A Week of Early Summer Photos

Julie captured this really nice image of the main East Marsh; if the gods (and our equipment) stay on our side, we will draw most of this water off over the next couple weeks to expose 100+ acres to what we anticipate will be an explosion of vegetative growth

Weeks literally feel like they are going by like days lately. I guess that means it's summer! I'm going to play a little catch up and share some of my favorite photos since Memorial Day weekend. As day light continues to lengthen, opportunities to get things accomplished outside increase, but it also gets harder and harder to stay disciplined about downloading what’s on the SD card!

Again, here are some highlights:

I often wonder how people would react to seeing mallards if they were rare (instead of the most common duck in North America);
taken in isolation, they truly are beautiful birds -- yet another instance of "common" too often leading to taken for granted

Frogs are starting to become more visible;
Julie snapped this nice photo of a well-camouflaged leopard 

And where there are frogs there are typically snakes;
this common watersnake gave me a great opportunity for closeups

At 30" or so and right at my feet, I have to admit this one got my attention

This docile DeKay's brown snake maxes out at 12-15" and
is more interested in earthworms than frogs

I am routinely finding them now as I clear downed logs
or move anything that has been sitting on the ground for an extended time

Like the mallard, this red-winged blackbird is extremely common . . . and extremely striking at close range

We continue to be overrun with yellow warblers, and this individual really put on a show for the camera

Just because it's invasive (monk thistle) doesn't mean it can't be beautiful;
I didn't even notice the ants until the image was "developed"

Opportunistic egrets always seem to find food in fluctuating water

Click to enlarge to see some of the ~150 that have been frequenting 40 acres of shallowly flooded millet residue

This male oriole has set-up shop in the largest cottonwood next to the bunkhouse; his vibrant colors
make it hard for me to put the camera down every time that I have to leave

Continuing to Keep Eyes to the Sky

A 45-minute walk and a quick drive around the West Marsh in the MULE produced a decent sampling of what was on the wing as the north winds shifted south 

(clockwise: black swallowtail, American goldfinch, least sandpiper, Baltimore oriole, gray catbird, and eastern kingbird)

My sister's recent visit prompted me to spend a little more quality time with the camera. Coming on the heals of The Biggest Week in American Birding (something I'll continue to remind is worthy of a note in your calendar for 2018), it's particularly tempting to keep one's eyes to the sky. As of Monday, I'd say our warbler activity was still low to moderate compared to the last two springs -- except for yellow warblers, who are apparently congregating in massive numbers at our property to stage some kind of yellow-feathered mutiny. They are everywhere! The more common summertime residents also put on a show against the unbelievably blue, spring sky. The collage above is just a sampling of some that posed for the camera.

Bird activity on the marsh is definitely on the uptick, and the wind has FINALLY shifted south/southwest (as of Tuesday), ushering in higher temperatures, lower bay levels, and more birds. Yesterday was a busy day in the field. With temperatures tickling the 90-degree mark for the first time this spring, my hands were often too sweaty to handle the camera. That said I did spend the end of the day following a Baltimore Oriole as it sought out the perfect perch in the lush greenery of one of the large cottonwoods near the bunkhouse. When I see -- and hear -- the orioles in the tall trees, I know school is winding down, and summer is just around the corner!

This vibrant male was much more interested in singing than he was posing for the camera;
remember to click on any image to enlarge and click here to hear this bird