A Very Special Winter Guest and More~

Happy Late New Year, Happy Almost Valentines Day ;)

On my way home from my visits with my sister who is still among us, now 9 months after the diagnosis of Small Cell Carcinoma of the lungs.  I will take my favorites back roads home and reach out to nature for it's peace and tranquility that it brings.  My stress level has been off the charts and I know for a fact that I have aged more in the past 9 months then at any other time in my adult life.  I am trying to take care of me as well and so these excursions with wildlife are my peacefulness.  

I am sharing today a pair of American Kestrels that hang out along the "Prospect Bridge" or rather the Lewis and Clark Bridge in Prospect.  The Bald Eagles have reclaimed the land where they were for 9 years prior to last breeding season.  The entire nest season last year was a huge disaster and one that I hope I shall never witness again.  Not only that, I have located also a second Bald Eagle nest that is only a few miles from the one I am familiar with.  What exciting times coming...I so hope it all goes well.

Here is to hoping that you will enjoy the shares here as much as I have in placing them together for this very tardy post presentation.

Hoping all is well with each of you and that you are enjoying those things that make you happy~

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

http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/

Anni at:

http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 

I'd Rather Be Birdin'

 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin' 

   

Angie at:  

Mosaic Monday

https://tentoesinthewater.blogspot.com/

& 

Stewart for:

Wild Bird Wednesday

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

American Kestrel~

Red-Shouldered Hawk near home~

I watched this Great Blue Heron fly along the Ohio River last week, near one of the Bald Eagle nest sites~

Belted Kingfisher~

Eastern Bluebird in my side garden last week~

I cannot begin to say how very Happy I am in seeing our two Bald Eagles busy with their nest site once again.  I had not seen the female after July 3, for quite some time.  I learned from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife as well as Raptor Rehab of Kentucky people that possibly the female had been taken and was getting ready to be released back into the wild following an injury.  That however was a mistake and this pair is still very much together~

What a beautiful scene this is coming from the Indiana side of the Ohio River.  The nest is huge and hopefully it will stay secure for this season and for many seasons to come~

Our new bridge opened December 18, 2018.  I have walked over to Indiana now some 8 times.  Each time I visit the Bald Eagle site, I must walk up to the beginning of the bridge to get the best views, about a 15 minute walk from the car lot.  I watched as the very first large sections of bridge were being placed 5 years ago.  The Eagles put up with dynamiting near by over and over again and stayed right on point~

And here is the second Bald Eagle site location.  My daughter Hillary has a friend that lives very near this one and told her to let me know where it is.  How exciting~

These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago and then some have been done this past week~

It's very peaceful along the river and the eagles seem to sense that for right now~

Meet Petey, a Winter visitor to Kentucky.  Petey is fondly called that by as it happens a gentleman that I went to school with from St. Matthews back in the 1960's.  Lee Squires and his wife Linda are hosting Petey.  He is a Western Tanager and is far, far from his home range of the Northwest of the United States and up into Canada.  They migrate down into Mexico along the Gulf side.  Petey is only the second documented Western Tanager to show up in Kentucky.  Lee and his wife are enjoying their visitor and he is being well cared for.  Every morning right on time Petey appears in a favorite tree near the feeding station attached to the kitchen window.  He partakes of live and dehydrated meal worms and he enjoys fresh fruit salad ;) with blueberries, apples slices and bananas to name a few of his favorites.  I have been fortunate enough to make a few visits into the city to stop by and see this beauty.  We all hope he survives the remainder of the Winter and will decide to return to his home grounds.  If he decides to stay he will be well taken care of~

Petey face to face with a Tufted Titmouse  and to personify the image...

Are you one of me?                                                                                        

;) 

I snagged this gorgeous Red-tailed Hawk in pouring down rain one afternoon~

Sunrise at one of the lanes around the block from home...my country lanes where I travel to enjoy the tranquility of nature.  

Do you have favorite places that bring about tranquility?

Bald Eaglet 7 Weeks Old and a Visit to Florida~

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

Look how big the darling eaglet has grown since last sharing with each of you 3 weeks ago.  The nest has gone through so many nature types of damage and the adult pair has been keeping it secure and adding to it nearly every day.  The canopy of green is certainly nice to see and also that it grows in such a way, not to disturb the amazing view we have.

Following my 4th knee surgery 5 weeks ago, I worked on getting well for a few weeks as I had already purchased a ticket to visit my youngest daughter and her husband in Florida.  I went there week before last and enjoyed the time very much, even though my toes never even touched a grain of sand.

Upon arriving back home there were several things that had immediate consumption of my time.  I had been invited to visit as guest speaker for the evening with Photo Forum Club of Louisville this past week.  I was so nervous, had a few very heart breaking things I was dealing with, but I honored my commitment just the same.  In my shares that evening I used 98 images on a sandisk folder as well as some 75+ images that I had burned to a DVD-R slideshow.  I even mentioned you all and how much you encourage me in this blogging arena.  I truly appreciate each of you.

One member of the club thought that I was just a "birding photographer."  I showed all kinds of photos that I had taken over the years, many of which have been shown on this blog. I love, love clicking the shutter at anything that comes in front of my vision ;)  That being said, while I enjoy birds and as a matter of fact they are mostly featured in this blog post, I enjoy all kinds of photographic opportunities.  The presentation was very well received and the man and woman who had invited me were very pleased and both would like me to come again sometime~

I hope that you all are doing well.  I hate being away from here for so long, and miss your posts when I am not available.
Thank you for stopping by~ 

Update, Sad Note as of Saturday 4/27/2019

the eaglet has fallen and was found deceased this morning.  I had permission to carry it's body out of the area where it was born and then hand it over to Wingspan of Kentucky.  It's body will be sent to the Federal Government for their own way of disposing protected Birds of Prey.  It's a very sad day, sad week~

I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:

Saturday's Critter

http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/

Anni at:

http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/ 

I'd Rather Be Birdin'

 Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin' 

   

Angie at:  

Mosaic Monday

https://tentoesinthewater.blogspot.com/

 Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global 

   http://communalglobal.blogspot.ca/

& 

Stewart for:

Wild Bird Wednesday

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Once again the Red-Shouldered Hawks of Tingsgrove and beyond took a hit.  They just cannot seem to get a break.  A Great-horned Owl took the eyas and may have gotten one of the adults the other evening~

Usually when I visit our youngest daughter Ashleigh and her husby in Florida, the larger birds have just begun nest building and brooding.  This time was awesome because many of the young had already been born and were very, very hungry.  Below are Anhingas, my very favorite Florida bird~ 

 A few views of my daughter and husbands little secret garden ;)

This young Great Blue Heron was having it's morning brunch while we visited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach one early morning~ 

I will be sharing more of my visit to see our daughter in coming posts.  These Iguanas would bask in the sun from the deck next door to our daughter's home~

The last time we visited the wetlands, I saw a Common Bittern and this time I saw this beautiful Least Bittern, my first one ever on both species~

A pair of Green Herons were working on a nest right alongside the line where our daughters property is~

Finally this friendly Double crested Cormorant was just chilling as we walked through the wetlands.