Global Big Day

While I'll acknowledge that this post will not be for everyone, it will be a good reminder to me about what I've seen this past week as it pertains to birds. Furthermore, there are probably few amongst you that have any idea where today's title comes from. Well, now you will, as I briefly explain its meaning.

In the birding community today is the big day that people around the world, in said community, will report the birds they see on this date to eBird, an electronic reporting site brought to us by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Whew, that's a mouthful, right? Basically what they call, citizen science, a pretty neat concept if you ask me. Sort of like crowdsourcing except there are projects of many types, not just birds. For instance, you could, if it pertained to you, participate in collecting data on lead pipes to share with real scientists. Who knew that this is Citizen Science month? In case this sort of thing piques your curiosity, this radio broadcast of Science Friday might interest you on how you might become involved during the quarantine.

Anyway, they are hoping to get a count of birds seen throughout the world and I, for one, look forward to the results. As such, I counted birds this morning after having a lovely Facetime chat with Matt for Mother's Day. I'd show you their gift, but in honor of the bird business, I'm limiting the photos to birds today. Out back I counted ten different types in a few minutes time. Pretty awesome for me, don't you think? They were duly reported through eBird.

Aside from birds, let's talk about Thursday's Flower Moon and how awesome it was should you have been lucky enough to witness the magnificence in person. Wow, just wow!

I knew it was coming as I'd marked it on my calendar at the beginning of the year, having consulted a site like this so as not to miss anything. Watching it rise above the trees and subsequently shimmer on the lake was mesmerizing. How did I get so lucky? For the record, even Bruce was amazed and that is saying something!

What I'm showing you now is a series of photos, some terrible, but it puts across the point in a way that I could not begin to describe to you in words. On Monday a new camera arrived, one with a longer zoom than I've had because, let's face it, I want to photograph birds and it is well nigh impossible without a super zoom, as they call it. This is a point and shoot camera, so not fancy, but it is my favorite brand, Panasonic. As such, I'm looking for opportunities to practise using it. On my way home from the store, I drove through the "peacock neighborhood" where I witnessed two males in what might be called, "a stand-off." They stared, they paced, and then they pounced!

As you can see, they were in total shade under a tree with bright sunshine behind them, casting long shadows on the fence. I need way more impressive photography skills to capture something like this, so I'm just going with what I got and hope that you find it interesting.

Those trains make fighting somewhat challenging, or so it appears to me.

Finally, they moved into the light for one last bout.

Pretty wild, right? I've watched these, or their cousins, for years and this is my first time witnessing something like this. Now I've watched both swans and ducks fight it out. Adding peacocks to that list now.

Another day I went over to a new park in Dover Shores and it turned out to be a real hidden gem. Called Demetree Park, I discovered that it has been there since 1988, and this is the first I've heard of it even though it is fairly close to us. I plan on showing more photos of the place soon because there are things about it that puzzle me to no end. Putting those questions aside, while there on my first visit, there were ducklings, so cute and much smaller than ours that were too cute not to photograph.

On Thursday Bruce came along and while he was trying his hand at fishing, I roamed around, seeing much closer than before, a Great Crested Flycatcher, a lot of name for a very small bird.

Here and gone before I knew it! On the other hand, an Osprey flew down from above and stayed nicely in place for a photo.

Three times gorgeous Swallow Tail Kites flew overhead, and although exciting to see in person, it will remain but a memory as there was no way I could get a photograph.

Apparently, at one time there were Peking Ducks on Lake Pineloch, however no more, so it was fun seeing four of them there. How do you suppose she got all the bare spots? Preening? Fighting?

Duh, can't be preening on it's own neck! A bit of a mystery it shall remain. There are several lakes in the park, one of which, for the moment, was home to this Tri Colored Heron.

It is the white belly that gives this identification away. For some reason I struggle with the heron family, confusing one for another!

Seemingly, there are two new additions to our lake family, only one pictured below.

How great would it be if the Common Gallinule pair would produce some of those adorable black babies? Should you be curious, the ducklings remain in excellent shape The orphans joined up with the newer family making 11 ducklings following along after the Wood Duck parents. Out the window as I type, the Mallard family are clustered together, swimming away from our shore.

There are loads of Red Winged Blackbirds, a noisy bird if ever there were one. The males seem to hang out more in the trees than the females.

Here is a first in the annals of Camera Crazy. I give you, what I think, is an ugly bat.

Here's the scoop on having a bat in the blog----our new neighbor has been conducting her business as to her remodel in our now, shared backyard. She's on the phone a lot or working in her notebook while sitting in a chair beside the bushes. I looked up to see her opening our back door to tell me that she'd seen me with a camera and thought maybe I'd be interested in seeing it. You bet I was! So crazy watching it climb all over the split leaf Philodendron during the day! In a stroke of good luck for me, the contractors have been made aware, perhaps by the complex management, that the only projects allowed on Saturdays are quiet ones. Woo hoo! Two days of quiet!

Enough of birds, at least for this post.

I've not mentioned a thing about the virus, mainly because things seem to be quieting down a bit, at least in our area. Hair salons are now allowed to open with limited capacity and strict guidelines, added to the restaurant openings from last week. Nancy's store will be opening in the Atlanta area and from what she's told me, it is no easy task getting ready, what with more regulations than you can imagine. Our newspaper has once again been running stories of murder and mayhem, so you know they don't have as much to write about Covid-19. Another piece of good news is that the unit Fallon works on has been returned from a Coronavirus symptoms ward to a regular PCU ward. She explained to me, when I called her to thank her for their amazing Mother's Day gift, that the newer tests results return far quicker than when this first began. Our dentist sent an email that they too will be back in business. As well, the state forests are now open for camping because they are not nearly as popular, or well equipped, as the state parks. For now we wait to see what comes next.

Finally, it is sad to think that tomorrow would be Carol's 65th birthday, which, on occasion, fell on Mother's Day. If there is any silver lining to that, it would be that she was never a Mother so there are no children to mourn her passing. Friends, a loving husband, and her siblings were more than enough for our wonderful and talented sister. We all miss her so. I cannot begin to imagine what she would have made of these past two months.

your friend,

Gail