documentation forms for the Christmas Bird Count (it was the second time) and when I looked up I realized I was almost late for my last errand of the day. As I finished and headed home the sunset lured me back to the ponds one last time.

Now I was not looking for birds, but listening for frogs. There's an unusual frog we have documented there - the Spotted Chorus Frog. It calls in winter from rain-soaked fields. And dusk is the time to listen.

No frogs called while I was there, but I saw something unusual in one of the far ponds. With the naked eye I could not tell what I was seeing. Was it a person wading? Was it a piece of equipment? Nope. It was the Bald Eagle. I have never seen this behavior and decided to watch and see what might happen next. The ducks were making frightened calls, but the eagle just looked around and then flew off in the direction of its nest I think. It was time for me to return to mine.

The sun was heading below the horizon.

The light was fading, but the frogs were not calling.

And then I saw the eagle wading in a far pond.

I may not go to the ponds tomorrow...lots of chores and a couple more appointments...and the ponds are on the way...

NOTES:

I learned that the Bell Count CBC tallied 111 species. I don't know how that compares to previous years. I'm just hoping that the documentation provided will convince them to count the 4 rare birds observed. My checklist documented 30 species including the "rare" Vermilion Flycatcher and Pileated Woodpecker. We (real birders AND ME - a bad birder) see both birds around here all the time, but they are still considered "rare" for the time/area as far as eBird is concerned (even though many birders have been reporting them with photos and descriptions) for some time now.

Here's a final shot of that feisty Great Blue just after the Great Egret flew away.