Featured Nature Photos
Along Oso Creek
The Brown Pelican is "an iconic seabird commonly found along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the Americas. They have a massive wingspan that can reach up to 7 or 8 feet, and they plunge from heights of up to 60 feet into the water to catch fish. They occasionally wander inland, and there are records of vagrants as far north as Southeast Alaska and Newfoundland and as far south as central Chile and along the Amazon River and its tributaries." (animation I made from a photo I took)
Ants, Full of Purpose
A silhouette of leafless trees against an orange sunset on Oso Creek. Sunsets appear red because the sun is low on the horizon, "forcing sunlight to travel through much more of the Earth’s atmosphere. This longer path allows air molecules to scatter shorter blue and violet wavelengths away, leaving only the longer red, orange, and yellow light to reach our eyes. Dust, pollution, and water droplets in the atmosphere can make sunsets even more vivid by increasing scattering." So, I guess that is one good thing that can be said about pollution.
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers perch "conspicuously on utility lines, treetops, and fence lines to watch for insect prey and defend their territories from interlopers. They are agile in the air, spreading their long tails wide to make abrupt turns and stalls. They are highly territorial, and will chase other birds out of their territories accompanied by loud, squeaky, bubbling calls."
SEE VIDEO BELOW (animation made from photos I took)
Osprey on Oso Creek
They eat fish. They fly "30-130 feet above the water and catch fish by dive-bombing down, adjusting the angle of flight to account for the distortion of the fish's image caused by refraction." This is an animation made from a photo I took. The call may or may not be accurate. Ospreys make "alarm calls, guard calls, begging calls, and courtship calls." Quite an elaborate vocabulary.
Carpenter bees are traditionally solitary bees, though some species "have simple social nests in which mothers and daughters may cohabit. When females cohabit, multiple females either share in the foraging and nest laying, or one female does all the foraging and nest laying, while the other females guard."
Originally desert-dwelling, white-winged doves "have expanded into Texas, Louisiana, and as far as Idaho and Maine. They are now common sights in cities, suburbs, and backyards, often visiting bird feeders for seeds. They are gregarious and often feed in large flocks. They are monogamous breeders for at least the season. During courtship, males may perform displays like flapping up and gliding down in circles or bowing and fanning their tails."
After dining on fish or other marine animals, cormorants spread their wings in the sun. I'd always thought it was to dry their wings, but there's some controversy. "Some sources state that cormorants have waterproof feathers, while others say that they have water-permeable feathers. Still others suggest that the outer plumage absorbs water but does not permit it to penetrate the layer of air next to the skin. The wing drying action is seen even in the flightless cormorant, but not in the Antarctic shags or red-legged cormorants. Alternate functions suggested for the spread-wing posture include that it aids thermoregulation or digestion, balances the bird, or indicates the presence of fish. A detailed study of the great cormorant concluded there is little doubt that it serves to dry the plumage."
Mockingbirds are "famous for their loud, continuous, and varied songs. A male Northern mockingbird may learn up to 200 different songs in its lifetime, incorporating diverse sounds it hears in its environment. Unmated males often sing throughout the night during the breeding season. They are known for being fiercely territorial, aggressively defending their nests and young by chasing away intruders, including much larger animals and even humans. They also perform a 'wing flash' display, where they half-open their wings in jerky steps while on the ground, which may help startle insects into moving." MORE PHOTOS
A Great Egret along Oso Creek. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their elegant plumes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the species has made a significant comeback due to conservation efforts. They can be found throughout most of the United States, with year-round populations especially common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. (Animation made from photos I took)
Three turkey vultures and two black vultures on a street light near Oso Creek during the recent freeze. I don't recall seeing black vultures very often. As per Google AI summary, "they don't have the superior sense of smell of turkey vultures and follow the turkey vulture to find food" when times are tough. This would seem to explain their appearance during the cold. Maybe they stay when spring comes.
Cardinals are widely considered a sign of good luck, hope, and spiritual connection, often seen as messengers from loved ones in heaven, bringing blessings, joy, and vitality, with some traditions suggesting luck within 12 days of sighting one. Their vibrant red color against winter snow also symbolizes hope and the promise of spring.
The Crested Caracara mates for life. They often return to the same nest to lay eggs and raise the babies. The male shares in child care. They eat both live and dead prey and will often follow vultures to poach their food.
