Just came back from a quick walk at the Mound. I don't like to go to the Mound in the middle of the day because most of the self respecting birds are taking their siesta. But I couldn't resist when I was just around the corner in the Fort Hill area checking on a property.
Not too many birds today but, wow, the King Snake! Long, pretty, unafraid. A man walked right beside him and I was impressed by how unafraid he was. I found out later he didn't see the snake. I asked him. I had to wait till the snake got out of the path. He looks like the snake I've touch once before. I was just not in the mood today. He was facing me this time with his head up. Maybe he was giving his name and I didn't even realize. Shoot.
Have I said once before that no two birdwatching outings are ever the same? Guess what I saw this time? The Pileated Woodpecker at the lower end of a tree in the Loop area. He then came down on the ground!!! A Pileated on the ground, then up the tree, low. Never seen that before. And that's not all.
A Mississippi Kite was flying over the water with a small snake in his bill. The snake was still alive, wingling. I forgot Mississippi Kites eat snakes too. Maybe I didn't know until I just saw it.
On my way back, there was that King Snake again!!! In the path, like if he owned it. And he was not getting out of the way this time. I had to do what "Larry" did earlier. Walk right beside him. At least I said Hi! and told him my name. Till we meet again. Better to be friends with these snakes.
I have more to write but I better go back to work!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Kelly is going to Paris
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Alligator at the Ocmulgee
After checking on a property early this morning, I stopped by the Mound on my way back to the office.
Conveniently, the Park is on my way back.
It was early, and it was cool. Birds were out including the Great Crested Flycatcher, several Great Egrets and one lonely Blue Heron. I don't want to bore you with all the birds in this post. Trust me, they were out, and they were vocal.
I was hurrying back when I saw, just lying on a log, a little alligator. You can easily miss him but I always check those logs because that's where the big water moccasins use to sunbathe. I guess they got evicted by the alligator.
I just saw a man on the trail a few minutes earlier. I've seen him around here before. I carry my binoculars, he carries his camera with powerful zoom lenses.
Well, I shared my find with him and he sent me three pictures of the alligator. He also shared the snake he saw and I missed. A long black Rat Snake in a branch above the trail. The tree branches form a canopy in that area and you can just walk under. Very convenient when it gets hot. Pretty too. Well, I walked right under the snake and didn't see him. I think that snake knows me by now and I recognized him too. We've met a few times before. Last year and this year. We just never got the chance to properly introduce ourselves. Hey Rat Snake, if you ever read this blog, my name is Andre and you must be Blackie, right?
Isn't nature just beautiful? Alligators are photogenic, black snakes are pretty and friendly, birds say hello to you and sing you pretty songs...Get out every chance you get. Miracles are all around you. If you wait till you're old, you can't walk as good, you can't see as good, and you'll wish you've done it earlier.
Conveniently, the Park is on my way back.
It was early, and it was cool. Birds were out including the Great Crested Flycatcher, several Great Egrets and one lonely Blue Heron. I don't want to bore you with all the birds in this post. Trust me, they were out, and they were vocal.
I just saw a man on the trail a few minutes earlier. I've seen him around here before. I carry my binoculars, he carries his camera with powerful zoom lenses.
Well, I shared my find with him and he sent me three pictures of the alligator. He also shared the snake he saw and I missed. A long black Rat Snake in a branch above the trail. The tree branches form a canopy in that area and you can just walk under. Very convenient when it gets hot. Pretty too. Well, I walked right under the snake and didn't see him. I think that snake knows me by now and I recognized him too. We've met a few times before. Last year and this year. We just never got the chance to properly introduce ourselves. Hey Rat Snake, if you ever read this blog, my name is Andre and you must be Blackie, right?
Isn't nature just beautiful? Alligators are photogenic, black snakes are pretty and friendly, birds say hello to you and sing you pretty songs...Get out every chance you get. Miracles are all around you. If you wait till you're old, you can't walk as good, you can't see as good, and you'll wish you've done it earlier.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Spring birdwatching at the Ocmulgee
We went this morning for some birdwatching at the Ocmulgee National Monument. No two birdwatching trips are ever the same! You always have a different experience even if you go back to the same areas again and again.
The Indigo Buntings are out. They are pretty blue birds with beautiful songs. They like to sing. We saw Bluebirds too, with a bright blue color. The usual birds were there such as the Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets, (some were flying and were so gracious!), Cardinals, Phoebes (singing their heart out!), Killdeer, Titmice and Chickadees. A Red Shouldered Hawk was perched on top of a tree and watched us walk by. Did you know black birds could be pretty too? Red-Winged Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brewer Blackbirds. They're all out in our area now.
The Great Crested Flycatcher is visiting, and the Eastern Kingbird was begging to be seen by singing as loud as he could. Sparrows and Wrens are always around too here. So many birds when you start looking!
We were rewarded by observing a male and female Summer Tanager playing around like teenage birds in the foliage. The unique thing about the male Tanager was that he was not fully red. When we checked it out later at home, we understood that his red with yellows were the colors of a Summer Tanager in his first Spring. Interesting that these birds have girlfriends so early. We recognized the female immediately from our last camping trip when they were hanging around the campsite.
Chipmunks are out, as well as turtles, and the deer.
We also heard two Barred Owls hooting loud in plain daylight, then barking at each other. Fun, just fun to be out.
The Indigo Buntings are out. They are pretty blue birds with beautiful songs. They like to sing. We saw Bluebirds too, with a bright blue color. The usual birds were there such as the Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets, (some were flying and were so gracious!), Cardinals, Phoebes (singing their heart out!), Killdeer, Titmice and Chickadees. A Red Shouldered Hawk was perched on top of a tree and watched us walk by. Did you know black birds could be pretty too? Red-Winged Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brewer Blackbirds. They're all out in our area now.
The Great Crested Flycatcher is visiting, and the Eastern Kingbird was begging to be seen by singing as loud as he could. Sparrows and Wrens are always around too here. So many birds when you start looking!
We were rewarded by observing a male and female Summer Tanager playing around like teenage birds in the foliage. The unique thing about the male Tanager was that he was not fully red. When we checked it out later at home, we understood that his red with yellows were the colors of a Summer Tanager in his first Spring. Interesting that these birds have girlfriends so early. We recognized the female immediately from our last camping trip when they were hanging around the campsite.
Chipmunks are out, as well as turtles, and the deer.
We also heard two Barred Owls hooting loud in plain daylight, then barking at each other. Fun, just fun to be out.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
So, why do we do it?
We just came back from a camping trip two week-ends ago. And there we go again. Another camping trip this week-end. So, why do we do it? Why do we keep going any chance we get?
Look at Debbie in this first picture and you'll get your answer. IT MAKES US HAPPY. People line up in a crowded place like Disney to enjoy a few minutes of entertaining or relaxing scene. People travel long distances to be at the beach and soak in the pleasant experience of the waves crashing on the shore. Why do you need to fight a crowd just to have a singular experience, unique to you?
Maybe if money was no object we'll go scuba diving in the Great Barrier, then go to Fiji or the Seychelles Island, go for a zip line experience over some forests in Costa Rica or the Amazon in Brazil, and...stop for breakfast in historic Paris before coming home. Right?
Otherwise, you drive 45 mins to an hour from home to a quiet and peaceful forest, camp where the birds will come visit you, see some unique creatures we still can't find in books or on line, and come back home. The inner being tastes the same repose, same unique and adventurous experience, and is totally refreshed...and it only costs one hour worth of gas in your vehicle (no, 2 hours, you have to come back). But gosh! it's peaceful, tranquil, restful.
So, why are more people not doing this?
Bugs-we don't like them either. Debbie won't go on the trails when the bugs are out. And we bring repellents. This time we even brought a can of "outdoor camp fogger"
. We used the whole g.d. can! The gnats were out, and we shielded our site. But we couldn't go on the trails this time. (We still saw over 20 different bird species just around the camp site).
Isn't it sinful to like nature so much then go in and spray chemical for your own cocoon? Hum, I guess so. May God forgive us then. and we just lost a few hours in longevity with all the bug spray this week-end. True, but we've also been adding years by new habits. net result? still ahead by a few years, not to worry. Keep drinking that wine, baby! and eat all those organic vegetables from our own garden. We'll be 100 years old in no time anyhow. Then we'll find a way to die, like snorkeling with the stingrays. Who knows. (The wine part was a joke guys!)
Other reason people won't camp-snakes, bears, mountain lions, and other ferocious attacking creatures. Hum... hard, very hard to find any of those. Even the snakes. Very hard to find. But again, we're not looking. These creatures hear you a mile away and go their way. And we go ours. You're not prey for them and you're not competing for the same food.
We found a turtle with a yellow head and yellow legs. Do you know the name? A weird creature came to visit us at the campsite. It looks like a squirrel but totally black and much bigger than a squirrel with a white face that looks flattened. He can climb trees super fast.
Wanna go camping? Let us know. We'd love company.
Look at Debbie in this first picture and you'll get your answer. IT MAKES US HAPPY. People line up in a crowded place like Disney to enjoy a few minutes of entertaining or relaxing scene. People travel long distances to be at the beach and soak in the pleasant experience of the waves crashing on the shore. Why do you need to fight a crowd just to have a singular experience, unique to you?
Maybe if money was no object we'll go scuba diving in the Great Barrier, then go to Fiji or the Seychelles Island, go for a zip line experience over some forests in Costa Rica or the Amazon in Brazil, and...stop for breakfast in historic Paris before coming home. Right?
Otherwise, you drive 45 mins to an hour from home to a quiet and peaceful forest, camp where the birds will come visit you, see some unique creatures we still can't find in books or on line, and come back home. The inner being tastes the same repose, same unique and adventurous experience, and is totally refreshed...and it only costs one hour worth of gas in your vehicle (no, 2 hours, you have to come back). But gosh! it's peaceful, tranquil, restful.So, why are more people not doing this?
Bugs-we don't like them either. Debbie won't go on the trails when the bugs are out. And we bring repellents. This time we even brought a can of "outdoor camp fogger"
. We used the whole g.d. can! The gnats were out, and we shielded our site. But we couldn't go on the trails this time. (We still saw over 20 different bird species just around the camp site). Isn't it sinful to like nature so much then go in and spray chemical for your own cocoon? Hum, I guess so. May God forgive us then. and we just lost a few hours in longevity with all the bug spray this week-end. True, but we've also been adding years by new habits. net result? still ahead by a few years, not to worry. Keep drinking that wine, baby! and eat all those organic vegetables from our own garden. We'll be 100 years old in no time anyhow. Then we'll find a way to die, like snorkeling with the stingrays. Who knows. (The wine part was a joke guys!)
Other reason people won't camp-snakes, bears, mountain lions, and other ferocious attacking creatures. Hum... hard, very hard to find any of those. Even the snakes. Very hard to find. But again, we're not looking. These creatures hear you a mile away and go their way. And we go ours. You're not prey for them and you're not competing for the same food.
We found a turtle with a yellow head and yellow legs. Do you know the name? A weird creature came to visit us at the campsite. It looks like a squirrel but totally black and much bigger than a squirrel with a white face that looks flattened. He can climb trees super fast. Wanna go camping? Let us know. We'd love company.
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