Another very cool morning with starry skies. I added a layer to my henley… my fleece hoodie is just enough to keep me comfortable enough to stay on the porch for awhile. The weather app is reporting a temp of 46 degrees. An invigorating temperature to say the least.
A train rolling thru town breaks the dawn silence. And continues to rumble for a good while before fading into the traffic roar on the bypass.
The first bird is waking up. Not so much singing as chattering, now joined by another that does burst into a short song, followed by another and another. They are all singing individually as the sky brightens with color.
It’s been awhile since I last heard any whistling ducks fly over(1). Truth be told, I kind of miss their daily appearance. I can just hear the owl settling in for a day’s rest off the other side of the bayou. And suddenly, the world is full of bird sounds.
Time to go and spend another day working at bringing my other sites up to snuff. I’ve been spending hours each days trying to finally put into existence a design concept I’ve played with for the last few years. It’s a lot of work, and basically means rewriting almost every post I’ve ever done… probably won’t even get noticed for a long time to come.
Y’all stay safe, stay healthy, and Pray for our Nation and the world. Next Tuesday is election day, go vote if you haven’t already voted. Vote for the Democrats. Make America America Again. Wear a mask. Wash your hands often. Catch you tomorrow.
Endnotes
(1)Texas populations (of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks) arrive on breeding grounds from early Mar to Apr (Bellrose 1976a, Palmer 1976). Over a 10-yr period, average arrival date at Santa Ana, NWR, in s. Texas 25 Mar (Bolen 1967b). Migration corridor appears to radiate from Gulf coast of central Mexico. Fall departure usually occurs between Aug and Oct. Small concentrations of birds observed in the lower Rio Grande valley during winter (Palmer 1976, JDJ and JET). Arizona individuals appear to arrive in mid Apr and depart mid Oct (Brown 1985b). Information on timing in Florida, Arkansas, and Louisiana populations not reported.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis, Movements and Migration – Birds of the World
