Immature Mourning Dove

                                                         Two of the Four, Ditto

                                                           Another Perspective

                                                      Nearing Sunset with Cloud Cover

                                                                   Question Mark

                                               Viceroys, Young Wasp, and Japanese Beetle

                                                                  Young Viceroy

These photos were taken over the past couple of days.  Yesterday evening was about 72 degrees, a perfect ending for the day.  Sometimes a picture says more than words...

                                                                 Great Blue Heron

                                                                  Mallard Pair

                                                        Spider with Food Source

                                                                 Mourning Dove

                                                    Tawny Emperor with Japanese Beetle

                                                 Wasps with Japanese Beetles and Larvae

                                                           "The Lovely Couple"

                                               Red-winged Blackbird in Flight Near Sunset

Evening/Light and Variable Winds/83-80 degrees/clear skies

The first three pictures were from yesterday.  The first few days of fall aren't much different than summer, but life is slowing down a little.  Temperatures and the weather is as close to perfect as it can get.  There are a few leaves falling to the ground anticipating the change of weather, but it is slow.  Life is good, and there will be many, many more days of wonderful and beautiful pieces of the puzzle, brought to you by Nature.  Open your eyes and hearts to the beauty around you.

                                                                Great Blue Heron

                                                                 Cattle Egret

                                                             
                                                                    Bald Eagle

               
                 
                                                            Great Egret

70-73 degrees/clear skies/20 mph winds/morning

Today the Bald Eagle came to visit.  He made a couple of passes around the main part of the lake, and frightened away the young Red-tailed Hawk, who headed north.  I managed to catch up to him, but when he saw Bald Eagle the second time, he fled once again.  I'm not sure if he will return.

A dozen Great Egrets were in the area by 9:30, some of which were obvious migrants.  It is not known if they all left together.  I will know more tomorrow.

Green Heron was seen only one day last week, so it is very possible that he has left the area, but that cannot be determined yet.

                                                                  Day Moon

                                                                   Great Egret

                                                   Great Egret Crosses Great Blue Heron

                                                                   Great Egret

                                                        Immature Red-tailed Hawk

                                                              Ditto, Landing

                                                                Ditto, Take-Off

                                                              Ditto, Diving

                                                             Ditto, In Flight

Low 60s/clear skies/20 mph winds/ morning

Another one of those rare mornings at the lake, and what great shots this time around.  The young red-tail still favors one particular area, and he is used to me.  He did a flyby right around me, coming so close, I could have touched him.  Life doesn't get any better.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk to Rural American Life

                                                    Immature Red-tailed Hawk in Flight

                                               Immature Red-tailed Hawk with His Mouse

                                               Immature Red-tailed Hawk with Take-Out

                                                       Immature Red-tailed Hawk

                                                                      Ditto

                                                               Ditto, in Flight

                                                                         Ditto

                                                                          Ditto

                                                                          Ditto

                                                               "A Star is Born"

                                                  First Time I Ever Saw a Real Buffalo!

                                                                     Clydesdale

                                                                     Peacock

                                                                Youthful Pea Bird

                                                                     Pea Hen

                                                                     Pea Fowl

                                                          "The Lovely Couple"

Clear/83 degrees/15 mph winds/between late afternoon and evening

As you can see, today was a wonderful day.  My friend, Jeannie, took me to places that I had never seen before after we stopped at Boomer Lake and got several shots of yesterday's immature Red-tailed Hawk that I spotted yesterday.  Yes, indeed, life is very good!

                                               Immature Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Flight

                                                      Mallard Pair(Eclipsed Drake on left)

                                                         Immature Red-tailed Hawk

                                                 Another Day Draws to an End

Light and Variable Winds/83 degrees/Early to mid-Evening/Clear Skies

It was spectacular to see a young red-tail, and gave me encouragement to keep plodding on for additional discoveries.  There were several nice shots of European Starlings, but sadly, they were all on the power lines.  The only reason that I captured the red-tail where it was, was because I had no other option.  However, tomorrow is another day...

                                                              Northern Cardinal

                                                              Great Blue Heron

                                                                 Great Egret

These pictures were from today(last two) and yesterday.  I observed six Great Egrets on the southern jetty at Boomer Lake, all gathering like a group of kin.  Today was 73 degrees during late afternoon, with a slight breeze.  It was still a little humid, and the young birds(immatures from this year) are most of the migratories left now.  They will have good weather over the next few days, much cooler, and that will begin to tell them that it is getting to be time to leave.