Milly and Logan's Nature Blog

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Spring Beauties on the Ramsey’s Cascade trail last month:  Jack in the Pulpit, Painted Trillium, Dwarf-crested Iris, Trout Lilly, Morel Mushroom, Foam flower and Iris, The hills were alive with trillium, and the falls

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Happy Spring from the Painted Bunting!  We saw our first ever Painted Bunting in a quick flash in an Orlando area marsh - the very next day we visited Merritt Island NWR and were treated with perfect views of several males and females at a feeder.  Finding it by ourselves in the marsh was more exiting, but I’m thankful for the photos the feeder provided and never going to turn down the chance to see on of these babies.

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Everglades National Park: Flamingo and environs

Flamingo is about as far south as you can go on the Florida mainland. We drove through miles of sawgrass prairie and cypress domes to arrive at the windswept edge of the Florida bay. In terms of views, our campground had it in spades:

That's looking across the bay to the Keys in the distance. That lone windblown palm tree is a good indicator as to how windy this campsite was though. The wind would cause lots of problems for our camp stove and for our night's sleep. But Flamingo made up for it in other ways.

These are White Ibises wearing the brown hues of juvenalia as they foraged across the grassy field.

These Ospreys were hecka busy shuttling fish from the bay waters into the waiting mouths of young. There were many Osprey nests in the area.

South Florida is one of the only places in the US where you can find Crocodiles in the wild. I asked the ranger at the visitor center if he knew of any good places to see them and he said something beautiful in its simplicity "Yeah there's one at the marina right now."

That is not a picture of the Croc roaring- it was napping with its mouth open. You're looking into the maw of millions of years of evolutionary time, reptilian and incomprehensible, basking in the sun. Cool!

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Everglades National Park: Shark Valley

Shark Valley almost seems like a piece of conceptual geographical art that is intent on pushing the limits of the definition of a "valley." The heart of the valley is the Shark River slough- a nine mile long river that is completely at sea level for its entire length. The walls of this valley are something like 25 miles apart and with a vertical relief approaching 5 feet.

Despite barely qualifying as a valley, this end of Everglades NP definitely has a lot going for it. The main reason people come here is to either bike or ride a tram a few miles out into the river of grass to an observation tower (Milly and I chose the tram). Along the way there were amazing birds to see and for Milly to immortalize in digital photo. 

Simply waiting for the tram gave us ample opportunity to scope out birds that were wonderfully new to us. This is a Tri-Colored Heron that almost made me wreck the car when I saw him.

Another view of the Tri, with more empahsis on colors this time.

Anhingas are sometimes called "snakebirds" which is great because it combines my two favorite things. They will never get not awesome.

Female Anhinga's use turquoise eyeliner in breeding season.

See the snakebird?

These alligators started to get into something while we watched. I also learned a rough way to estimate a gator's total length: take the distance between the snout and eyes and that's the rough length of the animal in feet.

On the tram ride we ran into these truly freaky wading birds- the Roseate Spoonbill. Fun fact: if you look in the background of the famed Star Wars cantina scene, you can spot a pair of Roseate Spoonbills at the bar.

Not to be outdone in the freaky department either, Wood Storks peppered the sawgrass, apparently resting between bouts of baby delivery. 

Anhinga on nest.

One of the smallest things we saw that day, but definitely up there as one of the most exciting. Baby Alligators.

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Backlog of Adventures: Big Cypress Preserve

On our second day in Florida we toured around Big Cypress Preserve. This is a huge tract of land that is one of the few parcels that still has a Florida Panther population. We didn't see any of these cats but we really didn't expect to. However, we weren't let down in the slightest because the rest of the inhabitants turned out spectacularly.

Why yes, that is a manatee and alligator in the same frame. This pod of manatees were right outside the boardwalk by the Visitor's Center. Talk about a walk up animal!

This is what counts for a manatee closeup. Later we went to another boardwalk that ended in a large clearing in the swamp. Despite the road being relatively close by, it was so peaceful in that spot. Milly was able to get some very candid shots of some of the birds that were spending their afternoon there.

This Anhinga was using its long neck to groom, but it couldn't groom its long neck. Sounds like a zen koan.

These green heron pictures might be my favorite things Milly has ever taken.

Here's a picture of the edge of the clearing, with a Wood Stork thrown in for good measure.

After that it was onward to the other visitor center, where a small canal held a plethora of animal life.

This soft-shelled turtle was an aminal I'd wanted to see ever since I read the Golden Guide to Reptiles as a child. Tumblr is making typing a glacial endeavor so I'm going to be very terse from here on out.

Alligator nest. Here are some morning campground pics.

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Frozen!!  This week a storm covered everything in ice and caused a bird explosion in our yard!  It was fun :)

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Backlog of Adventures: Florida pt 1

In the second week of January Milly and I cut out to Florida for a quick vacation before work and life got too busy. Since the temperatures in the Smokies were barely in the double digits it proved really easy to head down to the sub tropics. 

Florida to me has always been a state with a stunning ecology. I remember on childhood trips to Disney World being impressed equally with tree frogs, brown anoles, and alligators as I was with Mickey and Goofy. Even when I went to the Keys for spring break in college, I did have a few quiet moments where the mangroves, pelicans, and glittering ocean that cut through the general atmosphere of dumb choices to make an impression.

On this particular trip we headed all the way down to the Everglades area before really getting out and stretching our legs in Florida. After the general stress of travelling, it was amazing to step out of the car and be greeted by this:

The weather was sunny and warm. There was a slight breeze and very little people. We walked on a boardwalk into a bald cypress stand. Along the way, I felt both wonderfully calm and at peace, yet at the same time excited about all the new animals and plants that surrounded me. In one of my favorite pieces of nature writing, Barry Lopez refers to a "long, fierce peace." Along that walk, I knew exactly what he meant.

A White Ibis was waiting at the end of the boardwalk. We were so excited to see this one, unaware that it was the first of hundreds for the trip.

Snakes are the best. 

This gator was waiting for us by the car when we returned. Those eyes are positively coquettish. 

Before we got in the car to head over to Big Cypress Preserve to secure our campsite, we watched a Great Blue Heron do what herons do. Florida wowed us with all sorts of new species of herons, but this GBH reminded us the classics still go it!

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An awesome otter at Greenbrier in the park - what better cold winter day pick me up than spotting one of these guys!  We scared this one and its partner off their sandy bank - it's amazing how such a big animal can almost completely disappear in just a little water.  I miss sea otters dearly, but these guys are pretty good replacements.

[owlsintheorchard]

Enjoying the sunshine

After a week of temperatures hanging around freezing, this Saturday was promised to be a warmer affair almost reaching into the 60's. So we hit the trail, hiking up past Laurel Falls and down the other side to Wears Gap. It turns out that we weren't the only one enjoying the sunshine. 

As we came around a corner about 5 miles into the hike, we spied this (hickory?) tree and it really caught our eyes.

Nothing stokes the fires of imagination like holes, in trees or in ground. If you've ever been hiking with children, you have probably seen the magnetic attraction unexplored holes in the earth have. These gaping maws could extend all the way to the earth's core, or be chock full of treasure, or even better, snakes. And who among us can resist poking a stick into the dark, unsure with what will come in contact with the point? My biggest regret in life is not buying a book I saw once for sale in a Salton Sea bookstore- Field Guide to Desert Holes. 

Even now whenever we see a large hole in a tree we get a little excited, hoping to see the face of a screech owl stonefaced staring back at us. Well, this particular hole in this particular tree did not have an owl looking back at us, alas. It had something arguably better.

Truthfully, when we rounded the corner and came within sight of the tree, the bear was actually completely out of the tree cavity, clinging onto the bark in the sunshine. It was, to my novice eyes, a young bear, possibly a yearling. Very quickly though the bear scooted back inside to the safety of its domicile and stared back at us for a time.

It's worth noting that the tree in question was growing out of a ravine and so the bear, although probably 75 ft (approx) off the ground was right on our eye level on the trail. A minute later it turned it's head out of the sunshine and presumably embarked on a strenuous afternoon nap. 

And now we have even more reason to look in askance at large holes in tree trunks.

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Cold weather yard friends:

Dark-eyed Junco, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-shouldered hawk

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Till next year

It's been several weeks since the last migrant was seen in the yard, but I still have lots of pictures of the beauties from this season that I never got around to posting.

This mama Black-throated Green warbler was doing something that all mothers do - preparing a meal for her child.  It's just most mother's meal preparation doesn't involve repeatedly bashing said meal against a tree.

Look how excited baby is - he's shaking!

A trip earlier in the summer to Maryland yielded our first Yellow billed Cuckoo and a stunning Prothonotary Warbler.

Chestnut sided warblers were a fairly common sight in the yard during the fall migration, although this one was spotted on the Forney Ridge Trail high up in the Smokies this summer.

Hopefully this Hooded Warbler has made it safely to his tropical winter home.  See you next year!

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It's been pretty great seeing osprey this summer flying up and down the river through downtown Sevierville.  I wonder if any of the tourists sitting in traffic have noticed this impressive bird of prey nose diving into the river for a fish...

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Seven Islands

We are fortunate to currently be just a few miles down the road from the state's first and only State Birding Park.  It's a small but gorgeous piece of old farmland on the banks of the French Broad River.  There's some intact hardwood forest that provides habitat for owls and woodpeckers, marshland and river banks for blackbirds and kingfishers, and open grassland for a plethora of easily view-able awesome birds including Common Yellowthroat and Indigo Bunting.  So. Many. Indigos.

American Goldfinch are always a pleasant sight, especially when they are throwing thistle all over themselves.

Aside from birds, there were also lots of lovely wildflowers when we visited earlier in the summer.

Like this milkweed with a world travelling Monarch.

Indian Pink is an interesting and beautiful wildflower.

No wonder the birds love it here!

This Goldfinch is feeling thankful that in a state whose popular policies aren't as supportive to issues he finds valuable (environment, education, healthcare, human rights...don't get a goldfinch started on politics) at least this park is a win for wildlife!

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Who is the reddest bird in all the land who sings a song so sweet and grand?  

It's the striking Summer Tanager, who we've managed to see a few times sitting high in the tree tops singing his little red heart out.  A bird so awesome it makes you want to rhyme! (at least this time).

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New Backyard, New Birds

It's been a while... since we've posted on the blog that is. In the interim, we somehow managed to drive across the country with 2 cats and start the process of settling within spitting distance of the Great Smoky Mountains. 

And though it was hard to leave the varied and beautiful landscapes of California, moving to such a diverse and lovely place in the Smokies is in no way a step down. Some changes have been a shock (like this wet stuff that persistently falls from the sky), living in a new place means that there's a whole host of new birds to see. 

It seems a little bit weird to call these new birds when I probably grew up within earshot of all these species, but I never paid much attention to birds until a few years ago. In fact, the only memory I have of a song-bird in my years pre-birding (PB for short) were two Baltimore Orioles that were scuffling outside my window one summer in Maine. It took two of the most brilliantly colored birds on this continent to loudly fight directly in my line of sight for me to even notice them. And while this ignorance can be disheartening on one level, on the other hand it's let me discover the birds of my home bioregion for the first time.

All of this is to say- new backyard, new birds! Bring on the pics!

A pair of Indigo Buntings make furtive forays to the feeder (that's a tongue-twister!) every once in a while. Milly caught this male in the act and got some good crushes of it.

Sometimes birds have stupid (or at least misleading) names: Orange-Crowned Warbler, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Ring-Necked Duck. None of these look like their name suggests. Indigo Bunting on the other hand, nails it perfectly. No better word to describe this color than Indigo.

Birds looking directly at the camera is my favorite.

We tried to cajole a Cardinal to join this picture so that we could have a blue, yellow and red menagerie all at once, but to no avail. We'll settle for two out of the three.

Downy Woodpeckers are the cutest woodpecker. House Finches are rendered dull in comparison

Great-Crested Flycatcher. It looks exactly like it's western counterpart the Ash-Throated Flycatcher. I think this is like how the same fast food joint is called Hardee's in the east and Carl's Jr in the west. This flycatcher is busy contemplating the inner mysteries of hickory nuts.

Cedar Waxwings aren't new but man do they always look smooth.

This is not another Indigo Bunting but a closely related Blue Grosbeak. It has those rusty wing bars and a more massive beak to help you know the difference. In California we would have had to drive down to Monterey County to see one of these- here we just stroll down the driveway.

I'll sign off with this picture of a Norther Flicker at a nest hole. More Tennesee discoveries to follow!- LR

[owlsintheorchard]

Coots are a pretty commonplace, normal looking waterbird.  In their usual habitat swimming in the water they appear plain black and kinda boring.  That is until you see their FEET or their BABIES or better yet BOTH!

I don't know which is crazier looking:  ginormous starfish toes or the little ones with their bald bright red head.  Weird but wonderful.

The bottom pictures show a super cute moment where the chick was trying to bite off way more than it could chew with a fish half its size.  Mom heard it frustration and came over to chop it up - kinda like your mom cutting your steak for you :) 

This was at Vasona Lake in Los Gatos, CA a few months ago. 

-M

[owlsintheorchard]

Election Update: A Parliment of Owls

There was one week left in California. Most of our time was filled up by packing, making numerous runs to Goodwill, and fretting about our car transport situation. Somehow though we carved out a day to make one last dash out to Yosemite, because who knows the next time we'll be within a days drive of that incredible place. 

Also, it helped that through some ebird.org sleuthing I was able to find out that there were some nesting reports of what is easily my number one bird to see in the U.S.- the Great Gray Owl. There's a small and isolated population of G.G. Owls in the Sierra Nevada- other that that if you want to see one you have to head to the boreal forests of the far north. So early one morning we hopped in the car and drove towards Wawona Meadow in Yosemite NP. 

There's always an interesting dissonance in a written description of a bird sighting and actually being on the ground looking for the feathered thing. For example, the post that guided us basically said to walk on the Wawona Meadow path until you get to the Great Gray Owl tree. Sounds simple right?

Until you get out of the car and realize that there are thousands of damn trees and every single tree could potentially hold an owl. What seemed simple actually ends up being quite a task. So we slowly combed the cedars, ponderosas, and spruces looking for the biggest North American owl. 

Finally we gave up and called my dad to read us the ebird post again. We parsed through the post like it was the DaVinci Code and had long debates about the meaning of the words "paved path." This is birding at it's cutting edge. We came to the conclusion we were on the entirely wrong path and started to hustle back to where we thought the Great Gray Owl tree would be. 

As we walked back I was blabbing on about something at length. As I yammered, I saw a large dead snag up ahead where the trunk had snapped off about 50 feet above the ground. In the back of my mind I noticed that one of the jagged edges of the tree looked exactly like an owl's head. Then that piece of wood moved and it turned out that it was an owl. 

This owl in fact:

That's a juvenile Great Gray Owl! Turns out we had walked right past the tree an hour earlier but coming from that direction this snag had been blocked from view by a large Incense Cedar. Coming back though the tree stuck out so obviously that one could describe it in all honesty as "THE Great Gray Owl Tree." 

The juvenile owl was curious but not alarmed by our presence. More than anything, I think he was hot (it was like 80 degrees and that nest was in full sunlight). He was panting and titled his head into the sun. Soon we realized there was a second young owl sitting lower in the nest. More pictures:

You can see the second owl in the lower left corner of the trunk. We hung out with the owls for a while, just soaking up their presence. May we present several views and moods of GG Owl babies:

One of my favorite things about these owls is that in profile their heads look like Half Dome.

This owl is begging to become an internet meme:

Milly took hundreds of pictures so you better believe there will be more posted at a later date. Anyways, these young owls were great and all, but for once baby birds weren't cutting it. We wanted to see the adults! A few times we thought we heard them calling in the distance, but couldn't lay eyes on them. So Milly and I hiked back to the Wawona store and had some snacks, hoping that if we returned closer to evening that we could see an adult. Upon returning the tree, we noticed the young acting differently- audibly begging and staring off into the trees surrounding them intently. And then I saw it:

May I present the Gray Ghost of the Pines, the Scourge of Meadow Voles, Mother of Owlets, Chief and Greatest of all Owls, an adult Great Gray Owl. Even their latin name, Strix Nebulosa, carries hints of the sublime. 

What a way to say goodbye to Yosemite! Someday I'd like to see these owls in the snow, but this is good for now.