Yes..2011! Time to go forward! And forward I shall go..right to the pier! Today was a drippy, dreary sort of day..the kind that most people (at least those with any sense of well-being) stay indoors. Not me! I looked out the front door and the Bay beckoned. I heeded and away I went with jacket and camera in hand. The slight mist of a rain moistened my face and hair as I made my way down the footpath. It felt great to be back outdoors after so many required holiday meals and baking and so many holiday visitors. I was free at last and on my own. Thunder grumbled in the distance.. uhoh!..folklore has it that if you hear thunder in the winter, snow or ice will follow within the next ten days. Hmmm..something to keep in mind. The clouds were low and dark and the wind was making the Bay a bit choppy. Not a good day for fishermen for sure, but I was safe on the pier. Ezzy, the dog, and I watched our Bayou friends as they went about their daily foraging. The egret, heron and osprey were busy again, along with the brown ducks and pelicans. Today, however, we had a new addition! A Hooded Merganser paddled along near the pier. The bright white of its "hood" or crest was gleaming like a beacon through the mist. I could clearly see the bright yellow eye and the stripes of white on its back. This bird is just wintering here so I do not often get to see them. So beautiful and so worth photographing!
Coming off the pier, a speck of bright yellow caught my eye. In the dead leaves on the ground this stuck out like a sore thumb..what in the world could be so bright and pretty on such a bleak day. On further examination, I discovered a beautiful feather..brilliant yellow with a black tip. Ahh, so the elusive bird left me a gift! I have been catching glimpse of a large bird over the past month but never could get a clear enough view to identify the species. Now with the feather in hand, I had all I needed. A Northern Flicker! This is a member of the woodpecker family and this particular one was of the golden shafted subspecies as evident by the yellow shaft of the feather! I am happy to have this bird as a resident of the yard and hope it decides to stay. I will now be on the lookout for nesting sights in dead trees!
As I was pondering the Flicker feather, Ezzy wandered off. It is unusual that she ever leaves my side so I began to wonder just what she was up to this time. When I found her, she was wagging her tail as if she found a new friend. And she had..or at least she thought it was a friend. A young raccoon was busy nosing around the flower garden near the birdfeeder. It was no more afraid of us than we of it. A thought crossed my mind.."Could this be one of the little ones on the pier post from back in June? I called Ez and we let it eat in peace. Happy New Year's, Little One!
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