Diario de alflinn329

We headed to Devine Lake Park for the regular monthly Amphibian Watch. A summer spot-shower and the setting sun gave us a rainbow. We prayed it was a sign. We saw a few burned spots in the ditches.

It is dry - ridiculously dry. The little bit of lake was visited by the domestic ducks always found there, a Great Blue Heron, a number of egrets (I identified a couple of Great Egrets, but the others were too far out), and a vast flock of Black-bellied Whistling (Tree - I insist) Ducks. [Dang, I love these silly ducks!]

The Blanchard's Cricket Frogs called at a CI-3. The water (the little bit be could access) was 25 degrees Centigrade. The wind made recording audio difficult, but we made the effort. We also walked across the lake, sinking in a few times, breaking through the dry crust. A few water snakes were out hunting. I only photographed the Diamond-back Water Snake - the smaller of the two. It had a bulge in the middle (cricket frog, maybe?). Bats flew overhead. Spiders crawled. Crickets hopped on the dry lake-bed distracting us.

We need rain.

Okay, it's still an idiot camera, but it has a better zoom than my old camera. I haven't learned all the settings yet, but thought I should at least try it out a bit before take seriously important (it COULD happen) photos. I headed down to Georgetown to run some errands and stopped first at Mankins Crossing. The sun was pretty bright still and there were quite a few birds.

Shots in the dark people. Shots in the dark. Just hit the button.

These observations are the result of this first trip. I'm not bragging on anything. I'm not going to win any awards. But the photo are sharp enough for me to edit and actually identify a great many of these birds I could barely see from the causeway.

It's a good start.

[I'm still working on picking out individual birds. I'm posting three of the easy ones and will have to add the others as I have time.]

It was really too hot for me, but I wanted to see how the herons had survived recent rains. We really got a gully-washer last night. I knew the creek would be up and moving.

Here are a few things and some decent photos for a change. I will improve I am sure, but I am pretty satisfied with these - especially the Black Vultures, herons and squirrels. Even the Snowy Egret is good enough to see those flesh-colored feet.

The camera is fine - heavy, doesn't fit in a pocket, has an awkward battery door and lens cap. I guess we will see how I adjust to it.

We walk here most mornings and have counted the herons as some of our best company. Today the BBWD were back (I do love these crazy ducks!). They were making their normal rukus, but I couldn't get a recording because they were right where the turbines are for the old/new jail (it is the newer of the two old jails) across the creek.

I continued to practice with the new camera. I'd probably do better if I would read the instructions, but I'm just "winging" it for now.

The humidity was high, but we had a long bit of time with one of the juvenile Red shouldered hawks. This must be a different one than we have seen before. the other two were well to the north west and stayed together much of the time.This one looks a bit younger and smaller. It gave us a show as it fed on the ground and flew from tree to tree.

Only a few herons and one egret waded in the creek - now returned to it's pre-heavy-rain shallow levels.

As we got back to the cars we replied to the caw-haw-hawing of the crows and watched one fly up to join a Mississippi Kite perched in a dead tree nearby.

We will miss this walk - most of September we will be hiking elsewhere. We will see what birds remain.