A gorgeous September day. Not too hot, not too cold. Goldilocks would love it. And, it was a perfect day to visit the ditch.
I didn't know what to expect but I was certainly surprised at seeing a pair of deer -- I think mother and young'un, in the distance. I never see deer during the day there, or very rarely.
At first, I just saw the larger one.
And then, as it moved a bit, the second emerged.
They were so tranquil and certainly enjoying time in the water. What they were eating, I don't know. But they seemed very happy!
Venturing on the walk I encountered this robin.
And then, Harry. He was in a new spot, one he doesn't visit often. (I gave him regards from his cousin, Harry North, before moving on.)
Next up -- this bird. I think it is a cardinal . . .
. . . But it appears to have no feathers on its head. A disease?
Blogger David shared a photo of a jay with a similar condition. Any ideas, David (or others)?
I thought that was pretty good for a nature day, but as I came around again, I saw the elusive Ellie the Egret.
She was having quite the time, an enjoyable day fishing.
And then, she flew to a new spot. (Somewhere around this point, I put my camera on speed shoot and that really distorts the color. I could get flight photos but they are too washed out, despite my fiddling with them.)
She kept at it, quite satisfied, walking about to new spots. Eventually, she moved toward the weeds.
And quickly, she flew out. Seconds later, I could see why. She had apparently invaded Harry's territory.
They had quite the stare down for a very long time!
Eventually, he slowly began moving toward her (it reminds me of the old comedy bit, "Slowly he turned, step by step, bit by bit...).
And, wisely, I suspect, she was off!
And off he stalked, back into the weeds!
What a treat. I will celebrate seeing them all!
And now, as I often say . . .
Gotta fly!
19 comments:
Great pictures, Jeanie. I've never seen a bald, no point crown on a cardinal! That third picture also looks like some of his back feathers are gone, but it may be the light. I love the standoff dual with the heron and egret. Welcome home, and happy [almost] fall!
Wow! How cool to see deer enjoying the ditch as well! They look so serene and beautiful! And I love the "stare down" that you witnessed between Harry and Ellie! So cool! I haven't been home much lately so haven't been by the creek much but hopefully we'll get there next weekend. We had some downtime on Sunday but it was so hot and humid that I didn't have it in me to walk down to the creek with the boys. Hopefully the humidity moves out. It felt like August here yesterday!
Beautiful photos, Jeanie! The reflections are awesome and I love all the birds. Great sightings of the Egrets, Heron, Robin and Cardinal. The deer are favorites too. Have a wonderful week!
Many birds molt prior to migration. My blue jays are just starting to look slightly "normal" again. The younger ones seem to have feathered out more quickly than the adults.
Sorry that happened to you, Jeanie. I've done the same with my pictures file. Going too fast, and then poof, my photo file is deleted. Oh well, I guess losing comments is much better than losing photos. We'll both have to slow down, right?
~Sheri
Jeanie, another great day in the neighborhood! Pics of Ellie are magnificent. xxoJudy
Your wildlife pictures are the best!
You checked in with all your wildlife friends, how nice to see them. Great photos, Jeanie and have a wonderful day.
you got some really awesome images in that "ditch"!! that is a cardinal, it is molting, i have seen some here that look the same. they usually lose all the feathers on its head and they will grow back. awesome egrets, the reflections are really superb!! i adore deer, they are truly one of my favorite wild animals!!
What wonderful sights to see! Especially the deer and the robin :)
I enjoyed seeing these photographs.
All the best Jan
What lovely nature photos! I love the variety of birds you get.
That was such a great walk out to the ditch - how wonderful you could see all this wildlife. Even though the "flight pictures" are a bit washed out, the reflections are great!
The nature photos at the ditch are beautiful. I love the reflections in the water. Also the photo of the robin. It's different from those we see in the UK. (Ours are rounder in shape). We enjoy seeing robins in our garden.
Oh wow, this is a fabulous series of wildlife. Thanks for sharing them Jeanie :)
You had a good day of sightings at the ditch, Jeanie, and that cardinal did look less then splendid so maybe David will have a comment.
What beautiful sights to see! Especially the little deer.
What a satisfying walk that was, seeing so much wildlife. On my way home from the mountains I drove through a lot of farmland and in one place the road ran by a ditch or canal, and dozens of egrets were standing in it or flying above it -- such a beautiful sight.
Oh, gosh, I love your shots of Ellie the Egret -- so elegant! And wise, too! At least in her interactions with Harry! As always, I appreciate your eye, and your attention to nature...
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