Hawks and Heron....the fishermen in my creek

 I like to post here occasionally to let people know that I'm still alive and kicking :-)  We survived the pandemic and are both vaccinated.  COVID numbers have gone down rapidly.

This spring I sat and watched the creek that runs by our condo quite a bit.  There is a pump that brings water from the lake and runs it through the creek all day over little rock spills and waterfalls.  Around 5:00 in the evening the pump shuts down and the water level drops.  Small fish get caught in the pools of water where it is deeper and can't get to the big pool at the end of the creek.

A beautiful Red-shouldered hawk began to show up every evening as the creek shut down.

He obviously knew what time the pump shut down and the fish were trapped and the water level low.  He would sit over the little island and then drop down and get fish trapped in the shallows.

Here he is holding a big one he caught.  He would peck at them some and usually fly off with them eventually.  I don't think he liked me watching him, but he didn't let it stop him.

A close up of the fish....pretty big!

This went on for a week or more.  I think that he must have had a family he was fishing for.  He always flew off in the same direction with his fish.

One day another type of hawk showed up after we had a big rain storm and there were puddles under the trees on the other side of the creek.  He came to bathe as shown below.  I think it is a Cooper's Hawk.

Then about the time the hawk stopped coming, the heron showed up.  He liked to stand at the little waterfall while it was still running and wait for the fish there.

This is right outside my sewing room window, so I didn't even have to creep outside to try to watch.  The heron is a lot more nervous about people than the hawk was.

He got some pretty good sized fish.  

Bulging neck.....I think he needs to swallow.

Brought this one ashore.  Spit it out and picked it back up.  Don't know what the problem was.

Sitting by the lake across our road.  He can't fish as well there because the sides are too steep and maybe the water is too deep.

There is always something going on along the water.

My Christmas birds...

Here are some of the birds that have been visiting recently with their Christmas decorations.

The Carolina Wren

Downy

The White-throated Sparrow with a "Charlie Brown" style of decoration.

Titmouse

The Blue Jay stealing peanuts

Mr. Cardinal brings his own Christmas color

Blue Jay

The Red-breasted nuthatches have been welcome this year.  I have at least two.  They are so fast I don't get a lot of photos.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

White-breasted nuthatch

Downy.....they all love these peanut butter cylinders

Junco

Bluebird

Mockingbird

Pair of bluebirds.  They are the only birds I see sharing the food.

Wren

That peanut is almost bigger than the titmouse is, but he really loves them.

Titmouse

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!

"Do not be afraid!  I bring you good news of great joy, that will be  for all the people.  Born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!

Luke 2:10

 

Warblers, waxwings, and woodpeckers ...

 I haven't posted for awhile, so I thought I would put a few recent bird photos here.  I discovered that the creek next to our condo has a small island that the birds like using for bathing and drinking.  Made it easier to get some of the photos, but I've had some luck "chasing" the warblers around in the tree branches for photos, as well.

This little warbler I only saw a couple of days.  My best guess is a black-throated green warbler in its first year.

My favorite warbler has become the yellow-rumped.  I see several of them every day right now.

This little warbler is an enthusiastic bather.  He gets in and flutters away and dips and fluffs and just has a good old time.  I believe this warbler is the Tennessee warbler.

The male yellow-rumped warbler still has some of its mating color.

This one flew up to the gutter and was banging away at something.  I think it is a moth that it has captured and was killing

This Tennessee warbler is quite the acrobat.  He loves to hang upside down.

I had several young waxwings come by to strip fruit from the trees and bathe on the island.

A male flicker stopped by.  I don't often see them.

A yellow-bellied sapsucker....another woodpecker I seldom see.

********

It was a struggle to get this post completed.  The changes that blogger has made for posting are not user friendly!  I would have removed a few of these photos, but could not even figure out how to do that and was afraid I would have to re-do something else.  I may not be back any time soon.  Facebook is a lot easier.