The Backyard in Rain - RedTentBlueTarp

I am as exhausted as I can be, and hardly feel like living up to my commitment. But there you have it – needs must.

The backyard endured a torrential downpour and remained dignified and gorgeous.

This magnificent bird,flew down onto the lawn this morning before the store. I made some sound or other and he flew to the other side. At one point I made this picture of the flight’s end as he landed on the shore opposite.

The sky was unusually overcast, very dark and I could not produce a better image. I like it, nevertheless. After he settled down I took several more.

I include this image to show the mass of the animal, as he posed on the fallen tree which the tri-colored and the great white both often use.

I have not seen the great blue around here in perhaps two months. This one’s presence reminded me how very big the species is compared to the other herons: the great white, the tri-colored and the green. And I shouldn’t forget the black crowned night heron, though he hasn’t discovered this backyard oasis yet! Great blues have a wingspan that range from nearly 5 and a half feet to more than six. That’s according to National Geographic. With their wingspan capturing such a swathe of skyway, they are tremendous to see in flight.

One used to fish quite commonly on the shoreline, and I have dozens of pictures of him in action. But since the fish are in retreat from the cooler temperatures, I have not seen any.

One of the otters of yesterday poked his head above water briefly. It did not go scampering along the coast line, but just looked around and then didn’t return. I waited for a long time. Still, I am encouraged, and will try again in the morning. Perhaps I’ll see the whole gang this time.

By the time the rains came, the otter was quite gone. But this duck showed up and huddled on the lawn for some time, as though sheltering the storm. Yet, halfway through, he started grooming himself!