Category Archives: Nature

The Wild

Ride for Raptors, 2013

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The 2013 edition of the Ride for Raptors is history. Another great ride through the hills of Pickens County, ending up at the Pendleton Fall Festival, and supporting the Carolina Raptor Center.

Many rides start with doves or balloons. This one is a bit different. I also saw a real wild hawk, probably a Cooper’s Hawk, fly over about 20 minutes before the ride started.

The ride gives you a chance to practice a little urban riding crossing US123 and going through Central, but it also traverses some very out-of-the-way scenic places. This was taken at the 3rd rest stop.

60 or 100 miles? Ya know, I could probably do 100, but it’d take me until Tuesday.

Some of the terrain involved. I wouldn’t want that driveway.

Actually, that wasn’t the …er… most challenging. Maw Bridge Road climbs off the river with about a 9 to 10% grade for about a mile. I wasn’t going to stop there for any pictures.
Lunch was waiting at the finish, courtesy of Subway, my favorite “fast food”:

From there, it was a short walk over to the Pendleton town square and the festival.

Zlaty, the Golden Eagle in the background, and Skoshi, the Red Tailed Hawk, were there from from the Raptor Center.

These are birds that cannot return to the wild because of their injuries and have become used to humans, so they get to travel around to things like festivals. Zlaty was found in Arizona with his wing apparently shot off. Skoshi has an undersized eye and was rescued after he injured his wing on that side. I kind of feel like I know them, as many times as I’ve seen them at this ride. Zlaty is about 30 years old and Skoshi is not far behind.
A Greenville rehabber brought a little Screech Owl. This is a full-sized adult. So cute, unless you’re a rodent…

There was a distinct Halloween theme around the festival and around town. Funny, I don’t remember seeing this guy out on the ride:

If I did try to do the 100 mile route, I’d probably look like this (minus the Clemson flag).

I hope I’ll be doing this ride again. A letter in the registration packet announced that Rich Mead is retiring from organizing this ride. If you or someone you know can take up the task of keeping this going, please contact Rich, +1 864 244 0263 or ride4raptors@mindspring.com.

Creature Feature 2013 #9

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Fall in the Carolina Piedmont is characterized by pleasantly warm days and cool nights. With the water still warm from the summer, this leads to steam fog:
We can probably expect more of that as the season progresses.
This Osprey was out early catching breakfast. Mmmmmmmmmm….

“Ok, ready over there? You grab one leg, I’ll grab the other… on three… one… two …”

Autumnal Equinox

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The seasons are changing. It’s noticeably quieter out on the lake now as migrants are starting to migrate and everyone else is preparing for winter. I’ve seen evidence of this at my backyard feeders too.

We’ve already had the cultural end of summer (Labor Day), today is the astronomical end of summer (the equinox), and even the weather seems to be pushing towards a meteorological end of summer. Some trees are already starting to turn:


The sky was mostly overcast yesterday morning when I was out on the lake, contributing to the feeling of “fall”:

But this morning was bright sun, and some fog hanging over the North Rabon Creek (taken from US76, where I was cycling):

When I got back from taking that picture, a group of jays were squawking up a storm at the house. There was a hawk hanging around and everyone knew about it (sorry, just had the cell phone for this one):

Creature Feature 2013 #8

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The seasons are starting to change, and it seemed these Geese were practicing their formation for migration. Hint: remember guys, the idea is to get on top of the the wingtip vortex of the bird ahead of you. Really, a lot of these Geese hang around all year, but they probably like to fly anyway:

When I got up to the end of the lake, there was a large flock of Geese there, just hangin’ out. Then a couple of them took off and headed down the lake, maybe to do a little recon, then came back. This one made a nice landing on the water:

I watched them from a comfortable distance for a while, then they decided to move off down the lake. They checked me out while I was watching the parade:

They left the Killdeer, and a bunch of feathers, behind:

When I got back to my launch/recovery point, there was a Heron hanging around, who checked me out as I approached:

I figured she would just take off as I approached the dock, but instead she just waded off, giving me a chance to get a whole lot of pixels on her (click on the picture to check out the full-res version if you want to count the feathers):

And, no, I really don’t know if that bird was a he or she, but I had to pick some sort of pronoun. Some time I’ll write about the limitations of the English Language, or, as some call it, the Anguish Languish.

Creature Feature 2013 #7 – Insect Special

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There’s been dragonflies and butterflies all over the place lately, so here’s a special insect edition. I had this about ready to post early last week, but decided I needed to get a field guide so I could start identifying these critters. So, without further ado, and with the help of the National Wildlife Federation’s Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America (which looks like a pretty good field guide; lots of pictures), here we go! (As usual, click on the image for a full-res version.)

Here’s a Silver-spotted Skipper tankin’ up:

A Red-spotted Purple, who has apparently been through a lot but was still flying:

I think this is a Blue Dasher:

These 12-spotted skimmers were darting around all over a little cove. I thought getting pictures of kingfishers in flight was difficult…

Creature Feature 2013 #6

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I’ve had a lot going on lately, so I’ve got some pictures to catch up on. Here’s some of the latest lake goings-ons. As usual, you can click on the picture to get to a full-resolution version if you want to count the feathers.

That’s a Mocking Bird about to land in the tree:

There were these two Kingfishers who seemed to just be hanging around with each other. I think they were a pair, and they were happy to sit still (for a change) for some portraits:

Osprey were out playing and kicking up rooster tails on the water:

And the Osprey weren’t the only ones kicking up some water… here a Great Blue Heron heads for a landing:

Wouldn’t you know it? I’m out there with my small lens to do some video, and I come across our Bald Eagle. Wish I had my 200mm lens for this guy…

Radish!

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Every year we try to grow vegetables on the back porch. We start with radishes, because they grow well in the cooler spring (and fall) weather, and shrug off any frosts (one year I picked the last radish in January, after a December ice storm).

However, we have not ever had a radish this big:

And yes, it was quite edible, and even good:

William A. Prall, 1943 – 2013

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Back in December, my Brother-in-law, Bill Prall, was diagnosed with a nasty form of cancer. On July 4, 2013, he passed away.

Bill is/was a well-known figure around Brodheadsville, PA. Husband, father, businessman, showman, Army National Guard medic, musician, actor, so many things he did.

This was presented at the viewing:

God saw he was getting tired
And a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around him
And Whispered, “Come with Me.”

With tearful eyes we watched him suffer
And saw him fade away.
Although we loved him dearly,
We could not make him stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands to Rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

His Wife, my Sister, did an amazing job caring for Bill through his illness, dealing with countless issues and seeing everything through to completion. Her care, devotion, and fortitude is an inspiration to us all. I hope she can get back to her gardens.

He is, as they say, survived by his Wife and two Daughters.

More lake monsters

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I was quietly going up one of the little feeder creeks, one of those that you wouldn’t even know are there, much less get into, with a power boat, shooting video (stay tuned for my next “favorite places” video). Ahead on the left I saw something, or somethings, moving around in the water, and my first thought was beavers, since they’re active in that area, as well as all around the lake.

Usually, when I see a beaver, they’re crossing the water, and when they notice me they slap the water and disappear, as in this earlier video of mine:


These creatures didn’t do that. While they kept their distance and moved off, they seemed to actually be as curious about me as I am about them.


Sure looked like Otters to me.

Creature Feature 2013 #5

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These guys (Cliff Swallows, I think) will land just about anywhere. They have a lot of nests under the Wilsontown Bridge.

Gear down, landing in the fog:

Everyone loves a parade … or, stuck in traffic:

The usual Great Blue Heron in flight:

Coming in from the lake, I decided to try going a little “macro” in the back yard. I really have no idea what these plants are, but maybe they look neat.


And, to finish off the day, almost a double rainbow (I know rainbows aren’t “creatures”, but, what the heck…). You can just about make out the track of a second rainbow above the obvious one.