The path was winding through varied landscapes. Sunny days of happiness and joy, and darker days of pain and frustration. You know life works that way.
The canvas of the year has been painted. It is complete, and there is no going back. You may now hang it in your gallery of experience, learning and growth.
And you look forward. A new canvas on the easel is waiting for its first stroke of paint. Your mind sees bright colors and lots of light. For health and happiness, and peace on earth.
And right now, in this moment, you are here. On the threshold of a brand new year. In the flow of life.
May your new year become a wonderful painting! ❤ Tiny
I just had to go to the salt marsh on Christmas Eve while my turkey was cooking. Needed to wish Happy Holidays to all my feathered friends, and deliver the greetings many of you sent to the “team”.
Upon arrival I was greeted by a dragonfly in full holiday attire. She was busy, just posed quickly for the photo shoot and then flew away.
A Great Egret was playing Santa and delivering Christmas gifts. No reindeer needed. He left a small package in the grass, not far from the osprey nest. Maybe a treat for Papa Osprey?
In a tree next to the deep water, a Green Heron was happily guarding his stocking. It had already been filled by Santa, and was now hanging securely next to him.
Then I heard music! An Ibis was singing carols, accompanied by bells in a nearby tree. His deep baritone entertained everyone in the salt marsh for quite a while. Including me.
When I arrived at Mama Osprey’s nest nobody was home. I sat for a while on my usual bench admiring her decorations. Suddenly I saw her fly in with a huge branch! She has started restoring the nest on her own! She worked hard before she was happy with the placement of this large beam. I was impressed. Again.
After wishing them all Happy Holidays, I hurried back home to check on my turkey. It was a nice little walk before all that eating 🙂 Many more walks are needed, however, in the next few days.
PO, Bumble and I say thanks for the many beautiful cards received from blogging friends thanks to Jackie’s Great Christmas Card Exchange! And we thank you all for being such an inspiring part of our year. ❤ Tiny
Ps. This post has been edited after publishing when I discovered that Papa Osprey (PO) actually was Mama Osprey.
I like the sentiment of a quiet eye. An eye that not only sees the blessings we have, but also the blessings we can give to others. An eye that appreciates the message and the joy of the Season. And sees into the life of all things, much beyond the hubbub going on around us.
Make no mistake, the holiday travel rush has started. At the busy airport on the ocean side, those wanting to land there had to wait for their turn to hit the runways.
Terns lining up for landing…
Some were put into a holding pattern and had to circle the airport.
Pelicans in a holding pattern…
Others became a bit desperate and decided to make an emergency descent to a lower altitude. Just in case.
A Pelican diving…
Luckily everyone attempting to land got their gear down on time. No accidents reported, but there definitely were some close calls.
A Royal Tern asking for permission to land…A Pelican landing…
Some of the departing flights demonstrated excellent on-time performance, some not. But that’s to be expected.
A Pelican taking off…
Those who had landed were happy to reach their destinations. A few showed signs of exhaustion, particularly those travelling with children.
A Royal Tern kid complaining to his mom…
But most took it in stride. And a few even took advantage of the showers in the arrival lounge.
A Sandwich Tern taking a shower…
That’s what holiday travel is at busy airports. But at smaller airports, like the salt marsh, it was much more laid back. One takeoff or landing every now and then.
A Great Egret taking off…An Anhinga just landed…
And even the personnel in the tower could take a nap in between flights. With a half eaten lunch still on the table.
Papa Osprey taking a nap with full crop…and a fish tail still in his talons…
There was some through traffic though above the salt marsh. And some cargo traffic too.
A Great Egret passing over salt marsh…Another Osprey, probably Stanley, flying over the salt marsh with a fish…
The control tower was certainly alert when needed. Some landing permissions were not granted.
Papa Osprey scanning the skies…
Particularly for big “birds” like these. They didn’t have feathered wings.
A manmade bird flying over the salt marsh……and another one…
All holiday travelers were not going by air, of course. There was some boat traffic too on the lakes in the salt marsh. Very relaxing cruises, suitable for those who have all the time in the world.
A Muscovy Duck and a Moorhen cruising in the salt marsh…
May your holiday travels be pleasant and safe. ❤ Tiny
The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. – Christopher McCandless
Last night was gorgeous, clear skies and calm waters all around us. The lights from the beach establishments reflected beautifully on the strait between the ocean and the bay at the north end of the nature reserve.
The strait beyond the nature reserve as seen from our terrace
And the bay side did not disappoint either. With the lights from the city dressing up its calm waters, the bay looked somewhat more grown-up and sophisticated than the laid back birds’ paradise I’ve often pictured.
The bay side at night as seen from our terrace
Approaching home in the cool night after a walk with Bumble, the lighted palm trees brought a warm feel of the approaching holidays.
Lighted palms bring holiday cheer
That was last night. This morning was a different story. We woke up to an eerie landscape. Only a builder’s crane stuck up from the fog on the beach side of the strait.
A crane sticks up from the fog
Then, gradually, we could see the tallest buildings, the nature reserve and the ocean emerge from the fog.
The nature reserve emerges from the fog
I was on my second cup of coffee, when the fog finally drifted on to the ocean like a long snake on the water.
The “fog snake” swims out to the ocean
As the salt marsh was clearing from the fog, I had to check on Papa Osprey. He was in the nest, perched on his favorite spot enjoying the first rays coming though the fog. But he had no breakfast. I was happy the visibility was rapidly increasing, PO could finally go fishing.
Papa Osprey (as seen from our terrace) soaks up the first rays when the fog is lifting
I hope you enjoy your fishing today, wherever it might take you. May your horizons be pleasant and your suns bright.
It’s been a busy week for many of us. But for the birds in the salt marsh it’s been a cool and quiet week. Lots of hunching and huddling, rain and winds early in the week, then cool temperatures throughout.
Walking into the salt marsh the other day, however, I was in for a surprise pre-holiday sing-out. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a beautiful song performed flawlessly by a Northern Mockingbird.
A Northern Mockingbird greets with a beautiful song…
Next, I approached Papa Osprey’s nest. Eyes half closed, and looking like an opera singer, Papa was singing his heart out! It was a long and beautiful song. The chorus repeated twice. I wish I understood the lyrics, but I have a suspicion that he was singing for Mama Osprey. “It’s almost Christmas…Darling come home!” Or something similar.
Papa Osprey sings his heart out!
Nearby, a beautifully dressed Snowy Egret was singing too. The subject of his affection might have been a shy-looking lady on the other side of the water.
A Snowy Egret sings for……his beautiful date.
Little further out an Ibis was serenading…someone. I’m guessing it was one or all of the girls in a tree nearby.
An Ibis serenades……the girls in the tree.
Then I heard another Osprey calling. And singing. It proved to be Papa’s friend Steve. Maybe he was calling for Mrs. Steve, whom I haven’t had the pleasure to meet as yet? Or just getting into holiday spirit? I have no idea, but he was certainly participating in the sing-out wholeheartedly.
Papa’s friend Steve is singing out too…
A slow warming trend has been promised for the weekend and into next week, so the birds have something to look forward to even before the holidays.
I hope your weekend will be warm – in the home and in the heart. ❤ Tiny
I came back home last night to the tune of strong winds and a passing cold front. By this morning, the wind had calmed down a bit and the skies were blue again, but it was cool. I would say cold, but I don’t want to offend anyone. Anyway, I felt the need to get moving again this afternoon so I went out for a walk to check on my feathered friends.
Two Willets and one pair of feet…
The beach was quite stormy. And completely empty, apart from a few Willets. When passing the salt marsh, I found the birds hunching in the grass or hiding in the trees. Even Papa Osprey and his friend Stanley were not perching upright as they usually do. That’s what a cold front does to you.
A Blue Heron hunching by the water…Two Snowy Egrets and an Ibis huddling together…A Black-crowned Night Heron and a juvenile hiding in the bushes…A Reddish Egret hunching in some bushes…A Yellow-crowned Night Heron hiding in the tree…A Great Egret huddling in the shelter of some bushes…A Wood Stork taking shelter in the long grass…Stanley perched on a lamp post next to the park…Papa Osprey at his nest…
The birds were clearly feeling the chill. Winter has arrived to Florida. And that means the start of the nesting season for many residents in the salt marsh.
Speaking of nesting, I have to tell you something I discovered later this afternoon. I saw Papa Osprey flying together with another Osprey. And singing. I took some pictures of them on the run and when I enlarged them, I saw the other Osprey also had a “necklace”. Stanley and Steve don’t have one, but Mama Osprey does. Couldn’t be sure though it was her so I leave it like that. We’ll see soon enough.
