This week has been sunny and warm, until today. And it’s been busy. Exacerbated by my laptop’s moody behavior. On its fourth birthday, it decided to go on strike. Not to work at all. I had to use all my tech wiz skills to wake it up. Since then it’s been misbehaving to the point I ordered a new one. And have to set it up later today. But before I say goodbye to this old blogging veteran, I want to give you a short update from the salt marsh. I’m asking it to cooperate for one last time.
Finally yesterday, my assistant and I had an opportunity to get out and check on the osprey chick. We arrived soon after the family brunch. Papa Stanley was still on the perch, guarding his little family from intruders. The baby was sleeping and Mama Sandy nodded off for a while as well. She shielded her baby from the sun and the wind that was already picking up.
But soon Stanley saw a danger in the skies (beyond my horizon) and sounded frequent loud warnings.
The chick woke up and peered out from behind the baby gate with its head lowered. Sandy became alert too, but nobody came close to the nest.
The salt marsh appeared deserted. The only other bird present was the Reddish Egret. And he was completely absorbed in his hunting dance.
At sunset time Dylan took me for another walk. He loves to walk on the bayside and look down to the water. I don’t mind such a detour because I often spot birds enjoying the low tide next to the sea wall. And we were lucky. Two Oystercatchers were looking for supper.
And a bit further away, a Great Egret was enjoying the last rays of the day.
The sun was still up when we reached the salt marsh. We found the younger Great Blue Heron, aka Henry the Troublemaker, on his usual spot staring at the osprey nest.
And a beautiful Snowy Egret was looking for her evening meal. And checking us out.
A Yellow-crowned Night Heron had woken up to get his breakfast. He was planning his hunt on the little islet that also serves as the Mayor’s office. The Mayor was nowhere to be seen.
When we approached the Osprey nest we heard the typical whistles of the Red-winged Blackbird. Finally I spotted one smack in the middle of the marsh.
Then Dylan alerted me to a lovely Mourning Dove walking right on our path. It was not eager to meet us and hurried away.
We found Stanley on his guard post. He nodded a friendly good evening to us. But Sandy was hunkering down over the baby and we could only see a few feathers sticking up.
Just before dark we finally reached the dog park and my assistant got a well deserved rest after walking around the marsh and running back and forth at the park.
When we returned to go home it was already dark. Stanley had gone to his sleeping quarters, but we saw Sandy in the nest beautifully silhouetted against the sunset’s after-glow.
This afternoon the skies darkened and the storms arrived. Right now I can hardly see the osprey nest from my terrace through the heavy rains. Gray walls of water are swept sideways by the strong winds. I went out quickly and took one picture. Sandy had placed her baby in the nest cup and was shielding it from the elements with her wings. Even her head was down. Possibly to reassure the baby that this too shall pass. She knows her stuff.
With that we wish you a great week ahead and hope it will be sunny and bright. Thank you for visiting.
TINY LESSONS BLOG 
Great pics of the new baby. Tough birds to withstand storms like that. Great pics of the oystercatchers and the night heron. Good luck with the new computer!
Thanks Kelly! The strong winds continue today although the sun is shining, and Sandy is still ‘flat’ in the nest. Even when Stanley dropped a fish to her this morning, she feeds the chick staying down covering it.
They are such great parents!
The Mourning Dove is absolutely beautiful! Such beauty and strength in nature and their ability to move through it all. Great post Helen. 🙂
I love the soft colors of the Mourning Dove. We have several around our gardens every day and I think some of them nest there too. Today our strong winds continue although the sun is shining…Sandy is still covering the baby 🙂 Thanks Karen.
Don’t you hate when computers go to the big computer trash pile? What did we do without them? Read a lot from what I remember. LOL
Mama has always proven herself a great protector. 🙂
I suppose we did read papers, magazines and books much more before the computers, I even watch TV less since that time…so our habits are changed by technology. What a hassle it is to transfer all my ‘stuff’ to the new computer, so many programs and apps to download again…. On a nicer note, Sandy is still covering the baby today as we have very strong winds and cool weather behind the front. Dylan was almost flying away this morning! Hugs from both of us!
It’s nice to see you, Dylan, and the marshland gang Helen/ 🙂 I haven’t been receiving my emails for blogs I follow. Happy Spring!
All the marshians seem to be doing well 🙂 Thanks for visiting, Brad.
My pleasure!
Aww, so cute and beautiful Oystercatchers too. Wonderful images and good luck getting re-putered. 🙂
I thought the baby had grown many new feathers in a week, increasing its cuteness factor 🙂 Re-puterization is quite a messy process!
Beautiful, especially love the osprey shot at dusk.
The dusk shot was a ‘shot in the dark’ but came out pretty well 🙂 Thanks DK.
Pretty well? Pretty amazing is closer to it.
That was some storm today! Glad that Sandy managed to shield the chick from the worst of it.
Yes, and we’re still very windy. Sandy still covers the chick with her body today. I guess she wants to prevent a premature flight experience.
I’m glad to see that the baby osprey is doing fine, very soon will be flapping its wings. I’m sorry about your laptop. Have a great week Tiny. 🙂
Thanks H.J. The baby seems to be doing fine, still today covered by Sandy due to continued high winds. Have a great week, my friend.
Thanks for being our eyes in the marsh. Lovely pictures, as always.
Thank you for visiting our ‘marshians’, Sha’Tara.
Text and pictures beautifully paired.
Thank you, Susan!
All beautiful, Helen; you’ve captured some absolute stunners! What a cutie is the Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Would he be comfortable in the company of The Mayor, or is he a little timid?
My first reaction when I saw the Osprey bub was; they grow so quickly! It looks as though many feathers have grown in the past week.
Hope the storm has passed without damage, and here’s to your new blogging equipment… Hope it ‘sets up’ easily…
Hug to Dylan. What a cute image of him. Are his front legs lighter in colour, or is this just an illusion of light?
Hugs to you… 🙂
xoxoxo
Hi Carolyn! You know it’s kind of funny, but all birds are very comfortable when the Mayor is present. I guess that’s why he became the Mayor 🙂 But there’s one notable exception: Henry, the Troublemaker, whom the Mayor chases away with loud ‘barks’ if they happen to be at the marsh at the same time.
And you’re right about the osprey bub, lots more feathers in one week. We still have very strong winds from yesterday’s storm and D & I just saw Sandy covering the bub completely. Stanley dropped a fish and even the feeding was happening in ‘flat’ position.
Yes, the lower parts of Dylan’s legs are light cream and he has grey, silver, black and even some red in his fur, all symmetrically arranged. Hence the name Phantom Poodle 🙂 Hugs and love from both of us XXXX
Tiny’ I’m so glad you old laptop cooperated for this its wonderful final post! I always know I’m in for a treat with your photos and updates, feel transported to the marshes and watching alongside you. The reddish egret is astonishing, so regal, elegant and totally absorbed in the moment. The oystercatchers are stunning and their beaks luminescent red. Tiny, thank you so much for giving my day such a beautiful beginning to my day…my heart sighing with contentment. Just a brief question… with so many amazing birds is this a busy place for birdwatchers?
Thank you for visiting and for your kind comment, Annika. We are happy you had a good time with the residents at the marsh. This park is one of only two parks in this country that are officially part of the “Florida Birding Trail”, but it is still a little known park. Local residents and some visitors are watching birds there and occasionally we get birders and bird photographers visiting from further away. I have met a few people (not photographers) who have been following the comings and goings at the osprey nest for even longer than I have – one for 18 years! We exchange our ‘osprey news’ when we meet by chance at the nest 🙂
Tiny, it’s lovely to hear more about the area and the friendships you strike up whilst there! I imagined swathes of bird watchers, many bussed in – with so few people it is almost a private, intimate viewing. Wonderful.
What a wonderful last hurrah from your laptop. But how hard it must be for the ospreys to be parenting in such rainy, windy conditions. Hope the new laptop makes life easier for you. My household has been under technological stress too. Only one thing had to be replaced though; my electric toothbrush.
I am happy that you only had to replace your toothbrush. I think all technical problems are such a hassle to deal with. Anyway, today I made an interesting observation about the osprey couple: being still extremely windy here today, Sandy has made a deep ‘crib’ for the baby. When Stanley brought a fish, she was bending deep down to feed the chick…making sure it does not take a much premature flight out of the nest 🙂
Well done, Sandy!
Wonderful photos and detour walk! I so love Sandy’s beautiful silhouette against the sunset’s after-glow…. Great work, Helen, enjoy your new laptop!
Getting a new laptop is like rebuilding your ‘dark room’, lots of work! I am happy we have a new baby in the osprey family…and it seems very energetic. Today when we passed the nest (on our way to the dog park) I heard the baby for the first time asking for food…it’s learning to speak 🙂
Another special milestone….. 🙂
Loved the pictures of the reddish egret and the oystercatchers! Enjoyed this lovely walk with you and am touched by the love Sandy shows for her little one. Hope all works well with your new laptop.
I was so touched as well seeing Sandy taking care of the chick. Right now it is still extremely windy so Sandy has made a little “basement crib” for the baby so that it doesn’t fly away. She is quite amazing.
Sandy is an awesome mom! And I enjoyed the bright colors on the other birds, especially the Red-winged Blackbird. Beautiful!
Sandy really is an awesome mom. Now that the baby has become more ‘mobile’ and walks around the nest, she is putting up ‘baby gates’ so that the chick doesn’t wander too close to the edge 🙂
This is all so nice. 🙂
Thank you, dear Celestine 🙂
Great pictures, as usual, Helen! Hoping the computer issues are resolved with the new one! The Red-winged Blackbird and the Mourning Doves, however common, are absolutely beautiful in your pictures! 🙂
Thank you for visiting our salt marsh family, Carrie. Many common birds are actually very beautiful. I find Mourning Doves’ coloring to be very soothing…warm earth colors and a blue sky ring around their eyes 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful update Helen and I hope your technical challenges will soon be in the past! I had never seen a red-winged blackbird before, what a beautiful creature! Dylan is such a fabulous assistant and I wish you both a wonderful new week 🤗🐾💖🐾
Thank you, Xenia. The technical challenges were many, but now mostly over with 🙂 The Red-winger Blackbirds live at the marsh and they ‘whistle’, but they are very difficult to spot as they prefer to stay in the middle of the marsh. When they fly or move their wings, we can see the colorful red-orange patches. Have a wonderful week, all of you. XXX
Thank you Helen, a wonderful week to you too 🤗💖 xxx
Is it as easy to find all these wonderful birds on the marsh as you make it seem or do you need a really skilled guide like Dylan and a very sharp eye too?
Most times when we come to the marsh I think there are no birds present, but then we walk around and spot one bird after another. I guess I have trained my eyes and at times Dylan points them out too…in particular if they walk on our path 🙂
Eye training is useful. I am working on it.
Great pictures. Your red winged blackbird is much bluer than ours, which are shiny black.
I think that the setting sun colored the blackbird in various hues. On a cloudy day they look very black with a splash of color. Thanks Skip for visiting. Hopefully this week with bring you some spring weather.
Wonderful captures Helen, especially the dark action shot and the next day! Many thanks for the update.💕
I hope the Marshians continue to do well and Dylan and you have fun on your walks together.
Thanks Val! Our walks around the marsh now often happen late in the day, at sunset or in the dusk as I have been too busy during day time with work…such a persistent interference 🙂
Amazing pictures of activity at the Salt Marsh sweet Tiny. Love the one of Mama Sandy and baby sleeping. The colors of some of the birds at the Salt Marsh just put me in awe. What beautiful colors on those Oystercatchers. Very sweet picture of Dylan. Thank you for sharing these wonderful pictures I really enjoyed them. I hope you and sweet Dylan are having a nice week. Hugs and nose kisses from Chancy, Pooh and me.
We are happy you enjoyed our ‘marshian’ friends, dear Mags. Some of them are truly colorful…the Oystercatchers like to come for dinner on the bay side when the tide is low and the smorgasbord on all the rocks is free to enjoy. I have observed Sandy’s continued care of the fast growing baby from our terrace and we plan to go out soon to get some new pictures…probably after my upcoming work trip this week. We send our love and hugs to you, Chancy and Pooh.
It’s good to see that life around you is turning its usual spin, even when a computer decides to make life difficult. Your photos are amazing, as always.
Thank you Otto. I had double computer trouble…had to send the first one back and then bought a different model, which is just now up and running. But the outdoors are always relaxing and puts things in perspective.
I so enjoy your special photographic touch. And the storybook of the Salt Marsh is just wonderful, all of it!
Thank you for your visit and kind comment, Susan. With all that’s happening, the salt marsh doesn’t ‘get old’ for us 🙂
Beautiful photos, Helen. I especially love the one of the oystercatchers. Dylan is such a handsome assistant. 🙂
I told Dylan and he almost blushed 🙂 Thanks Sylvia!
😘
You’ve got an incredible family there within the Salt Marsh ~ the photo of the Oystercatchers is incredible. The number of different wildlife you have just right out your door never ceases to amaze… Wishing you a wonderful week ahead for you and your Salt Marsh family 🙂
The Oystercatchers love to visit at sunset time whenever the tide is low and they have a great buffet to enjoy. The salt marsh with its wildlife is one of the main reasons I decided to stay right here after I lost my hubby last summer. It provides for so much peace and enjoyment on a daily basis. Thank you Randall 🙂
Oystercatchers and sunsets, not a bad mix.
You’ve found an important piece/peace of life with a place like the salt marsh to retreat and enjoy nature ~ reconnect with your surroundings. Wishing you a great week.
I wish you the same, Randall.
Excellent photos. I enjoyed watching the osprey and have to look closely to distinguish them from an eagle.
Thank you Ron. We’re happy you enjoyed our little Osprey family.
This is such a beautiful, yet moving series of Sandy and Stanley. They are devoted parents. The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is just fabulous. 🙂
Dylan is so sweet. ❤
Thank you, Amy. Seeing how Stanley provides for and protects his family and how Sandy “babies” the chick is quite precious. The chick is growing by day and we’ll need to get back out there with a camera to document its progress soon 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
Amazing bird pictures
Thank you kindly!
Wonderful pictures!!!
Thank you Leyla!
Again so fantastic photos. I admire Your skills to shoot bird photos. Thank You for these stunning pics.
Thank you Matti. I would take any kind of animal pictures but elephants are rare here in Florida 🙂 Have a great week!
Sorry to hear about the laptop deciding it has had enough. That is never a fun thing. Shouldn’t they just last forever?
So wonderful to seeing the protective
parents. Thanks to Dylan for taking us on the walk to see so many amazing birds of the marsh. Give that sweet pup a pat for me.
Xo
Thanks Sue! My new laptop is up and running now and I love it. The osprey chick is growing by day and in a couple of weeks she will go to ‘flight school’…that shall be interesting 🙂