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 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Brown Headed Nuthatch songbird, Sitta pusilla, nest cavity, backyard birding, Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA Thursday, 12:27 PM - A flurry of back and forth flights directed my eye to a tree stump on the water’s edge of the shelter’s upper pond. Brown-headed Nuthatches (Sitta pusilla) were making runs to a small opening in the stump and disappearing in the shadowy hole. Zooming in, I saw the incoming flights carried small pieces of leafy-like material, while the outgoing flights were empty beaked. They had found a nice cavity to build their nest!  Brown-headed Nuthatch bird, Sitta pusilla, at nest cavity in dead tree. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Native to the forests of the southeastern United States. Both the male and female will excavate the nest cavity, which is usually in a dead tree or fence post about 5 feet off the ground. Nesting material includes grass, feathers, pine seed wings, hair and bark shavings. Once the nest is complete, the pair, or the female alone, will roost in the cavity before the eggs are laid, and throughout the nesting period. The nest is usually attended by more than the female/male pair as family groups, typically young males, will assist at the nest. The following day, I returned to the nest site. Several nuthatches were still busy with out-and-back flights while one remained in the cavity most of the time. Instead of a shaky monopod, this time I was prepared with a tripod and cable release trigger. I also brought a strong flashlight to position under the branch to throw just a little light on the cavity that is placed on the shady underside of the tree trunk. The difference may be almost imperceptible, but look much better to me! Walton County, Georgia  Brown-headed Nuthatch bird, Sitta pusilla, at nest cavity in dead tree. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Native to the forests of the southeastern United States.  Brown-headed Nuthatch bird, Sitta pusilla, at nest cavity in dead tree. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Native to the forests of the southeastern United States.  Brown-headed Nuthatch bird, Sitta pusilla, at nest cavity in dead tree. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Native to the forests of the southeastern United States.  Brown-headed Nuthatch bird, Sitta pusilla, at nest cavity in dead tree. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Native to the forests of the southeastern United States.  Brown-headed Nuthatch bird, Sitta pusilla, at nest cavity in dead tree. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Native to the forests of the southeastern United States. 
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11  Sick Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana. North American opossum, possum. Marsupial. Monroe, Georgia, Walton County, United States of America. Tuesday, 3:48 PM - I wandered out behind the shelter to read the latest draft of my Okefenokee Journal aloud. Proof-reading orally tends to help the flow of my sentences and ideas. While pacing back and forth, a Virginia Opossum came up over a small pile of stone and brush within just a few feet of me. It looked in rough shape: a cataract in one eye, labored breathing, excess saliva on the front arm, mucous in the nose. It was quickly apparent that it was struggling. As it slowly staggered down the small hill, it fell over a few times, revealing a single hairless baby clinging to her belly just outside the pouch. She tried to pull herself up a few times, but finally just laid down in the clover to rest. Rabies isn’t typical in Opossums, so I don’t know what was wrong with her. But it seemed she was close to passing. I wasn’t sure if I should let her be and let nature take its course, or ease her passing. As I debated to intervene or not, a single, large black fly buzzed about waiting to perform his role in the course of nature. Walton County, Georgia  Baby Opossum in pouch  Sick Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana. North American opossum, possum. Marsupial. Monroe, Georgia, Walton County, United States of America.  Sick Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana. North American opossum, possum. Marsupial. Monroe, Georgia, Walton County, United States of America.  Sick Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana. North American opossum, possum. Marsupial. Monroe, Georgia, Walton County, United States of America.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Tufted Titmouse bird, Baeolophus bicolor, chickadee family, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia Saturday - 7:50 AM Getting a chance to enjoy a sunrise with a cup of coffee on my back patio once again. 56 degrees, but the heater brings it up into the comfortable sixties. Two Eastern Bluebirds landed on the string lights over the turtle pond. Lidia said they were looking into the triple decorative birdhouses last week. Perhaps they will decide to nest in one this season. It may be a mess being right over the pond, but quite a thrill to have them just twenty feet from our patio chairs. 5:30 PM – I got to do my first backyard birding session with the Sigma 600mm. I sat quite a long time before any birds came. Other than a Robin and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, I shot the usual: Titmouse, Chickadee, Cardinal. 7:05 PM – On the back patio again. What a privilege: three occasions to relax in one day! It is strange to be so light so late in the day. A nice sunset glow illuminating the long grasses in the meadow behind the house. A Towhee sounds off regularly; most of the other birds have silenced already. Athens, Georgia Forecast: mostly cloudy, high near 75°. Chance of showers tonight; possible thunderstorm.  American Robin thrush songbird, Turdus migratorius , red breast, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia, USA  Carolina Chickadee song bird, Poecile carolinensis, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia, USA  Male Red Northern Cardinal bird, Cardinalis cardinalis, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia, USA  Tufted Titmouse bird, Baeolophus bicolor, chickadee family, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia  Male Red Northern Cardinal bird, Cardinalis cardinalis, backyard birding, Athens, Georgia, USA  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Mourning Dove bird, Zenaida macroura, rain dove, turtle dove, Walton County, Monroe Georgia, United States of America Friday, 12:39 PM - Just as a brief break to keep the kettle from boiling over, I strolled out behind the shelter to the upper pond during lunch break. After last week’s hail and dip into frosty overnight temps, today is a beautiful, blue, sunny, 70 degree sky. A lone Mourning Dove sat peacefully perched on a budding Bradford Pear tree. Take a deep breath. It’s Friday!
Walton County, Georgia 
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation.  Job 38:22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble,against the day of battle and war? Tuesday, 7:06 PM - Hail! I have lived in Athens, Georgia for twenty-six years and don’t remember a hail storm like this! It came down in two rounds, each lasting at least five to ten minutes. The cracking was so hard upon the windows, I thought for sure the glass would break at any minute. Several large pieces bounced through the yard as the high winds pummeled the pieces into the ground. The poor landscaping really took a beating; one gutter came partially detatched; and the winds blew a two or three inch deep pile of “chopped ice” into the corner by the front porch. Athens, Georgia  Monday, March 20, 2017 - Today is the vernal equinox, or first day of spring. The sun crosses the celestial equator (north to south). Day and night length are nearly equal (hence, the Latin name 'equinox' meaning 'equal night'). The tilt of the earth's axis is perpendicular to the sun's rays. Forecast: sunny, high 72.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is His work." Psalms 111:2  Dead White-tailed Deer road kill carcass of skeleton ribs, spine and bones picked bare by scavenger vultures and carrion crows. Walton County, Georgia. Friday, 5:22 PM - On Tuesday this week, on my ride home from work, I noticed a roadkill deer to my right as I drove out of Good Hope. It was surrounded and covered by a wake of Turkey Vultures. On Wednesday afternoon, several Black Vultures sat upon the carcass, sticking their heads between the bones. On Thursday, a couple of crows were present at the feast. Today, nothing but a perfect skeleton was left.
I was amazed to see how quickly and efficiently the carrion crows could clean a carcass. This may seem like a morbid, useless observation. But forensic scientists study vultures to help find and gain clues from bodies from crimes. Walton County, Georgia 
 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 - Took another day off work after coming home late from the Okefenokee. I spent a brief spell under the patio heater (57 degrees outside) before the unpacking, cleaning and storing of all our camping gear. It is a sunny sky after last night's rain. The knockout roses next to the patio are beginning to bloom!
Athens, Georgia |
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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