Tell Me a Story: November 2014

Tell me a Story is live, and I was not sure what to do this month.  I have been having issues with my feet recently.  I developed a Morton's Neuroma in my left foot which made it painful to walk on. In compensating I have irritated something in the heel.  So I have tried to keep walking to a minimum recently.  

So what I thought I would share is my little piece of heaven.  Having lived on an acre of land, we were a little shocked at the postage stamp size properties the houses were on.  I look at all of 6 houses and decided on this one.  The very reason, behind the house was a canal and beyond that was the Florida Everglades.  When I sit on my back patio or on the deck, I look towards the trees.  

The nice thing about living on the Everglades is that there is an abundance of critters.  And I love critters, whether they have legs or wings, I love them.  I am not crazy about spiders and I really do not like snakes, but the rest I can handle.  So today I thought I would share one of my typical days out back.  

I have a morning routine.  Feed Moonshine - the cat.  Once she is done, I head outside and feed my Mallards.  For the longest time I had two that would come daily. With winter coming along I sometimes have 8 out there.  I have discovered that even what appears to be the most timid of birds, has a nasty little streak in them.  They are very territorial and do not like other birds trying to eat their food.  Half the time they are so busy chasing each other up and down the canal that their food is being eaten by some other bird, either the Mourning Doves or the Boat Tailed Grackle.    

Third on my list to feed in the morning is my favorites the Squirrels.  I have Ms Squirrel as I call her because clearly she has been feeding babies.  And there are at least 3 youngsters running around.  They are all named Baby Squirrel because I am not sure which is which.  Ms Squirrel is easy to spot.  Breakfast consists of peanuts and conversation, and generally a photography session.  

In South Africa we had something called and Indian Myna. In Florida we have a bird called a Boat Tailed Grackle.  They are similar in mannerisms.  Both are noisy, pushy and fly in packs. If one discovers food, it will call the entire neighborhood.  In this past week we have had flocks of them flying over the back, stopping on houses and in trees.  It really looks like something out of the Alfred Hitchcock horror movie Birds.    However, one thing about the male Boat-Tailed Grackle is the iridescent colors to it feathers.  When the sun catches the colors are gorgeous.   

These are the birds that are typically eating the duck food while the ducks are chasing each other.  

Fake ducks hold down the water pipes, but they also make a great landing spot for the Cormorant as it dries out it's wings.  Very often I will find the Cormorant or an Anhinga, or both sunning themselves on the dock a the back of our garden.  Both these birds swim underwater to fish.  Both, I believe have porous feathers and their wings become waterlogged making it very difficult for them to fly.  So they will hop onto the nearest perch and stretch out their wings and stay there until their wings are dry. 

About 2 months ago we were outside and this Great Blue Heron wandered up to the patio and starred at us. He stayed at the edge of the patio most of the day. I am assuming someone has been feeding it, and it was looking for food, but I feel that this guy needs to do his own fishing. But for the last two months, it seems like when ever someone is outside on the patio or in the garden, Big Blue, as I have named him, appears.  He will stand close by.  If you walk towards him, he will walk away and if you walk away, he will follow you.  Just weird but I love it.  

He has the most interesting knobbly knees and this birds knees bend backwards.  It's feet are pretty big and I am convinced that this bird has a tail that wags every time I talk to it.  Yeah I talk to all the critters.  I was telling Richard tonight that I think I am a critter whisperer.  Since I wrote this post Big Blue as I called him has disappeared.  I guess he has gone looking for his mate.  

The highlight of my day however, was my local screecher. For months now I have heard screeching in the trees.  In fact, I now easily identify where the screecher is. But generally it is up high in the trees and my camera lens does not easily reach it.  However, today I think it was hungry and decided to head on down to the edge of the canal.  I saw some movement in the trees and headed down along my neighbors property.  I was not happy to see my ducks swimming down that way, but with me moving down they swam down away from the activity. Next thing I realized is that it was heading up the canal closer to Big Blue.  I have a rule for my back yard.  No eating the family.  As I got closer to my property this Red Shouldered Hawk took off flying straight at me. At the last minute it swerved away from me and fly down to the waters edge. This is the first time I have been up close and personal with a raptor in its natural environment.  And I was in awe.  

From breakfast routine to evening routine, I close the day off watching and photographing the sunset if there is a good one.  Tonight Big Blue and I settled in to watch the sky change to a subtle pink before it finally set.  

Since I wrote this, I was asked and agreed to change my job description at work.  In order to do that I am required to go into the office 4 days a week. Week 1 is done, and it was a little harder to take photographs each day.  I wake up a little earlier and get the routine done and give myself a little bit of time to catch whatever critters are out, but evenings are harder.  By the time I have driven 1 hour home, it is dark, the critters have given up and gone home. 

Although the dark has critters of it's own and tonight while we were sitting outside, the possum that is living under our deck made its way out to forage in the garden. I was pretty pleased to get a good look at her.  Aside from those you have seen today, we get a great variety of Birds, we also get Turtle, Alligators, Racoons, Vultures, and we have even seen a Bobcat at the edge of the water.

I hope you have enjoyed me post.  Don't forget to follow the link and look at what my friend Stacey Markel Photography / Maryland Family and Child Photographer as for you.  I always enjoy reading her blogs.