Wood stork with a fish

This  picture is from last year and it was taken with the iPad so it does not have the clarity and quality of my better camera. But since I was thinking about the anhinga and how it eats, it reminded me of the wood stork because he has a different way of hunting fish. He basically opens the beak and sticks it in the water.  He then moves his head from left to right and back again.  When the nerves in his beak sense  something touching The beak slam shut very very fast and of course whatever he grabbed he pulls out of the water and rearranges it to swallow it with its headfirst down his throat.  A Very interesting thing about the Woodstork is that he breaks the speed record. Scientists say that his reaction time from feeling something touch the inner part of his beak to his beak snapping shut on his “victim” is the fastest neurological action (From the nerve in the beak to the brain and back to close to beak) of any species including man.  Wow!

An anhinga at Myakka River State Park in Florida

 I got my yearly pass for the state parks of Florida, for the second year in a row.  I’ve been spending time in the largest park in Florida called Myakka River State Park. Many beautiful birds like Woodstorks, herons, egrets, limpkins, ibis, cormorants, and much more. The Following pictures are a series of an anhinga catching fish. It’s said that they swim underwater as well as they fly through the air.  They are a “cousin“ of the Comorant that we see further north. When they swim in the water you can’t see anything but their neck sticking up. So locals have called him the snake bird.  The cormorants also swim and catch fish under the water but he has a hook on his bill.   he grabs the fish between his bills holding it in place with that hook. Then anhinga does not have a hook but has a very sharp beak which he runs straight into the side of the fish and spears it with his beak. Then he comes up out of the water and in almost miraculous manner manipulates that fish off of his beak and tosses it into the air and swallows it.  The fish always is swallowed head first down The birds throat. Here are some pictures I took of that very process. I think there are several fish in this series of photos (I took more than 30 of them) one is larger than the others but it is fascinating to watch. I hope you enjoy them.  God bless you all don’t forget to pray for me.

Resurrecting a blog that died in 2014

I can’t believe that I haven’t blog since 2014. And now I am traveling full-time and actually living in my van as I travel. I don’t really live in the van I live out of the van. I spend more time outside the van then in. All that I own on this earth is in this van. I am finding it an interesting and challenging lifestyle especially with my physical limitations. So I’m going to try again to keep up with a blog to let you know where I’m at and what I’m seeing in God‘s beautiful creation. I Feel so much more alive when I’m dealing with God’s creation because I am communicating directly with the creator. I almost can’t believe that he would communicate with a fool like me, but he does. Being outdoors and seeing his creation ( birds, flowers, animals, and the rest) is like medicine to me. I forget about all the negatives, especially the ones I’ve created myself, when I am concentrating on the beauty, Intelligence, Power, and love of God shown through his created world.  so here we go again. If you want off this mailing list simply email me and I’ll drop you. But there are some friends who have requested that I get back to this. And my lifestyle now suits it better than ever, as I am out almost every day enjoying His creation.

At this point I’m back in Florida for the winter. I’ve only been here two days so I’m just getting to be familiar with the place again. I have seen some special friends I haven’t seen since last year, both human and nonhuman. So I’ll share a few pictures with you now and look forward to your comments later.

At this point I am working with only my iPad so my pictures will not be the quality I had in the past. I will be changing that soon, I hope.  I return to my “old stomping ground” behind the Cracker Barrel in Bradington north of Sarasota. And found lots of my old friends including dozens of Muskovy ducks and dozens of White Ibis.

                                                     Muscovy duck

                                                White Ibis

BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS

Hello loved ones - I have been out and about several times in the past weeks and here are just a few of the beautiful creatures God has allowed me to see.

Canada Goose and her young.  I love a parade, don't you?

Even the common grackle is beautiful in the bright sunlight.

Purple Gallinule (Common name - Moor Hen)
Notice the big foot with long toes than help him walk on lily pads.

Another View of the Purple Gallinule - with his wing spread.  Notice the
"candy corn" bill.   Not often seen North of the Carolinas
 - this guy was hanging out in Mount Holly Springs Cumberland County.

A Yellow Crowned Night Heron in Mount Holly Springs,
Cumberland County.

There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of Red Winged Black Birds
at Middle Creek  Wildlife Management Area  now.
This one is displaying for the ladies

Thanks to modern farming practices these ground nesters are more commonly
 farm raised and stocked by the game commission.
Both of these guys were found at Middle Creek WMA.
  One in Lancaster County and one in Lebanon County.

Ring Neck Pheasants are not a native species but not too many
 years ago we had them everywhere in great numbers.
Their spring colors are bright and beautiful.

Male Eastern Blue Bird - Lancaster County

Female Eastern Blue Bird - Lebanon County

This beautiful pair of Bluebirds were also at Middle Creek WMA.

The Bobolink nests here in PA but migrates from Argentina
 to do so.   One of the longest migrations for a song bird.
Listen and he will tell you his name "BOB-BO-LINK"

SHENK'S FERRY WILDFLOWERS ARE AT THEIR PEAK

Every year I blog about the flowers at Shenk's Ferry.  They are worth the effort to visit.  We are so blessed to have this beautiful little piece of heaven here in Lancaster County.

Here are some pis from recent days.  We see the same species every year but it is like visiting old and dear friends.

blood root

blue cohosh

cut leaf tooth wort

duthmans breeches

shenk's ferry trillium

spring beauty

squirrel corn

yellow trout lilly

wild geranium 

POND LIFE IN THE SPRING

I was blessed to spend the day at the nature center at Colonel Denning State Park nature center with my friends - staff of the park and members of the Friends of Colonel Denning SP.  We had a great time watching wildlife in the little ma made pond there.  The friends group were in the park for a work day - preparing for an busy season ahead.  Thank you "Friends of CDSP".

water boatman beetle

egg mass ???wood frog???

more frog eggs (strings of pearls)

still more eggs ??? id

salamander (notice eggs inside her)

same salamander - different angle

same salamander - different angle

water striders mating

water strider

SPRING UPDATE

If you live in PA you know how welcome spring is this year.  I thought I was living in Narnia where it was always winter.  I have been out and about watching my owl nest and birding a little with my friend Randy Miller.  Here are just two of the many pics I have taken.  I hope to get to Shenk's Ferry Wildflower preserve today.

Here is mama great horned with her two young ones they have been providing hours of great fun
for the several that have been watching, including me.

These yellow crowned night herons live in the city of Harrisburg,   There are six nests in this rookery, right in the middle of a highly populated street.  I guess they think if you can't beat man you might as well join them.