What a beautiful weekend, and along with the usual photo subjects...
a white Chinese Goose settling down in the coolness of the grass
for a mid-morning nap;
a Great White Egret keeping watch over all the park visitors;
a Black-crowned Night Heron tiptoeing through the branches;
a Cardinal enjoying his morning;
an American Kestrel looking for a delicious morsel;
while a Red-shouldered Hawk across the lake is looking for his mate
who was too busy scoping out the movement below her.
Seagulls were splashing about
as an American Coot scoots across the water
as a Red-winged Blackbird loudly serenades Sunset Bay.
I also experienced several firsts...
I had seen a Wood Duck on a high tree branch several years ago, but I had never
seen one balancing himself on a tree trunk waiting for his mate
who soon flew over and joined him!
I had never witnessed a Red-bellied Woodpecker on the ground
hunting for fallen berries
and returning to the safety of the tree to enjoy it!
Although I enjoyed my entire morning...my first ever extended time watching
Scissortails and trying to figure out their rituals was my favorite time of all.
Saturday was only the second time I had seen them and the first time they
stayed close enough for me to photograph them.
This one would sit for a few minutes...
start making a loud call (I thought at first it was just going to scratch its neck)
but then it would
go into this sudden free-fall exercise (sorry that it's not focused very well)
and then return to to the wire. There were five of them spaced about ten
feet apart and one after another they would perform whatever ritual it was.
I decided this one must be a "lefty" because the other four always used their right foot!
This one tired of the game quickly and started preening itself,
which I enjoyed...
and it was something new
and I may never be fortunate enough to see it again!
Thanks for revisiting my Saturday with me...I hope you enjoyed it.
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