A Serene Park

 

Sholom Park in Ocala is such a very beautiful place!  It is very serene.  That is the purpose of this gorgeous park which is designed for strolling and reflection.  It is not a sports or picnic type of place.  It is open to the public and is mainly used by the folks from the adjacent On Top of The World development along with those from the Del Webb development.  It is open during the day and is free of charge.

While my hubby and I were at the park on Monday, I spotted a male Northern Cardinal bird and a Red-shouldered Hawk.  No sign of any owls or Great Blue Herons at all.  No sign of the former Great Blue Heron rookery.  I think over the past couple of years, stormy weather has taken its toll on the great trees where these wading birds and owls had previously nested.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the image.  Enjoy!

I am dedicating this blog post in memory of my late friend Donna who passed away on Easter in California.  She will greatly be missed.

 

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Songbirds, Ducks, Geese and Cranes

Red-shouldered Hawk

Here are some of the scenic views I have photographed around my community here in Marion County, Florida in the last couple of weeks.  I hope you enjoy them. By the way, on a side note – I went by Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, FL, on Saturday but saw few of the water birds I had seen back in February.  I think there were probably a tenth of the birds there this past weekend than had been there during the Winter months.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger view of that photograph.

Male Northern Cardinal

American Redstart

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Sandhill Crane Family at the Horse Farm Pond Pasture

Canada Geese

Common Crows

Hawk Calls

This Red-shouldered Hawk was perched in a small rather open tree across the street from my home on Wednesday, July 30, 2014.    The wonderful bird of prey was ignoring me and was busily calling to another hawk in the area.  I faintly heard the response since that other hawk was a long way away.

I think the hawk I photographed was not hungry either.  I was closer to the bird than I usually have been (far enough away to keep from disturbing the bird) and the bird did not pause or get flighty or leave.  I am glad to have gotten these close-up views to share with you here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Bird of Prey With It’s Prey

This Red Shouldered Hawk was spotted along the shore of one of the larger rainfall retention ponds here.  This pond is next to a health club that is undergoing construction.  It had rained earlier in the day so there was a lot of water in this basin.  This is the same basin where I have spotted egrets and ducks so I was not totally surprised to see this hawk there.

This hawk had a meal that it was dining on.  I only rarely spot hawks eating.  There was a lot going on around this area so the bird did not stay there on the lawn very long.  I took these pictures on Saturday, March 30, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.

Just Hanging Around!

This Red-shouldered Hawk is now a resident of my immediate neighborhood.  It appears that this bold bird won the latest tiff with the Common Crows!  I have now seen this bird here across the street every day for the past week.  It is hanging around waiting for small rodents, frogs, lizards, or (oh my) songbirds to have for a meal.  That is nature.  I took these pictures on Friday, March 21, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Large, Medium & Small Birds

A Snowy Egret, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and a Northern Mocking Bird were seen on March 16, 2014 and on March 18, 2014 here in my area.  I spotted the egret on the largest rainfall retention pond here.  The mockingbird was spotted perched on a shipping container in the parking lot of the health club that fronts this particular pond.  The hawk was sitting in the old Pine Tree across the street from my house.

It rained in the last couple of days so our ponds have again filled with water.  The hawk has been around here a lot – I think it is the same one that the crows have been after.  I sure get a lot of enjoyment out of viewing the many birds here in my area!  Pretty soon, I hope to be seeing more of the herons and Ibises here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy

The Phoebe’s Story

If this Eastern Phoebe could talk in a way you and I could easily understand, it would tell us about the day it witnessed a battle in the skies between a hawk and several rather agitated crows.  The action happened on March 9, 2014 in a cattle pasture that I refer to as “The woodpecker colony”.

The Eastern Phoebe was minding its own business, sitting on a barbed wire fence in the cattle pasture when a Red-shouldered Hawk flew by, full-speed!  The poor Phoebe almost panicked but soon realized, whew, that the hawk was actually fleeing from a gang of angry Common Crows.  The crows set upon that hawk and chased it for several minutes before both the crows and that  hawk disappeared out of sight!  The Eastern Phoebe and I were then off  to other adventures on that late afternoon.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  The Phoebe and I hope you enjoy the photographs and the Phoebe’s short tale.