011125 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

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040222 SNP Edition, Life At Boomer Lake

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Migratory Movement for Songbirds Appears Underway

                                                    Green Heron Chicks, Clutch 2, Day 2

                                            Green Heron Chicks Clutch 2, Day 2, Position 2

                                                                   Great Blue Heron

                                                         Juvenile Spotted Sandpiper

                                                                Common Grackle

                                                                  Great Blue Heron

                                                                     Great Egret

                                                                 Female Yellow Warbler

                                                               Female Orchard Oriole

                                                                Willow Flycatcher


68-71 degrees F/0700-1000/partly cloudy to mostly cloudy/17 mph wind gusts

An outstanding day as far as migrants are concerned.  The grouping of songbirds at the bottom
were in a group of approximately sixty birds, so it was hard to view and photograph all of them.
Birds include Indigo Buntings, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Orchard Oriole, Yellow Warbler, and
House Sparrow.  All birds were southbound and very active, stopping to partake of sustenance
during several days worth of unsettled weather.  Migratory movement appeared to be more of a medium range.

Also observed was a group of forty of both Common and Great-tailed Grackles in mixed woods
near Transportation Dept.

I believe that there is a third Green Heron, most likely the last born that I saw for a moment, who
skittered back to the nest area.

There was quite a bit of activity at The Northern Reaches.  As a side note, the Mississippi Kites
didn't come to the lake until early afternoon, after a short rain with large raindrops.

Once Upon the Fall

                                                                 Brown Thrasher

                                                                  Great Egret
                                                                "Wings Wide"

                                                                       Great Egret

                                                                           Ditto

                                                                   Ready to Fly

                                                                       In Flight

                                                            Juvenile Common Grackle

                                                              Northern Mockingbird

                                                          Juvenile European Starling

                                                               Northern Mockingbird

15 mph winds/0730-1000 hrs./partly cloudy/63-76 degrees

There were a good twenty Great Egrets on the water with a handful of Great Blue Herons.  This is the time of year when the Egrets have always outnumbered the herons, which means that they won't be with us much longer.  The Scissor-tailed Flycatchers still remain with s, the young ones strengthening their wings for their southern voyages.  Some may stay as near as Texas, but others will go to Central and South America, where they will set up camp for our winter.  They won't even have a climate change, other than the fact that they will be in the tropics.

The persimmons are getting riper, and with first frost, they will be exquisite for cookies, chutney, persimmon butter, pudding, cake and pie.  We are fortunate that these can be obtained on the roadsides, along with pawpaws, and pecans.  During this time of year, we can live of the land to some degree.