The Owl Returns (and a few others for me)

 HOT HOT HOT yesterday (4/21/24)

Pool early, walked home soaked (to stay cool) then the WORST 4PM Mets game EVER... so I needed a walk.
I sat by the water for a while -  finally a BREEZE!  I saw this lovely guy:

Tri-colored Heron

Can I get al little closer without scaring him?

I CAN!  I'm STEALTH hahahahahaha

While watching Tri, I saw one - or maybe two anhinga doing their Snake-Bird thing!

Next was the Great Blue Heron

But, apparently, I was NOT AS STEALTH! 

It was so breezy, I THOUGHT I might be able to take a little stroll.  I walked down by the anhinga nest -  maybe the babies would be around somewhere -  nope.  (But I do think that one - or were there two - swimming could have been them.)

Of course, while this was happening -  I had one eye on the sky -  the clouds, the moon -  all awesome!

OK -  so there were no babies by the old nest BUTTTTTTTTT -  while looking up at the moon again, I hear a cacophony of Blue Jays -  I follow the sound and GUESS WHO??????   (or should I say GUESS HOOOOOOOOOOOT)

Blue Jays were dive-bombing this guy.  

He finally hopped off to hide from them... but BOY WAS I HAPPY!! 
I have not seen him since February!  

When I sent this to Kenny he said "MOM!  You can see his PANTS!  They NEVER SHOW THEIR PANTS!)  hahahaha   

And finally, for Suzy -  if you're still reading.  This morning I walked past that "dead, old stick tree".  It's GLORIOUS! (the photo is lacking, but it really catches your eye while walking by!)

That's it for now.  A rainy day is expected -  We'll see!

Who Knew So Many Things Would Come Along?

 So another day -  another NEW BIRD!!

Watching the Mets game -  A LONG SLOG that they eventually WON -  but sitting on the couch and needing a break because all the bones hurt, I stood up and looked out the glass doors, through the dirty lanai windows -  out into the GAZILLION DEGREE afternoon -  and I see a duck.  Wait. I see TWO DUCKS... and what are they???  WOOD DUCKS!!  Where's my camera - wait who just hit a homerun - forget about it-  WHERE IS MY CAMERA???? THERE ARE WOOD DUCKS!!  hahahahahah

There actually were a pair of males?  Hmmmm.  Whatever.  So I took a bunch of shots and got a couple decent ones -  this one was the best of the lot.  OK.  Back to the game.

The game is over -  WE WON!  It was really tense and extremely exciting and every bone and muscle hurt again from sitting so long -  I look out that same window and WHAT IS THAT?!?!?!?   

THE BLACK SKIMMER?!??!!   I grabbed the camera (I really wanted to make a stop in the bathroom, but I knew I'd miss it if I did) slipped on my shoes and headed out the door -  This thing flies like lightning -  MOST of my photos are blurry lol... but I have to post them here to remember.  I put the camera on "PEW-PEW-PEW" shooting mode and aimed as best I could.  This guy flew back and forth and up and around.  They drag their beaks in the water (hence the name skimmer) and it was fascinating to watch! 

He left a trail where his beak was skimming the water -  SO COOL!

Fuzzy, but I have to share  -  he was, in a word, GLORIOUS! 

And so, to close I'll say "Good Night Sun"

Good Night, Moon (actually, hello, moon since you were just rising)

Just a couple things that happened and missed YOU, Suzy.

Vista Minus Suzy

Today was the first day at Vista without our 4th -  our speaker-outer - our smiling, laughing friend.  She is only 1,327.3 miles away in Okemos, Meridian Charter Township, MI, but she is already missed.

I'll use this forum to post the photos of the things that Suzy has missed.  With or without explanation -  here's DAY ONE WITHOUT... 

It was our regular day for cards.  We are addicted to cards -  but I really think we're addicted to each other. Sandy was a terrific fill in -  and I hope she'll do it again!

But here are the photos -  that's what we've been waiting for -  

Sandy and Mary Rose v. Lorraine and Nancy

Lorraine and I were so far behind -  I figured WHY THE HELL NOT! hahahahaha   We gained 4500 points but still lost the overall battle.  STILL FUN!!!!

BUT BEFORE cards - on the walk over -  I spotted THESE GUYS!

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks over there... 

and MORE Black-bellied Whistling Ducks over THERE... 

And - OH SO COOL -  Mr. Glossy Ibis TRYING to hide out
in the mob of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

And so ends the collection of photos from today.

Oh.. There was also this across the street from Suzy's Condo -  
OOOOOOOOOH So pretty!

Happy Friday!

:) 

Oh... and Tommy Gent AND Armando (officially Armand Alfred Bianco) BOTH own the condo.

THE EAGLE, THE EAGLE!!

 So walking one morning armed only with my music, my feet and my phone, I spot a bird WAAAAAAY up in the double pine tree (I clearly need some education on tree types).  I'll start by saying my vision "ain't what it used to be."   I have been issued some prescription glasses.  I ONLY wear them when I drive but CLEARLY, they would help at other times!  Glasses make me sweat.  Really.  So I'd rather not see as much as I could just so I don't sweat.  

SO -  again -  I was talking my regular AM walk and I spot this bird WAAAAY up in the double pine tree -  at the tippy top.  Ah. It's an osprey. Wait. NO.  IT COULDN'T BE -  it's an EAGLE????   Nah. Opsrey. 

I took a few snaps with my phone.  Zoom in.  HOLY CRAP -  IT IS AN EAGLE!!  I admire it for a few minutes and I realize he's not going anywhere.  I hoof on home, up the stairs, grab my camera and start back... what are the chances he'll still be there???

HE WAS THERE!  

Phone pic.  Taken then zoomed and you can't hide that bald head and the curved beak! 

Ah yes.  So regal! 

Below are the camera photos

For someone who STILL remembers seeing her first eagle more than 20 years ago
THIS WAS EXCITING!

It was funny -  I did share the photo with a friend -  who admires my "birdiness" We talk about birds A LOT.  She showed the pic (from the FIRST DAY OF MY ARRIVAL) to her husband and he said..."She couldn't have seen that eagle on HER FIRST DAY... it MUST be an old pic"  hahahaha
She said... She WOULDN'T do that. 
It's new.  It's real.  I was excited!

But the fun didn't stop there.  A couple weeks later I was (again) on the lanai and I saw the eagle fly by... he took a hard left and landed in THE TREE 20 FEET FROM MY CONDO!

The pictures are NOT GREAT.  I literally hung out my window up to my waist trying to shoot the camera up to the top of the tree.  But, he's THERE.  AGAIN.  

I don't think I will NEVER NOT be excited by seeing this bird! 

This Blog is Now Going to the Birds!

 I have spent so much time searching, stalking, following and just watching birds -  not to mention taking copious amounts of photographs -  that SIT IN MY CAMERA and/or PHONE.

Except for the (now) rare FB post of an exceptionally beautiful bird (but aren't they all???   Well... maybe not Steve) they just sit.  So this Nanook Blog will be a new home for SOME of the thousands of bird/nature photos -  until I get bored in a few days.

Let me start by saying I've been planning on doing this FOR. EVER.  hahahahah  And now that I've been back in Florida for a month and a day, I think it's TIME.

So here are a few -  and I probably have to post on multiple posts/days/whatever.

This is my favorite.  His original name has been forgotten -  and I'm pretty sure he's the same guy.  It had been a dismal couple of weeks and for about 2 hours, the sun was TRYING to come out.  It finally broke through the clouds and I caught STANLEY (because EVERYONE wants a Stanley, right?) just absorbing the little bit of sun that was available.

If you REALLY zoom in, he looks a little drunk.  He's a true delight to see! 

I'm not adept at birds in motion -  but this was acceptable -  but sad.  Till next time, Stanley!

And ONE MORE on this post -

I think I'll choose ... hmmmm he doesn't have a name but he DOES have a story.

We were sitting on the lanai (sunporch, porch, screen room, balcony -  whatever word you like) and Ken says "That's a different bird"... He's not a fanatic like me, but he does comment to bring my attention because he knows how much I love them.

I looked -  it was one of hundreds of skinny legged, long necked white birds around our condo.

But this one WAS different.  GREEN legs, blue-ish uncurved beak...   IT'S A JUVENILE LITTLE BLUE HERON!  I know from our multiple Eco-tour boat rides with Steph and Eddie that Little Blue Heron Juveniles are WHITE.  PURE WHITE with green legs -  and here was our new little guy walking on the edge of the water "fishing" for dinner! 

Fast forward a week and a half -  I'm sitting on a bench after my PM "Bird Walk" and I see a Green Heron -  and then I notice a white bird just behind him... was it???  could it be???   The Juvenile Little Blue Heron!!  AND he's starting to TURN BLUE!!  In the pic below, you can see some blue on the top of his head and on his body. 

I hope I get to see him again.  He needs a name. 
NEXT TIME, I promise.

Superstition?

 

Every time I pass this point on my walk, I MUST MUST MUST touch this exact palmy thing.  I started it the first year we were here... and the spiny things were much bigger on the trunk of the tree.  This year THEY WERE TRIMMED!  Took me a while to find the right one -  but now I never miss reaching out and touching it.  If by some strange occurrence, I miss touching it... I will GO BACK to do it.

I actually do the same on my NJ walk hahahahaha.   There's a sign about 1/2 way along my walk.  If I miss it -  I go back.  If I totally forget, I think about it for the whole day.  Or... I make myself touch EVERY sign I pass for the rest of the walk.

What can I say.   WEIRDO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doing February 3rd things on February 3rd.

 Yeah.  Just me not posting on time again.  I guess it's a thing.

I have a bunch of photos from other days.  I really DO try to take at least one photo every day but I often take more and don't use them.  

Yesterday's photo was not great.  It was too sunny to actually SEE what I was taking a picture of lol... Two of my favorite birds were skulking around the lake by the pool.  I just couldn't frame them or even SEE them -  but here are the photos.  

For "tomorrow's" pic, I'm going to use an old one.  There was nothing on my walk today - other than "Jim from Nebraska" - (now from Florida) and even that wasn't all that interesting hahahahaha

Oh. what makes this interesting to me... I've never seen these very tall guys swimming (or pretending to be ducks, I guess).