Trumpeter Swans for Christmas

We are blessed to see these beauties at least once a week. I consider it a wonderful Christmas gift :)
They had moved a bit, so we were able to get a little bit closer. Please see this recent post for lots of info on Trumpeter Swans!

I’ll close with this video. I apologize for the shakiness.. super zoom is great but makes for a little instability.

Trumpeter Swans at Rest in Cut Cornfield

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday: Check out Wild Bird Wednesday for beautiful wild birds around the world!

Have a wonderful remainder of your week.

An Eagle and Trumpeter Swans

Mr. W is the Eagle Eye.. he spots some great photo ops for me on our road trips (sadly, I don’t always capture them the way I like). Thanks to Mr. Eagle Eye, we have been fortunate enough to observe a nice flock of Trumpeter Swans along our regular route for the past few weeks. At first, Mr. W remarked, “hey, some snow geese.” However, after I took the zoomed but blurry pics I realized they looked far too graceful to be snow geese. Trumpeter Swans they are! We have been back through that route several times since that first day. Today I was able to capture some non-blurry shots. Yay! I’ll make you wait to the end of this post for that though.

We spotted a bald eagle today also. Such a majestic and glorious bird!

“Our” Swan Flock…

I have included a little info from Missouri Department of Conservation on Trumpeter Swans in Missouri below. Also, I reported our sightings to the conservation department, but haven’t heard back if they have actually investigated “our” local flock or not.

“Family: Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans) in the order Anseriformes
Description: An all-white swan with a wingspan of nearly 8 feet. They fly with their extraordinarily long necks outstretched. Distinguished from tundra swan by its straight upper bill and the broad base of the bill against the eye, making the eye appear as part of the bill from a distance. Voice is a low trumpetlike sound; that of the young is higher and more nasal.
Size: Length: 60 inches (tip of bill to tip of tail).
Habitat and conservation: Formerly a common migrant statewide and summer resident in northern Missouri. Currently, individuals and family groups winter in Missouri, foraging in shallow water. Some birds may be from the wild population of the Nebraska Sandhills, but most are from captive breeding programs. If you see trumpeter swans with neck collars, use your binoculars to see the color and numbers of the collar, and report them to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Foods: Trumpeter swans forage in shallow water on aquatic vegetation, roots, seeds, and insects.
Distribution in Missouri: Statewide.
Status: Rare winter resident at marshes, lakes, and rivers; formerly a common migrant statewide and summer resident in northern Missouri. A Species of Conservation Concern, it is considered critically imperiled in our state.
Life cycle: Trumpeter swans breed usually in freshwater habitats with dense emergent vegetation, as in inland waters and ponds. Nests are constructed of emergent vegetation and feathers, on the ground surrounded with water. Four to 6 eggs are laid; these are incubated for 33–37 days, and the young fledge in 91–119. Breeding in Missouri is extremely rare but may become more common in the future.
Human connections: There are only about 5,000 trumpeter swans in the Midwest, and they are considered extirpated from our state. Hunters who shoot trumpeter swans risk thousands of dollars in fines and possible jail. If you’re hunting snow geese, make sure you can distinguish between them and trumpeter swans!
Ecosystem connections: 
Swans, geese, and other aquatic grazers are important components of wetland, pond, and lake ecosystems, pruning the steadily growing vegetation and insect populations. In turn, these birds, especially their vulnerable eggs and young, provide food for carnivores.”

As you will see from the excerpt above, they are still considered imperiled and extirpated from our State. It warms my heart to see so many healthy Trumpeters in one flock! Also, my favorite book as a 10 or 11 year old girl was The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White. I’ve always been a bit partial to geese and swans. This has definitely been a highlight of my 2014 to say the least. They are incredibly beautiful and graceful birds.

Enjoy your weekend! Hope you can get out there and enjoy some nature in your neck of the woods!

A Mystery ~ Solved

The dogs and I take a nature hike most every day. For me (and 2 of the three dogs), it’s supposed to be a walk for health and weight loss, but who am I kidding?

My Pack.

I always get sidetracked by an empty eggshell (what kind of little birdie was that?) or …

Look at the pretty flower! (one of the few wildflowers during drought)...

or…

Squirrel! (this normally distracts my canine pack)

…or some interesting blueberry-ish looking fruit lying on the ground. What?!?! We’re in a drought, for Pete’s Sake.

I took my phone pic of the mystery tree (which bore the ripened fruit above) and posted it to facebook to see if anyone could identify it for me.

The answers poured in – from PawPaw (I wish!) to Damson Plum to some kind of Damson Berry.

I decided to delve further and I sent the phone picture to Missouri Conservation Ombudsman. He was perplexed by this phone pic also. So Mr. W and I trekked back to the spot and took some better pictures for the Ombudsman. Notice how tiny the fruit is in Mr. W’s hand. Sadly, that fact alone would rule out Paw Paws! Well, and of course, Paw Paws are not normally blueberry colored…

Mr. W and I had taken our little Missouri Tree Field Guide with us and tentatively identified the tree as a Nannyberry. However, Mr. Conservation Ombudsman has officially identified it as a…

wait for it…

…

…

Black Haw.

Per MDC site:  Decades ago, when more Americans led rural lives and walked more, the fruits were nibbled on by many. The root bark has been used medicinally. Ecosystem connections: Many species of birds eat the berries, including the cardinal, cedar waxwing, robin, ruffed grouse and wild turkey. Mammals that relish the berries include deer, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, skunks and mice. Deer and beaver eat the twigs, bark and leaves. Many animals use this shrub for cover.

The fruit tastes somewhat like raisins, but there will be no Black Haw pies here. Saving these little morsels for our wildlife neighbors. They’ll surely need them this year.

Thank you, Tim, Missouri Department of Conservation Ombudsman, for your help!

Find ways to Explore and Enjoy in your neck of the woods. You never know what you might find!

We’re off to the Missouri State Fair this weekend. Hope to share some lovely long-eared and other photos with you soon!

Precious Creatures of the Night

This has been the Summer of the Owls at Flat Creek Farm. Some of you may recall my mother’s close encounter with a baby owl in Spring of 2010. Several weeks ago I noticed a group of birds flying right over my head after dark. I was packing my two roosters back to the chicken coop for the night (ah yes, just another day in my crazy life).  After the roosters were put to bed these odd little birds became friendlier, oscillating their heads in a most familiar way. Owls, I thought… “baby” owls! And I was correct. They’ve been guests around the chicken coop area nearly every night. It seems they are preying on the mice in that area. Hey, no problem with that!

Here are some of “my” owls. I do believe they are Eastern Screech Owls. They are very small. If anyone has more particulars on them, please chime in.

They were friendly and calm, even while the camera flashed. 

They talk to each other. Not screeching, but sweet little ‘coos’ – like “hey, I’m over here! where are you?”

My favorite shot ~ love the little curly tufts!

I don’t know how long they’ll be frequenting my backyard, but for now I really enjoy my almost nightly visits with the Owls!

*Read more about Eastern Screech Owls in Missouri here. This link also solved our mystery night call that we’ve been hearing for several years here!

early morning walkabout

All from this morning, except for bees (that photo is courtesy of the Blacksmith).

hydrangeas, hummingbird, coneflowers, daisies, grady the gander, yard deer, shotgun the roo in new daytime man-cave.

Busy Bee Memorial Weekend

Saturday was spent goofing off -- shopping, yard sale-ing, farmers market-ing.. and other fun things. Aren’t goof-off days fun? They don’t happen often enough, in my opinion.

Sunday, among other chores, we fed the bees again. They are really working hard and dining on lots of sugar water!

Banjo, keeping her distance from the bees.

Today was coop cleaning day. Sappo is never amused when he’s locked out of the coop for awhile.

And I rescued a stuck snapping turtle from some old wire. He was so well camouflaged I would have missed him, had it not been for Henry the Cat’s curiosity.

I used these to cut the wire… (thankfully, this tool has long handles!)

Ruby watches in bewilderment as the Snapper “runs” free.

Banjo says, ‘oh what a weekend!’ and takes a dip in her Country Hot Tub.

We put our busy-ness on pause for a bit and say Thank You to all who have served, and are serving

our great country.

Waving Flags captured at Centralia MO cemetery 2009.

Hope everyone has enjoyed a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Afternoon in Amish Country

It had been entirely too long since we ventured out to our nearby Amish settlement. Today was the day. Besides the usual shopping and visiting, we enjoyed these sights and scenes.

Whistle-pig (aka Groundhog) ~

beautiful baby & mama ~

 

A long-eared Friend ~

Sweet William in the pasture ~

Hopefully, I was able to send some Amish simplicity and peacefulness your way. Have a great remainder of the week!