Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Saturday, May 13, 2017

More Failed Nest Attempts and a Walk in the Park~


It is just becoming almost impossible to predict how a new Bird of Prey nest will turn out.  So much factors in with them, even more so sometimes than that of smaller birds...it is nature at it's best, or sometimes it's cruelest.  The local Red-Shouldered Hawks ( I will share their images in a later post, coming soon) had been on their nest for 6 weeks, and every time we had showers, I knew that the nest was not going to hold from the beginning. It was way too small, too fragile and not even built by them, but Squirrels, mostly leaves.  Leaves get wet, they fall away and at the six week mark, the nest fell through.  My heart is very sad.  The nest of another pair of these birds also failed at the park where I walk, the Anchorage Trail.  This failure could be due to storms, or possibly Raccoon intrusion, never the less both have failed.  They will attempt a second, a third time before giving up.

~HAPPY MOTHERS DAY~  



Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after                                                                you have read the narratives~

I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:
Saturday's Critter

Anni at:
http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 
I'd Rather Be Birdin'
 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'

    
Maggie's  MOSAIC MONDAY
                                              https://normandylife.blogspot.com/


Stewart for:



While on my walk at the Anchorage Trail, I came upon this lovely White-tailed Deer, a green Heron, a Cottontail Rabbit, and a pair of both Red-Shouldered and Red-Tailed Hawks.  The wildflowers grow among the wild grasses there~















On the same property as the local Red-Shouldered Hawk nest is also a den of Groundhogs...a mom and her 6 cubs.  The Mom keeps new leaves in the tunnel for warmth and one of the baby cubs was doing the same kind of thing for when they are on their own~



A little bit of wrestling~


A Gray Squirrel comes along side, and is a great way to show you the baby Groundhog cubs sizing~


When Mom arrives, they are all over her for attention and she is a very good leader for them, very tender~







This pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks were once again in the breeding mode, as they too must have a failed nest at the Anchorage Trail~




Near the local Red-Shouldered Hawk nest a few White-tailed Deer came to visit one morning.  Two of them began cleaning each other's faces...it was a very sweet moment~







Red-Tailed Hawk being harassed by a Red-Winged Blackbird~









16 comments:

  1. The deer and the flowers are so beautiful...great shots! So sad about the hawk's nest!!! I wonder why they tried to use an old squirrels nest. Your photos of the groundhog family are wonderful! Enjoyed them so much!

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  2. Okay, I'm in love with ground hogs.

    Loved your photos

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  3. So much of nature to see here ~ beautiful photos ~ my favorites are the ground hog family ~ So sad to hear about the nests ~ nature is difficult sometimes ~ thanks,

    Happy Mother's Day ~ ^_^

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  4. I'm sad for the hawks Mary. But oh your flowers and birds are so beautiful... your pictures are full of joy. And the series on the groundhogs is just wonderful -- I've never gotten such a close look at their activities -- that one with his mouth full of nesting material is precious. Thanks for all of this. I hope the hawks succeed on their next try.

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  5. Gorgeous photos! I enjoyed it so much, thank you!

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  6. Hola. I left Sue packing for our flight on Monday morning. How two weeks fly by when we're having fun. So sad about failed nests but very observant of you to realise why.

    I love your Groundhogs. Wonderful pictures and story.

    Catch up with you soon Mary. Adios.

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  7. my world seem very poor when I compare to yours. I do see wildlife but net nearly as much as you. Love the beauty you share :)

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  8. A happy Mosaic Monday to you, thanks for shring these marvelous photos
    Luv the Canticle of the Sun hymn; enjoyed very much singing it days i sang with my my church choir

    much love...

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  9. Yes...yes!! Of course it goes without saying that the birds, the flowers, the deer are wonderful...but the groundhog shares today just melt my heart....and they're something that isn't seen every day.

    Lovin' it all.

    Thanks so much for sharing this with us at I'd Rather B Birdin' this weekend...and hope you have a joyous week ahead!

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  10. Mary, where to start? Amazing wildlife captures as always. Love the deer, bee and wildflowers mosaics, the birds too and of course the bunny. But! The baby roundhouse! Fab u lous images, my dear, I adore them! Happy Mosaic Monday, see you next week.

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  11. Wondeerful images of your feathered, furry friends and beautiful flowers. I have to say that my favorite is the wonderful series on the groundhogs! Happy Monday!

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  12. Hello, Mary! I hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day, I love the cute deer and the groundhog! Your flowers are beautiful. It is sad to hear about the failing hawk nest.

    I am still running a little behind visiting my critter links! Thanks so much for linking up, have a great new week ahead!

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  13. The deer are so pretty...especially the one peeking around the tree. We saw something amazing on our hike Sunday. I'll share the pics on Sat. (can you keep a secret? it's baby hawks!) I hate to hear some of the nests have failed that you've been watching. Hugs!

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  14. your images are gorgeous, colorful and fun!! i like the way you present them, the collages are an interesting way to view them!!

    those purple iris, wow, they are exceptional!!!

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  15. Thank-you for sharing,your photos are always eye candy to me,I love raptors but I especially love the sweet groundhogs in your post...the latest dog I added is a German Shepard pup,she is a year old now.The collie is my breed,but I could not resist her, she was to be a long-haired Shepard but as you can see,she is not but I am in love with her anyhow,thank-you for visiting my blog,phyllis

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  16. My post with the babies is up this weekend if you have a chance to visit. I can't wait for you to see them! We went back again today and they are still in the nest but it's hard to tell if they've grown any in a week! lol Hugs!

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