Saturday, May 27, 2023. Along Spanish Creek, Quincy, CA.
When you learn a new word, ya gotta use it. H/T to WordsandBirds for introducing it to me. I pride myself on a good vocabulary, and love adding to it, especially a word I can use at a cocktail party (not that I’m ever invited to any) and make people’s heads turn, thinking I might have just said something indelicate.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
|
The day dawned bright and fair miserably and disappointingly foggy. My plans to get out on the frontage road early, to get best (?) light and first-thing-in-the-morning action at the Red-tailed Hawk nest were somewhat scuttled. Yeah, 7:00 a.m. :
Ah. Well. I reckon I’ll use this as a good enough reason to go back inside, stay in my pj’s a bit longer, and cook up a hearty breakfast. Which I did. Three eggs and two pieces of Texas Toast with garlic and cheese.
So, I was watching some video and keeping a corner of my eye out the front window for signs that the fog was burning off, and hey presto at just before 10:00 a.m. it’s suddenly and almost magically sunshining out there. Gotta grab my gear and go! Oh, wait. Over to the hardware store first to get that new sun hat, test it out on today’s excursion.
Hope this will keep the sun from frying my neck again.
It worked good.
I got out to my spot about 10:00 a.m.; waited in place for over twenty minutes for sign of anything happening. There were no adults on the nest or circling nearby, and I could see no eyases popping their heads up; then the magic nature began. Or, maybe I should stick with magic, because really, this is just magical for me, to see this with my own eyes for the very first time in my life. And, as you can see by the shameless selfie picture of ol’ funningforrest over there, the “old“ part ain’t no foolin’ around no more. But, thing is, I don’t really feel old. So I guess that’s a good thing.
Two videos today, the first one I clipped to catch the best action. The second is full-length. But first, two stills of the few I actually shot today, and two extracts.
Shucks, it’s better to extract stills from video than what I can get in best camera mode.
Adult from the nest, high high and far far away.
Three chick faces, but maybe the next extract will be even better.
It’s a toss-up; quality is as good as it’s going to get. I used this one for the title photo. In any event, this is unquestionable proof of three, count ‘em THREE, chicks. This is just way too cool for me. Eh, pardon my drool.
The wing-stretching is near the end.
Good action all the way through for this one. After watching several times, I have confirmed that the adult seems to make sure all three of them get something to eat. Cool.
Now it’s your turn. What’s up in your world, nature and changes? Let us know in the comments and as always please include your location, and photos if you got ‘em!
Link to On the Red-tailed nest, Observation Day_02