February Highlights

Where did February go??? It seems like the days are whizzing past me before I can take stock of what has taken place. Yesterday I worked for my former boss, including two days last week. And, since my car had a costly repair, the work was timely.

Below are some highlights from February.

Close-up of Barbara the Barred Owl

Bluebonnet Swamp

Preening after spending hours in the nest.

You can hear her cooing to the eggs now. Its' very sweet!

The eggs are due to hatch next week. We are all super excited!!!

Snout nose Butterfly (American Snout)

Bluebonnet Swamp

Spreading its wings.

Rock pigeons on a hill
LSU Lakes

Canada Goose on a small strip of sandy beach at LSU Lakes.

I have no idea what this is. Looks like a cross between a swan and a goose.

A sweet little Chihuahua from the Mystic Krewe of Mutts Parade.

More to come...stay tuned!!!!

My prayers go to Anni at this time. Godspeed, dear girl.

Mossy

Noticed this "fence" as we were leaving Jefferson Island. I'm calling it a fence because it has posts and a wire strung between them. Not sure if the moss ended up there naturally or someone thought to put it there. Both images were snapped with the iPhone.

Here are some other shots with moss in them.

Breeding great egret, Lake Martin, 3/22/14

Rose-breasted grosbeak, my backyard, 4/26/14 (moss on far right)

Barbara the barred owl, Bluebonnet Swamp, 3/16/14 (moss also on right side)

Back in February I told you about the barred owl pair, Barbara & Barry, who made a nest close to the boardwalk at Bluebonnet Swamp. The chicks were scheduled to appear the second week in April. Weeks went by without any sightings of the parents, much less the owlets. Finally, Barbara appeared a couple weeks ago preening on a boardwalk railing; another day she was spotted bathing in dirt. Some days later, Barry made his presence known. The chicks were never seen, so we don't know if the harsh winter did them in, or if a predator got them. We were so disappointed. But at least the parents are okay and we know they will try again next year.

Sharing this post with TexWisGirl's

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Barred Owl Extravaganza!

Double D and I enjoyed such a wonderful weekend, ending it with Barbara and Barry, the devoted barred owl pair at Bluebonnet Swamp. What made it more special was meeting two couples on a birding expedition from Canada―three of them toting major camera gear. They were from the northernmost part of Canada, near the Arctic. It was the first day of their adventure and they were really hoping to see something at the swamp. However, it was a dreary day and not much happening at our favorite nature place.

All of a sudden, Barry began hooting and Barbara's muffled responses were clearly heard from inside the tree cavity. I told them to be patient, that I had a good feeling we would see Barbara. She hasn't been seen much lately, she's so devoted to her eggs right now. Sure enough, she came out of the tree, perched on the side of the hole and stared. Cameras were snapping and whirring just like a paparazzi event at the Oscar's.

We were so close, no cropping was necessary on this shot and on the next;
only resized and sharpened slightly for the blog.

After posing outside the nest, Barbara flew to a nearby cypress tree. Although the light could have been better, I was happy she was posing near some budding limbs. I had to bump my ISO to 3200 to get these, but I was able to take out most of the noise in Lightroom. Overall, I am happy with this set. I hope my sweet Canadian friends were able to get some shots. Canadians are just the nicest people!

Sharing with Eileen at Saturday's Critters and Anni at I'd Rather B' Birdin'. Thank you hosts!

Bits and Bobs

It's been an exceptionally busy week working from home. Thank you for your patience as I hobble around visiting whenever possible. Our birding class is going very well, but the first field trip was canceled due to rain. Two field trips are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday this weekend―both start at 7AM! Ugh, we are NOT morning people. At. All.

Male house finch
Did you know birds with thick beaks like finches and cardinals are seed eaters?
I learned that in class. :)

See?

Barbara the barred owl from Feb 15th.

Downy woodpecker.
Their tails are used as a prop to help them climb trees. I learned that in class, too.

Male flowers of the swamp maple.
I did not learn that in class.

Injured ibis from Dec 29th. :(

See how his right wing droops? I think that was his problem. Hope he's okay.
I checked on him two days later and he was gone.

Hope everyone has a fun weekend! I'll check with y'all on Monday.

Beautiful things are never perfect.
(Seen on Pinterest)

Barbara and Barry: A Love Story

Since I moved to Baton Rouge two years ago and discovered Bluebonnet Swamp, I have been introduced to some wonderful birders and photographers, learning much along the way. This past Saturday we crossed paths and they were eager to lead me to a big surprise. You see, every year around Valentine's Day, the resident barred owls, Barbara and Barry, set up house in the swampy part of the preserve. Usually, they find a tree several hundred yards away, so high in the treetops that our camera equipment is pushed to its limits.

The past few days our little lovebirds have found a new tree for their family. And it's RIGHT NEXT TO THE BOARDWALK; mere feet from us! This was the scenario: Barry began calling from the other end of the preserve. Barbara's muffled response from inside the tree cavity let us know she was there. After several minutes hooting back and forth, Barbara emerged from the nest. She then flew to a nearby tree, hugging close to the trunk. More minutes ticked by and here came Barry, flying past us towards the east. Barbara flew to him and they had what I call a "quickie", and believe you me, it was quick! Barbara flew back to the cavity of the tree to lay an egg (we hope).

And that was one of my big adventures for the weekend. Being trapped for weeks inside my house, on a heating pad, I can't tell you how elated and exhilarated I felt after watching nature in action. Whew doggies, I was one happy camper.

Emerging from the tree cavity

Getting ready to meet Barry

Barbara graciously posing for two slap-happy photographers

Feathers ruffling during her "conversation" with Barry

Barbara off to join her mate

Linking with Anni at I'd Rather B Birdin' and Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday. Thanks so much link hosts!

Collect moments, not things.
Author unknown

Iris and April

Tuesday was the only day available to me this week to check out the barred owl situation at Bluebonnet Swamp since it was closed on Monday and rain is expected for the rest of the week. I'll start with what I saw as I left the swamp and save what I saw at first for last. :)

These irises were clumped together near a small pond at the entrance. There were several little boys lying around the perimeter, their arms buried in water up to their shoulders, trying to catch crawfish. A worker at the center had to keep them from picking the irises and using the flowers as bait. The imagination of little boys is too cute!

Meet April! 

She first appeared from the nest on Monday, April 1. (Please note that I do not name any of the wildlife at the swamp myself―my birding buddies are in charge of that.) We don't know if this is a boy or a girl, but I guess because he/she appeared on April Fool's Day, the name seemed appropriate. April is so small that my camera's AF has trouble zeroing in, perhaps because of all the fuzz and surrounding leaves and limbs. There were three of us with different models of Canons, and all had a bit of trouble in that regard. Therefore, not my best work, but at least you get an idea of what we're seeing from several hundred feet away and about 30' up. Hoping another babe emerges soon, as Barbara and Barry usually produce two.

I'll be working from home Thursday and Friday, so my blog visiting may be a bit sporadic. Thank you all for your kind comments and visits. It really does brighten my day!

Thank you to Michelle for hosting

Nature Notes. Feel better soon!

Crawfishin'

Are you sick of Barbara yet? I hope not because I plan to draw water from this well as long as it's available. She seems to be on a schedule, coming out of the nest around 10:30AM and again at 3:30-4:00PM. My birding buddies told me that she was 7 for 7 on crawfish runs the other day. Of course I missed it. Her eyesight must be incredible because here we are standing on the edge of the boardwalk and can barely see any mud bugs from just a few feet away, yet Barbara can spot one from 10-15' up in a tree. I still want to see her nab a snake, though. But I am also eagerly awaiting the appearance of the owlets. Should be soon! This series was captured around 4PM on 3/28/13.

Thanks, Stewart!

Thanks, Anni!

The Star of Bluebonnet Swamp

Since I had such good luck a few days ago finding Barbara the barred owl at Bluebonnet Swamp, I had to test my good fortune once again. I ran into my birding buddies there and together we waited by the same cypress tree as before. Over an hour later, Barbara made her mid-afternoon appearance to the same tree; however, she sat on a branch that was positioned much higher. This shoot was more challenging for many reasons, among them, harsh lighting and dangling tree limbs. Overall though, I am satisfied with this set.

The first thing Barbara did was hock up a large object that fell into the water.
Bertha, my bratty camera, failed to catch the object. :(

The next order of business was grooming. She groomed for a long time.

Being a new mother, she's probably behind on her mani/pedi.

We all held our breath as this snake swam right below her.
We could see Barbara tracking it with her eyes, but she didn't go for it.
Wouldn't that have been a sight?

Her meal of choice appears to be crawfish right now. She and I have something in common! :)

We think she was preparing this red bug (crawfish) for her babies.

As she delivered the meal a blue jay started dive bombing her. Once again, Bertha failed to capture a major element of the scene.

Because of the blue jay's torments she dropped the meal inside the hollow tree and waited.

After the blue jay gave up Barbara flew over to another cypress tree near her owlets.

Parenting in nature is fascinating. One of my birding buddies said that Barry was a slacker father and that Barbara could do better. It's true I haven't seen him around much, but maybe he's out on the perimeter, keeping the bad guys away. In any case, Barbara seems perfectly capable of handling her motherly duties. At one point there were eight of us gawking at her in the tree and she never said boo...or hoot, I guess is more accurate. :) She's the calmest, coolest mom ever.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Guess where I'll be? :) Since I probably won't post again until Monday, I wish for everyone a blessed Easter!

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