A Full-time Life

Category: Florida

  • STORY OF THE EAGLES’ NEST – 2016 chapter

     

    There have been lots of interesting happenings at the North Fort Myers eagle nest — at the very end of last season and so far this year.    The main thing we have all been reminded of  is that, like all birds, the Eagles don't really exist to make people happy.  They exist to survive and procreate — to bring more bald eagles into the world.

    (Some of you may be following the adventures at the nest on Facebook or the WebCam, so this will be old news.    If you do, you've seen better pictures too — but these are my very own.  It's fun to visit the nest occasionally and fun to share the pictures, so even if you know all this already, I hope you won't mind seeing the story again here.)

     

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    HARRIET, MARCH 2016

     

    I wrote, around this time last season, about the injury to Ozzie, the male Eagle at the nest.  He was found hurt (probably hit by a train) and taken to CROW, our local Animal Rehab facility.       When I posted then, he was recovering from his injuries.    Harriet continued to nourish and raise her two nestlings alone and both fledged successfully.     During that time, several young adult and sub-adult eagles attempted to visit the nest.  Harriet chased most of them off, but eventually she began to encourage one who became known as FV  (for "Frequent Visitor").    

    Ozzie recovered from his injuries and was released near the nest, but instead of the happy reunion many hoped for, a few days later he got into a fight with FV and was killed.    Fort Myers mourned!  This sign was posted at the pasture:   

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    (I admit to being slightly obsessed with the Eagles and stop briefly when I can,  but there are quite a few people who apparently sit and watch the nest all day, every day.  I assume they are the ones who put up the memorial.)

     

    When this season began Harriet and FV returned together to the nest.   Even those who were heartbroken about Ozzie now seem to accept that Harriet's purpose in life is  to raise more healthy Eagles and the excitement of watching the nest began again with the new Dad-to-be.  Since he has moved in permanently,  FV is now known as M-15 for Male 2015.   I think the people in charge of the WebCam have decided not to name the Eagles from now on. Since the webcam's second season, the Eaglets too are now just known by numbers.    I think this is an effort to keep people from anthropomorphizing the birds.   (It is really hard not to do so.  Some people are now using "FV" to refer to human beings we know.  ;>)))

     

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    SCENES AT THE "EAGLE'S PASTURE"

     

     Two eaglets hatched on  January 26 and 27  and as of now the nestlings are doing well.  But last month, the younger and smaller of the two got his leg tangled in fish line,  brought in with one day's fish dinner.  He couldn't move.  CROW personnel climbed the tree and rescued the Eaglet, taking him to the Rehab Center for a few days until he fully recovered.    

    They brought him back to the nest and he was warmly welcomed back by the rest of the family.  It was interesting that the parents accepted him back after an absence of a few days.  

     

       

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    It was also interesting to hear the explanation of why Animal Rehab could get involved in rescuing the Eaglet from the fish line while they will not get involved with 'rescuing" one of the nestlings when it is bullied by the other (as has happened in past seasons and a little bit this one).   In the first instance, the injury is caused by humans.  The second, although the  'bullying' behavior made many people think that the weaker bird should be rescued, that would be unethical (and actually illegal) because it is part of the normal cycle of Eagle life.  

     

     

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    On the day last week when I took all of these pictures, Harriet flew off the nest while I was watching, made a circle around the pasture and flew back to land on the branch above the nest (the first picture above).

     

    She didn't bring any food — I was hoping to catch a feeding or better yet get a picture of "Dad".  But no luck on either count.   Apparently M15 usually flies off early in the morning and does not return with food until later in the afternoon.   Harriet is having to work extra hard as she trains her new mate!  

     

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    Here are both the babies — not the greatest picture, but at least they are both poking their heads up out of the nest at the same time.

     

     

     

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    When I posted a picture of the nest last week, some of you expressed surprise that we could easily visit it on our way to shopping and errands.  This area of Fort Myers is more rural than you might think,  but farms and undeveloped lands are often surrounded by developments.  

     

    The Eagle's tree is in this large horse pasture which lies directly across the street from a major supermarket and strip mall.    The picture on the bottom left is taken from the store's parking lot looking across the street … you can see the Eagle gates across the street between the two palm trees.  

    The church lot where I usually park when I stop is next door to the pasture and the gates are about a long City block down the sidewalk into the other side of the pasture.  (The owners, who are the ones who put up and maintain the webcam, allow people in there during the nest season and there is even some parking on their property.)

     

     

    LINKING  this post to SATURDAY CRITTERS; RATHER B' BIRDING;  SEASONS;  MOSAIC MONDAY; OUR WORLD TUESDAY; NATURE NOTES;  TREES&BUSHES; WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY; SIGNS SIGNS;  and GOOD FENCES.   

    Thank you to all of the hosts of these great sharing opportunities.

     

     

     

  • AN ORDINARY MORNING

    Come with me on an ordinary walk around the neighborhood.

     

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    Morning arrived with  a sudden blaze of gold.

     

      

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    There were a few robins on the golf course lawn, the same area where the Sandhill Cranes (here) hung out in January.  The Cranes have gone on to other places.  And although the robins probably  seem more ordinary to almost all of you, the Sandhills are actually a more usual bird around here.  In fact, this is the very first time that we have seen Robins  in Florida.  (Now, if  daffodils would somehow suddenly start to bloom here, it would seem like a real Spring here in the land of endless summer.)

     

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    As always, Mockingbirds are everywhere.  This time of year, their varied songs often serve as our morning wake up call.  It's a nice way to start the day.

     

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    Almost home from the walk, I stopped to talk with  our cross-street neighbor.  His house backs up onto wetlands (where ours backs on to the Canal).  There's a nest of Turkey Vultures just behind his yard.   He is worried because his  adorable calico cat likes to explore a little and  sleep (a lot) in the yard.  (She is on a long leash).  Now he is afraid to let her outside unless he is sitting right there.  I think the Vultures can probably distinguish between a sleeping cat and one that is no longer alive.    But I'm not positive.

     

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     Random walk-by shots on an ordinary morning.

     

     

    Sharing with: OUR WORLD on Tuesday (thank you to Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Arija, and Gattina ; MOSAIC MONDAY (thanks to Judith) ; WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY (thank you to Stewart); NATURE NOTES (thank you Michelle); and SEASONS (thank you to Jesh)

     

     

  • POSTCARDS TO WISH YOU A HAPPY WEEKEND

     

        Postcards from Florida — to wish you a Happy Weekend.

    (Subtitled:   A collection of miscellaneous pictures for the weekend memes.)

      

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    Ocean Dreams

     

     

     

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    Nap time for shorebirds

     

      

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    Pictures last longer than the real thing!

     

     

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    (This beautiful florist's bouquet wasn't even mine —

    it was sent to a friend and neighbor as a thank you and I shamelessly stole a few pictures.)

     

     

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     A Brown Pelican guarding his harbor under blue skies.

     

     (People or pelicans — we are all happy to have our great Florida weather back again.)

     

     

     LINKING TO SKYWATCH FRIDAY (thanks to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy); to TODAY'S FLOWERS (thank you Denise);  to SCENIC WEEKENDS (thank you Gemma) to SATURDAY CRITTERS (thanks Eileen); to RATHER B'BIRDING (thank you Anni); and to MACRO MONDAY (thanks again  Gemma)

     

     

  • PART OF OUR WORLD

     

     

    Birding isn't really the only part of our world, but once again this week, it is the only part that got any blog-worthy attention from my camera. 

     

     

     

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    On an early morning walk around the RV Park, a red-bellied woodpecker played hide-and-seek with said camera.

     

     

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    I stop to check on the world-famous North Fort Myers' Eagles whenever I'm out and about and  have a little extra time.   (It's on the way to grocery shopping, the Library, and other vital every-day activities.)   This is Harriet on the nest.  Her two nestlings are doing well so far.  I hope to get some better pictures for a later post.        But the truth is, you can see all the "action" live and read all about it on the Eagle-Nest webcam or their Facebook any time you have a few minutes.  

     

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     Six-Mile Cypress Slough is one of my favorite places to walk and, usually, take pictures.    I do  a weekly Yoga session there every Tuesday.  (Believe me, you don't want to see pictures of that activity).  Last year, I followed up almost every week's class by walking the boardwalk, camera in hand. This year it has been so wet and chilly  that I haven't yet been able to get all the way around the walk.    (We've had nice days, but they just don't seem to occur on Tuesday, unless I have another appointment and don't have time to hang around after class.  Then, of course, the weather is perfect.)  

    The skies last week were just a little threatening, but it wasn't raining yet, so I decided to go early and walk before class.  I got as far as the first viewpoint and was able to get a few pictures of this Great Blue Heron.   Just as I was deciding whether I had time to walk a little further, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down in buckets.    In case you wondered, soaking-wet clothing does not enhance the Yoga experience one little bit.     

     

     

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    The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow

    (It was beautiful the day after class and we haven't had any more rain since.  Things are looking up.)

     

     

    LINKING TO OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; and to WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  

    Thank you to the hosts:  Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Gattina, and Arija for OW and Stewart for WBW.  

     

  • THE TRUTH IS …

    Most of the time when I'm taking a sequence of sunset pictures, they look exactly like what my eye is seeing.   But there is always one particular moment when, for some reason I  don't understand, my camera shows the sky much redder than it really is.  

     

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     This is that moment.  

    There is no post-"processing" except for the added frame.    Maybe the camera doesn't lie, but in this instance, it definitely enhanced the truth.    That, I hope, makes it a good candidate for the DIGITAL ART meme.    This is part of the sunset sequence I took at Chokoloskee Island near the Everglades (this post) earlier this month.  (That post includes pictures taken just before and just after this one and they are true to what I actually saw.)

     

    The picture below is the other end of another day from another place — a sunrise from our deck at home.  

    And it is truly just exactly the way it looked.  

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    And of course the truth is that I am also linking this post to SKYWATCH FRIDAY 

    because I know it is perfect for that meme.

     

     

     

     

     

    Thank you to Monica for DIGITAL ART and to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy for SKYWATCH FRIDAY

     

  • BIRDS AND BOATS = BLISS

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    Really the only thing this boat picture and the bird photos below have in common is that they both make us happy.   Our poor boat has been in the "boat hospital" (the mechanic)  all season but now at last it is well and at home on our dock.   (And now the only thing that is poor is our wallet.)   We do hope we can use it often for the rest of the time we're here.   This picture shows the improvements we made to the dock — that was one of our projects last year.   It's nice to have the step and rails to make it easier to get on and off — and easier to dock when we get home from a trip.

     

    The rest of the post  (all birds all the time) is more from our Everglades excursion earlier this month.  

     

     

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    This is the Gulf of Florida shoreline near where we camped at Flamingo.  And just part of the huge bunch* of Black Skimmers we spotted.

    * I'm quite sure that "bunch" is not the term that a real birder would use.  But in spite of being able to help the people I met at the Osprey nest near here (HERE is that post), I am really an eternal amateur.

     

     

     

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    I am very happy with this close-up because it shows his (or her) eye.    Black on black makes them very difficult to see.   The first one I ever spotted  a few years ago was resting on the grass and I actually thought it had suffered some terrible injury and didn't have any eyes at all. (HERE is that post.)   

     

     

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    I  admit to being a little obsessed with Skimmers  – but aren't they gorgeous looking?    Also, there really is something special about seeing a large flock of any bird.  It kind of makes me feel like there is something right with  the world!

     

     

      Skim on over to OUR WORLD on TUESDAY;  WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WEDNESDAY WATERS and click the links.  There are so many interesting stories and so many wonderful photographers who link to each of these fun memes.  SPECIAL THANKS to all of the hosts.  

     

  • FLAMINGO CAMPGROUND, BUT NO FLAMINGO

    As some of you who follow Florida birding sites know, a wild American Flamingo has been spotted recently here in our area of Southwest Florida (Lee County).  Alas, we have not been lucky enough to see  it.   Staying in the Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park is the closest to that elusive bird that we've come.    Definitely not quite the same.   

    Of course, the Everglades is a different part of the State, so we weren't really looking for the flamingo and didn't expect to see it.  And we definitely weren't the least bit disappointed with the birds we did see.   Maybe not such exotic species,  but we were happy.    Today's pictures are of a couple of kinds of raptors.

     

     

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     This handsome red-shouldered hawk posed beautifully….

     

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     … until he got tired of showing off and went to sleep.

     

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    Around this campground, it seemed like there were ospreys on every tree and snag.   

    It's good to see them doing well.

     

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     Someone came by while I was taking pictures of the nesting pair and asked if I knew what that huge bird was.   That made me smile to myself.  It  isn't often I can pretend to be an expert.   These guys are pretty easy to identify.  I'm sure those strangers won't have any trouble the next time they see one and then they can pretend to be a real birder too.

     

     

    LINKING TO: SATURDAY CRITTERS (thank you Eileen);  to RATHER B' BIRDING (thanks Anni);   to MOSAIC MONDAY (thank you Judith) and to NATURE NOTES (thank you MIichelle)

     

     

  • A HAPPY WEEK

     

    Flowers for cards

    Happy Valentine's Week

     


    Not a photWe have more pictures from our excursion to the Everglades, but this post does not include any of them.   Since we returned, we've been busy around the resort with those infamous not-a-photo-opportunity-activities.  

     (Nothing that couldn't be pictured if only I were the kind of person who could have fun with people and take a picture at the same time.  But I'm not and I'd rather have fun.)  

    Last week, our resort activities included a very good  musical presentation by a family band called Link Union (one of the professional entertainment groups who travel the winter resort circuits); the annual "Ladies Luncheon" (salad/dessert potluck with style show presented by a local clothing store).  (And for Bill, an informally organized guys lunch out with some of our friends while we ladies were busy).   

    And Saturday night was the annual Italian dinner here at the park.  For us, that's a busy resort week,   but there were even more activities we could have chosen to do — a lot of people keep busy right here in the park pretty much every night of the week during the main part of the season (January through March.)    Next week will be equally as busy and fun.

    P1010060But just in case there isn't enough to do,  "we" are working on PHASE 3/4/5 (?) of our Canal Cottage remodel.    It's a very small house (park model RV), but we don't rush things (because there are all those other fun things to do.) 

    In past seasons, we've redone the kitchen/living room, added a Florida room and screen porch, re-sided and re-roofed —  and now we've moved on to the bedroom.   Not nearly as disruptive as a kitchen remodel — this is a piece of cake as far as living around the remodel goes!

    For me  (as with the previous phases of this project — and the many that went before it in other places, other times)  – the work usually involves a lot of hanging around in case an extra hand is needed.  I'm pretty good at holding a board still while someone else measures and nails.  

    The picture obviously is of the brains (and most of the brawn) of the operation.  

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    LINKING TO: Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY; OUR WORLD on Tuesday (hosted by Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Gattina,  and  Arija); and next weekend to Denise's TODAY'S FLOWERS.     Thank you to each of the hosts.

     

     

     

  • LIFE IN BIG CYPRESS

    Last chance sign Big Cypress National Preserve is mostly fresh-water swampland — about 730,000 acres of  it.     

    All the water helps to keep the nearby Everglades alive and also supports estuaries along Florida's southwest coast.

    The mixture of tropical and temperate plant life makes Big Cypress an ideal home for many species of birds and wildlife.

    On our first trip to the Everglades, we found a little-traveled road through part of the Preserve and now we drive it on every visit to the National Park.     It's the road that has this warning as the pavement ends  – we always ignore the advice.   (And maybe for that reason this is probably my all-time favorite sign.)

    There weren't as many birds this time as there were on our last season's visit because that was in the Spring.  But the birds (and animals) we did see were great.  Here are a few samples. 

     

     

     

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    Snowy Egret showing off its finest attire — beautiful yellow slippers and lacy tail feathers.

     

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     Cypress Trees (not such big ones)   

     

     

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     Little Blue Heron 

     

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    Little Blue and its upstairs neighbor Snowy Egret

     

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    And when we took our eyes off the birds we saw this smiling resident.  Just the first of many, many alligators we saw this time.  You know you love him!    Not?    But, at least you must agree that it really wouldn't be a Florida blog without at least one alligator per season.  (We're careful not to get too close of course, but I actually enjoy seeing these creatures –  their prehistoric appearance and the way they live are fascinating to me.)

     

    LINKING TO:  SATURDAY CRITTERS; RATHER B'BIRDING; NATURE NOTES; WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY; and SIGNS SIGNS

     

    Thank you to Eileen, Annie, Michelle, Stewart, and Lesley for hosting these fun sharing opportunities.


     

  • CHOKOLOSKEE ISLAND EVENING

    The first night of our getaway last week we camped in the overflow area at an RV Park on Chokoloskee Island.   We were in a parking lot really, but the view was amazing.

     

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    Chokoloskee is one of the 10 thousand islands in the Gulf of Mexico.

    The picture above was the early evening view across the street from where we were parked for the night.

     

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    And  when I turned around I saw these fellow campers  on our side of the street.  

    (We were RoadTrek camping, but we always seem to end up near the water, even when we're not on the boat.)

     

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    This is almost a Wordless Post, because the beautiful sunset speaks for itself.

     

     

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     LINKING TO: SKYWATCH FRIDAY (thank you to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy) and to SCENIC WEEKENDS (thank you to Gemma).