Friday, May 10, 2019

ANOTHER HUNTLEY MEADOWS WALK - PART 1


On Sunday, May 4th, 2019, the weather was too good not to go out and enjoy, so we headed to Huntley Meadows.  It was a great choice because not only was everywhere very lush and green, there was also a lot of wildlife.  And just like last time there were lots of people, couples like us and parents with young children.  
We took our usual path through the woods and you couldn't help but notice how beautiful everything looked.  The trees were waking up, along with all the plants and bushes on the ground.  They were full of bright green, newly sprouted leaves.
The wildflowers were lovely also.  A cricket was enjoying this one.  The closest I could come to identifying the flower was the Common Blackberry.  I found a website here.  If you know for sure I would be glad for the help.
There were many more blooming in other areas.
Over the water we noticed dragonflies everywhere.  You can read more information about the Common Whitetail Dragonfly here.
I didn't know if this video was going to turn out, but if you enlarge it you will be able to see a couple of Common Whitetails flying around, and another dragonfly I don't know the name of, just bouncing up and down in one spot.  I'm assuming it was feeding.

My favorite area is when you get down to the marshy area, where water levels can rise and fall depending on weather, and beaver building.   

We stopped to look at this familiar view across the pond, and noticed movement.  There was a Snowy Egret and a Great Blue Heron not too far from each other.
~Snowy Egret~


We saw several Canada Geese sitting on nests.

I noticed her bill was open but we were all too far away to be a threat, and surmised this was not an aggressive, protective stance.  I wondered if it was because it was a very hot day, and have read that wild birds will open their bills and pant to help dissipate heat when it is very warm.  As they get hotter their panting may increase in speed, or they may open their bills even further for greater cooling.

We were intrigued by this old tree stump sticking out of the water, and surmised that beavers had caused it. 

We took another photo several weeks ago (below) and as you can see, there is a lot of new growth not only on the stump, but also in the water surrounding it.  The old tree is still growing...
and it is now being slowly surrounded by other water plants.  One of the reasons I enjoy coming in all the four seasons is to see those changes.
In the center of the next photo is a turtle.
~Painted Turtle~
There are always naturally fallen logs lying in the water, and always several turtles sunning themselves.  This scene is repeated all over the park.
And then you get the frogs.  It is fun to try and spot them in the mud.  There were several American Bullfrogs making their appearance.  We also saw large tadpoles but I couldn't get a decent photo of these.  A couple came along and saw our interest, and told us that the tadpoles we were looking at were second year.  They were the biggest I had seen.  They told us that bullfrog tadpoles (I am not sure if this applies to other types) live for two years before turning into a frog.  We met in other areas along our walk, and we enjoyed chatting with them each time.  They always told us interesting things, fellow  nature lovers who were happy to volunteer what they knew.  
Our next stop was at the nesting box where we saw the male Wood Duck on our previous visit.  This time there was a female Hooded Merganser.

I have only seen a male Hooded Merganser in the distance before.  This is the first female I have been able to take photos of...
and I took several.  In her first pose she appeared to be looking for fish?
But she never left her perch and I just kept taking photos, as did others.  She attracted several of us and I heard one person get very excited saying she was about to go into her nest.  By this time I was walking in the other direction, and I was satisfied with our time spent with this pretty bird.

Now would be a good time to finish today's post.  I have many more photos, too many I thought to include here.  I saved them for tomorrow.

Have a good day everyone and thanks for keeping us company on our walk around Huntley Meadows.







23 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for taking us to this glorious place.

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  2. Que maravilha, uma bela reportagem fotográfica, gostei de ver.
    Um abraço e bom fim-de-semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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    1. Estou muito feliz que tenha gostado deste lugar. Obrigado! Um abraço e uma boa semana pra você também :)

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  3. I wish I was there and seeing all that you see, Denise. Gone are the days but still I've had my time in nature's wonderful environment.

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    1. Thank you Valerie, I'm glad you enjoyed my post and one day my memories will be the same as yours :)

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  4. I'm really serious. There are lots of apps out there that will pay for your fabulous pics like Foap, EyeEm and miPic. You can almost reach out and touch these. I adore everything,but when it comes to bugs I scream out YIKES!(lol) Hope you have a fabulous weekend! Hugs...RO

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    1. Thank you RO, and bugs are not everyone's cup of tea I know, smiles :) I hope your weekend is fabulous too, hugs from me :)

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  5. amazing green trees and woods. soooo beautiful. LOVE that dragonfly. wow shot. and the video is super. don't know how you got it of the dragonfly on the move. it really is an amazing place to walk... wildlife, water and green trees. wow

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    1. Hi Sandra, there's a funny story about the dragonfly which I will tell in a later post. So glad you enjoyed both photos and the video.

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  6. Cool captures of the Hooded Merganser, I love the Egret and Heron too. The turtles are cute. Wonderful captures of the dragonflies. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

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    1. Thank you Eileen, I was excited when I saw the Hooded Merganser, and the other beautiful birds too. In fact, so much wildlife today, it was an amazing walk. Great day to you and an equally great weekend :)

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  7. What a great set of photos, love them all especially the birds and the turtle. Have a good weekend, Diane

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    1. Thank you Diane, so glad you enjoyed them. A good weekend to you also :)

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  8. Thanks Linda, me too and those links are very informative :)

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  9. Wonderful shots, and lots of company!

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  10. Thank you for taking us along on your lovely walks, Denise. Your information is a valuable addition to your posts. Your photography is stunning. I enjoy looking through your camera lens.

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  11. I am so late in commenting, and hope you will get to read this! It is nearly 9:30! We have had the granddaughters today. I LOVE this, as I knew I would! I always look forward to Huntley Meadows. The Hooded Merganser photos are splendid! Also your frog and Canada Goose on the nest are favorites.

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  12. Beautiful. What a lovely place to explore!

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  13. This is a great place and Marvellous images with brilliant reflections in some shots.. Have a lovely weekend.

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  14. Fabulous selection of photographs Denise.

    All the best Jan

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