What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. - Chief Seattle
This is the place to continue your journey with me to help you realize how every aspect of nature is an integral part of your life.
Up, Up and Away
Always exciting to watch an osprey focus on a target (who knows how far away) with their laser-like vision and take off to capture its prey.
With their keen eyesight and effective talon structure, the prey almost always turns into a catch and a meal.
Hawkeye
Slowly drifting down the Silver River when we had a chance encounter with a red-shouldered hawk. Surprisingly it perched long enough to capture the moment while it searched for its prey. Great timing.
Woody
I only have since a pileated woodpecker near my home in MI one fall season. Today I saw 5 within a 1/4 mile along the Silver Springs River in Florida.
Not complaining as the one that visited me in MI did some serious drilling on my home before departing. Really "bugged" me.
True Blue
After the sun came up, the wading birds, including this blue heron, came out to begin the day. This heron was out looking for unsuspecting prey under the shadows of the cypress trees.
Going for A Boat Ride
Latin name is Minus polyglots which actually translates to "many tongued mimic".
These birds reportedly are known to sing several hundred different songs. While I haven't counted that many, it is a real treat to sit back, relax and enjoy the variety of songs these birds sing in the quiet hours of early morning.
They also have been known to imitate sounds of frogs and toads.
Some study published in late 2019 concluded that they also mimic noises like machinery and music. That would be an awesome experience for me.