What a
difference there can be from one autumn day to another. I am not referring to the changing weather, but
rather to the erratic behavior of the deer on the farm. Many mornings only a doe and her fawns will
appear in the alfalfa field…
The next
morning, eight or more does along with bucks may be present…
From now
until the end of November, most mornings will find me parked along the lane...
I try to be there before the sun is up to
watch as the golden morning light chases away the shadows…
It is often
at this time of day that the sound of migrating geese can be heard as they
return from their nesting grounds far to the North…
Geese are intermittent
visitors to the farm. Far more
dependable are the chickadees and tufted titmice that can almost always be
found…
Pileated woodpeckers
fly from one stand of forest to another uttering their raucous calls…
Their
excavations into the standing, yet dead, trees provide shelter for numerous
other species…
While
waiting for something wild to appear, I often marvel at the amount and variety
of life that is present so close to the edge of town. The constant hum of traffic on a major
highway always provides unwanted background noise to my quiet reflections; yet
somehow the more subtle sounds of a squirrel eating his breakfast, or a white-breasted
nuthatch tapping on a limb, manages to reach my ears…
Although I
mainly watch for deer...
and turkeys at the farm...
I also enjoy seeing the other
wildlife such as groundhogs, like this one that appears to have been flooded
from his den…
Or this one,
that thinks it is hidden and I cannot see him…
A raccoon paused just long enough for me to take a photo...
I have only
seen one wood turtle at the farm…
Not to be
confused with the more common box turtle…
Among the
birds rearing young were a pair of robins…
At least one
pair of brown thrashers…
Brown-headed
cowbirds…
Grackles by
the hundreds…
Starlings
always have a nest in the same tree from year to year…
I watched a
pair of Baltimore orioles build and nest and hatch their brood for the second
year…
On occasion
I see a bald eagle cruising high above the fields and the river…
A number of
warblers were present this year, such as this yellow-rumped warbler…
Indigo buntings are plentiful along the lane...
I had
several opportunities to watch a coopers hawk attempt to catch a squirrel but
it was not successful while I was watching…
One of the
reasons I enjoy mornings at the farm is that as the sun rises the light gets
better for photography with each passing minute…
By contrast,
the light diminishes with each minute in the evening…
There is still enough light to observe wildlife long after adequate light for photography has been lost.
Almost every
year there is at least one piebald deer in the herd. This year there is a buck and a fawn…
I hope the piebalds
escape the sharpshooters, but I am not optimistic about that happening.
Did I
mention that I own this farm? Well,
technically I own a 1/318,946,000 interest in the farm. I feel protective of it; almost as if it were
100% mine.
I enjoy watching the red fox
cross the fields…
Seeing a
coyote is a very special event. I am
willing to wager that not one hundredth of one percent of visitors see a
coyote on this property. I have seen,
and photographed, at least eight coyotes over the years. No doubt there are many more that remain
hidden…
Changing
seasons are magical anywhere. The
Worthington Farm, at the Monocacy National Battlefield, is one of the places
where seasonal changes are most important to me. The fact that it is only a short ride from my
house is a huge bonus.
Finally, when writing a blog post that contains so many bird names there arises the eternal question “to capitalize or not to capitalize”? Just so you won’t think that I take the issue lightly I will recommend reading a post found here: http://penelopedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/bird-names-to-capitalize-or-not.html
Thanks for
visiting, be well, and visit "my" farm soon.
Maybe I will see you there.
What a lovely place and such wonderful pictures. You are blessed to be in such a peaceful surrounding.
ReplyDeleteYes changing seasons are magical.