Let me tell you, there are some things which cannot be adequately recorded. The excitement of seeing otters for the first time in my backyard is one – or indeed the second time, which topped the first because I waylaid them – and they showed up! But the absolute good fortune of today is hard to describe. We decided to travel a ways from the backyard in the afternoon to…
Blue Skies
The light-hearted backyard is back. A bright sunny (though not warm) day. When I looked out the sliding door this morning, I saw a burst of activity in the wild life. The white duck – the mallard hen – skittered down the bank, to the shore, and it looked as though it was being chased by a circling snowy egret. I’m not certain how likely such a thing is, so…
Wet Lands
There is, indeed, rain. The rain torrents and abates. And does it again. We have had so many inches, it seems like summer around here. The sky has disappeared and there is only a low hanging slightly fuzzy light grey blanket above. And a darker grey sheet beneath. It is wet. Today might be the first since the rains started that I have seen no sun and no blue anywhere…
Rain
Continuing the wintry weather, the backyard go thoroughly soaked, though it was much warmer. It is about the same as the previous four winters we’ve lived here, but this has surely been the most enjoyable. I do wonder, though, where all the wild life goes when it is this soggy out. The raccoon and deer as well as the birds. The ducks seem ok with it. They move off the…
It Was Bound To Happen
It was a day unlike any of the past three weeks – nothing new or surprising happened in the backyard. Bound to happen, of course. This is not to say there wasn’t a plentiful supply of the usual. But even for me there are only so many pictures I am willing to devote to remembering the ibis, or heron or egret that walked into the backyard. So, I went hunting…
Icy
It was freezing last night. In the morning, the grass was dotted with frozen sections. They looked like early fall snowflakes on the ground. I donned several layers of clothes and went outside, and sat on a cushion to wait for the backyard to come alive. I particularly wanted the otters, but they did not show. Yesterday’s exciting account is still not written. Soon. As I waited in the…
Three White Birds
Because I’m quite tired. Blue and I talked about what distinguishes the snowy egret from the great white. It occurs to me that it would be helpful to set that down. So this is a short post in which I avoid talking about the excitement of the day [otters!] so that I can go to bed and awaken in the morning refreshed and clever and therefore able to render a…
Couples
We’ll start here. Did I ever tell you about this snowy egret and tri-colored heron that hang around and hunt together? Several weeks ago I started noticing that both these birds showed up at the same time each morning in that little bay across the way. I would photograph them just on the basis of their being birds in the backyard. After several days, it dawned on me that they…
The Backyard in Rain
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…
Otters
The sound did not pull my attention. Too often had I been frustrated by turning just in time to see only the spreading waves. I never managed to see the fish themselves break the surface, but only the water’s concentric rings dispersing. I never quite have my eyes in the right place. So I didn’t turn around. Straightening my back in mild irritation, I pulled my elbows in and grasped…