#BirdsOfMastodon
#BirdPhotography
#NaturePhotography
#OxleyNatureCenter

Needed a hike after the past weeks of heat and #ClimateCrises in the news. Oxley provides that place of #Solace and @Wonder that we all need. We are early in #Migration, but are seeing an amazing number of #Warblers already. I wonder if the spike in migration is related to the #Fires in Canada = purely conjecture on my part, not even at hypothesis rank.

This is one of my favorites, a #NortherParula. Their call reminds me of a small #VibroSeis running through a sweep. They can be very gregarious if you are lucky. and talk to them softly.

Other sightings today included

#WilsonsWarbler
#YellowWarbler
#LeastFlycatcher
#AmericanRedstart

along with the usual suspects.

#NikonD850
#500mm

#BirdsOfMastodon
#NaturePhotography
#WildlifePhotography
#GreenHeron
#OxleyNatureCenter

A first quick hike at Oxley after returning from vacation. A short hike before starting #Volunteer work of clearing downed limbs from trails after overnight wind storms. This is a Green Heron that stopped long enough to allow photos.

A bit of rain overnight made for a cooler, but muddy hike at #OxleyNatureCenter. Great Egrets and Great Blue Heron were out in number. The Great-crested Flycatcher chicks have fledged, so the adults were out in force to bulk up. The highlight was the range of native #Hibiscus that were blooming.

#NaturePhotography
#FlowerPhotography

#Volunteer

Yesterday during my hike, I noticed this large dead oak tree leaning dangerously over one of the main trials. We spent the morning working to remove the tree. We had to work fast since there were several groups out on the trails with kids. Had to use the large (3 foot) chain saw, and even it bogged down and snagged. Ultimately had to chain up and use the UTV to pull if down. A successful removal, but we did disrupt a few hikers, and we had to use gas - the battery saws did not have the reach for this one.

#OxleyNatureCenter #EnvironmentalStewardship
#GiveBack

#BirdsOfMastodon

#OxleyNatureCenter reopened over the weekend after being closed for 20 days to clean up damage from the wind storms. Back to hiking with camera rather than with a battery chainsaw and pole saw = happy. The birds seemed to be celebrating today as well, shaking out the old feathers and lots of beak clacking. This is a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

#YellowCrownedNightHeron
#NaturePhotography
#BirdPhotography

We were able to clear all of the areas of concern tagged by the Forest Service this morning, so hopefully, #OxleyNatureCenter will be able to reopen Saturday. What a wonderful day that will be.

A #Derecho moved through our area on June 17-18 with 80-100+mph gusts, causing tree damage and widespread power outages. The damage at #OxleyNatureCenter was significant. The #WildlifeSanctuary has not reopened despite the efforts of #Volunteers and staff to clear downed trees on trails and make sure trails are safe to hike. A small group of volunteers worked Thursday to start clearing the Oxbow Trail at North Woods (one of the most heavily damaged areas). The photos show a before and after the work.

I have not been able to hike and am missing my birds. I may have to resort to reviewing and posting older photos. Hope we can finish cleanup this next week so the center can reopen.

#BirdsOfMastodon

Tomorrow is a big #Volunteer workday at #OxleyNatureCenter to clear storm damage before reopening. Will be interested to see how the birds fared in the storms. This photo is from last week.

A mature and immature (2-3 years old) Yellow-crowned Night Herons. These are in the #Order #Pelecaniformes #Family #Ardidae, #Genus #Nyctanassa #Species #violacea. Herons, Egrets and Bitterns are in this family.

They wade in shallow water and hunt mostly crayfish.

#BirdsofMastodon

This is an older photo. The #Storms that came through on the 18th caused enough damage to close the park until Friday. We were lucky - without power for about 40 hours here, but no damage other than downed limbs. They anticipate others in the area will be without power until Saturday. I will be at Oxley on Thursday with the #Volunteer group to help clear trails so the public can hike in safety when it reopens.

#White-EyedVireo, a summer visitor to #OxleyNatureCenter, has a very distinctive call, and is usually secretive. In this case it came down to investigate my rather poor whistling imitation.

#NatuePhotography

#BirdsofMastodon
#NaturePhotography

The Great Crested Flycatchers are nesting, and seem oblivious to people as they make their rounds. They can also be very curious. This one came in to about 8 feet as I hikes in the pre-dawn glimmer. This is a perching bird that hunts larger insects.

#Passeriformes #Tyrannidae. The family of Tyrant Flycatchers. We see 6-7 different types in our area.

#OxleyNatureCenter
#GreatCrestedFlycatcher

A quick hike at #OxleyNatureCenter before the rains today. A needed salve of #Serenity and #SolaceInNature to help get my mind off the madness. Trails were perfect, a little muddy, but not slippery. Only one other person on the trails.

#PecanCatkin
#NorthernParula
#BirdPhotography
#BlackAndWhite
#NaturePhotography

#SilentSunday

The #Trail beckons

#OxleyNatureCenter

#SilentSunday. After the horrendous news cycle of the past week it is easy to get sucked into a cycle of doom. We all need a place of #Solace and #Serenity where we can sit and #Calm the inner turmoil. This is my place - a place to watch #Waterfowl, hear the thousands of bird calls, and the whisper of wind in the budding trees. There is new growth in the forest as it awakens. The warblers are returning from their wintering grounds, adding their voices to the air. The Gnatcatchers are building their first nests, planning for new life, and the Hawks are sitting on eggs that will soon hatch. Life goes on despite the turmoil, and hatred that is consuming the country. I will let those go for this day.

#NaturePhotography #OxleyNatureCenter
#Peace

Early morning light. This was shortly after sunrise as I headed out to hike at #OxleyNatureCenter. I hike several days each week to seek #SolaceInNature and #Solitude to counterbalance the idiocy and hatred that is growing in this country. Haters cannot accept the fact that everyone is human, and that every person has value, and should be treated with respect, compassion and care.

#NaturePhotography

A heavy #Fog yesterday morning set up a nice opportunity to image active #Sunspots during an early morning hike at #OxleyNatureCenter. The #CedarWaxwings were still active, and showing their skill at flipping #Soapberries and swallowing them whole.

Trying very hard to not get sucked into black hole vortex of the news cycle.

#NaturePhotography
#SunSpots
#BirdPhotography

Today was work day for the Thursday Old Geezers #TOG at #OxleyNatureCenter. The task today was to renovate the steps down to the Oxbow Trail. The old steps had rotted out so it was just a slippery slope. The work involved digging out to an ~30˚ slope and putting in overlapping railroad ties on a 7 pitch setup (7 inch rise for each 12 inch run). The median age of the TOGs is 71. The group (all retired) is comprised of a Engineers, a Clinical Psychologist, an Antarctic researcher (Microbiology), and a structural geologist (emeritus prof). We work because we enjoy serving the greater good, we enjoy collaborating together, we enjoy solving a range of complex problems, and to stay active, and give back to the community

#Volunteer
#GiveGack
#EnvironmentalStewardship #BuildABetterFuture

Needed a little break from the madness of the news cycle, so headed out (pre-dawn) for a hike at #OxleyNatureCenter. Hundreds of #DoubleCrestedCormorants, many #Sparrows, #BaldEagles, and a favorite a flock of #CedarWaxwings that were bulking up for #Migration

#NaturePhotography
#BirdPhotography

#MarshInWinter. The #Marsh is currently the domain of #Beavers, #Muskrats, and #SwampSparrows, Probably the last MIW image for the season. Spring has come early this year, so the #Volunteer work group is shifting to invasive plant control and expanding the #NativeGardens and #PollinatorGardens at #OxleyNatureCenter. Much work to to

#BlackAndWhite #NaturePhotography

The #TOGs (Thursday Old Geezers) were back at it today despite the frigid temps (24˚F with a wind chill of 14˚F to finish the stairs by the Interpretive Center at #OxleyNatureCenter. The median age of the group is 70, and they were out there working extremely hard to get the trail open again. We finishing the landscaping and setup of the stairs by the Interpretive Center. That involved moving 2 cubic yards of river gravel - with wheel barrow since the little tractor could not drive up the slope (it tried, but bogged down, getting stuck in the damp soil), moving and installing 2 railroad ties, and leveling the trails. The remaining tasks are to install decorative risers and seal/wax the railing. An early shot and the current setup. Next tasks are to make the bypass ADA accessible, then on to more stair replacement My profound thanks to John, Glen, Tom, and Bobby for all their hard work.

#Volunteer
#EnvironmentalStewardship
#GiveBack
#DontBeLikeABillionaireOligarch
#Service

Marsh in Winter. Today was a volunteer work day at #OxleyNatureCenter. We build a frame rig for the new stairs and managed to install all of the treads on a six inch riser height this morning. No photos, so one from last week. Spent yesterday and last night trying to contact all former students in #Türkiye and from #Syria to make sure they and their families were safe. I have about 20 alums in/from the region. All checked in safe, but many have friends and family in affected areas. Those in Türkiye are gathering food, clothing and supplies, to travel to the area to help those in need. Please keep those affected in your thoughts.