Evening Ride
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.)
Sweltering summer days. Exploring in August usually means being out early. Today, we braved the humidity and building thunderstorms to visit one of our favorite patches at sunset.
Citrus groves criss-crossed by clay roads are bordered by pastures, weedy fields, small lakes and a blueberry farm which seems to have been unsuccessful based on the level of disrepair we found. In a couple of months, this area will be a magnet for a diverse collection of migrating birds. Today, a few year-round residents graced us with their presence.
Thanks to new hearing aids, my ears were assaulted with familiar but long unheard sounds. Choruses of cicadas sang out in undulating waves as if celebrating summer. Gini pointed at a male Northern Cardinal atop an orange tree with head thrown back belting out his clear whistle. I actually heard it before my eyes found it. What’s that urgent call overhead? Familiar and almost forgotten. The Black-necked Stilt was obviously upset at our presence. Following it to its landing spot revealed why. A youngster demanded attention, and protection.
Anhinga, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Northern Bobwhite, Mourning Dove, Common Ground Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, those Black-necked Stilts – we didn’t expect quite this diversity.
Then, Gini heard a burbling song and we both said “what is that?”. This hearing thing is pretty neat! A male Blue Grosbeak briefly perched for a very distant photo. Just as the sun began its final descent, a familiar summertime buzz filled the air. Over a dozen Common Nighthawks busily snatched a late snack before gathering on utility lines in preparation to roost in the citrus trees.
A vantage point on the shore of a small lake gave us a ringside seat for a truly glorious sunset. Passing storm clouds added a nice dramatic touch.
Evening rides make summer better.
Black-necked Stilt with young and yelling at us from overhead.
An immature Red-shouldered Hawk perches atop a young tented citrus tree hoping for supper to appear. (Tents are being used for citrus to ward off a citrus greening disease caused by a bacteria which destroys the fruit and trees. Some success is being realized.)
A male Blue Grosbeak gave us a very nice vocal performance. Wish he would have perched closer than half-a-mile away!
The “buzz” of the Common Nighthawk is distinctive as they fly with their mouths open through clouds of insects at dawn and dusk. We even heard one male “boom” – a sound made by flexing his wings during a steep dive. Usually heard during courtship, they will also “boom” at potential intruders, like the two-legged monster with the big camera.
Just before sunset.
A creek empties into the lake.
Sunset.
Being out before sunrise can beat the summer heat. A nice evening ride in August can offer unexpected rewards.
We hope you enjoy your search for a natural place and come back for a visit!
Our Natural Places 
Stunning sunset shots Wally! Glad you are able to put those hearing aids to good use. I sure wish I had listened to my mother so many years ago and turned down the stereo a few notches, but we always know best at that age. Over the years I have learned to tune out the tinnitus ringing and focus on the bird calls – for some unexplained reason I have to stare at the ground to do that which I am sure baffles others on my bird outings when everybody else is looking up ha. The juvenile BN Stilt gave me a big smile. The adults are already adorable, put that into a smaller package and let the melting begin! Great post Wally, glad to see you and Gini getting out there.
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Although I’m late with a response, I really appreciate your nice comments. We’re lucky that the stilts breed nearby. Fun to encounter!
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What a beautiful sunset spot! We do not get to see sunsets at home, too many trees. Up here at the farm however, I have seen many of sunsets this week. I think I would have taken out those hearing aids just NOT to hear those cicadas!
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It’s a challenge in flat Florida to find a decent spot to see sunsets/sunrises. The coast is good, but in between there is usually an obstacle, like your pesky trees.
For now, hearing those cicadas after not hearing them for years was really special. I’ll enjoy ’em for awhile before pulling out the new ears.
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Beautiful photography. I think your sky shots kind of steal the show. So much beauty in those skies!
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Thanks, Peter. It was kinda hard to ignore all the black and orange and yellow.
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Very nice photos Wally. Lovely visuals of sunsets. Glad you can hear the sounds of summer again, or at least hear them better. 🙂
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Thanks, Brad.
Yep, it’s like Christmas for my ears!
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Beautiful photos and stunning series of the sunset. A lovely evening together!! I can imagine your smiling if getting to hear so much better the calls of the birds. I got a new eye prescription and glasses several months ago and it seems miraculously I see bird movement up in the trees so much better. 🙂
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Thank you, Donna.
We don’t realize what we’re missing sometimes until we make a change and all of a sudden, there are sights and sounds we had almost forgotten.
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Beautiful shots! Nice find on the grosbeak this early and the nighthawk. I haven’t been out looking for a while since it’s been so hot. I’m ready to get back out in the woods but probably not until September. I hope that field does get new trees instead of a new subdivision.
Small world, I got hearing aids earlier this year. My husband got tired of having to repeat himself. Still not quite used to them yet.
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Thank you, Dina.
A sunset and some surprise birds made for a nice outing. Yep. It’s hot.
So far, in that area at least, they appear to be working hard to save groves as well as start new ones under huge “greenhouse” tents. Good news – no houses so far. Not so good news – with the citrus trees tented, there is less area for birds to roost. The annual roosting spot for migrating Western Kingbirds and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers has been reduced but there are still plenty of trees for this winter.
My wife doesn’t know what to do now that I answer her immediately! 🙂
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How wonderful to have the world of sound re-opened! My hearing is so good that I sometimes amuse myself by eavesdropping on other diners, or people conversing in a variety of lines, but on the other hand, I often don’t know what I’m hearing. The birds can be especially mysterious: at least, until I was introduced to the Merlin app. That’s pretty much a wonder, too! Even at home, there are birds chirping and singing that I can’t identify, but once I know what to look for, I sometimes can find them.
The photos of the nighthawk are special. Grackles gather at our HEB, but the local Randalls parking lot is the nighthawk spot. Around sunset, it’s common to hear them booming as they dive; like the cicadas, they’re a part of summer’s soundtrack that I adore. On the other hand, the photo of the grosbeak might be my favorite — and how interesting about those antibacterial tents.
I did smile at your comment about early morning vs. evening jaunts. I like the morning light, but I far prefer evening, when the sun’s finally baked some of the humidity out of the air. Recently, it’s been hard to even breathe in the early mornings.
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My hearing was like watching the hands on a clock. I knew it was going, but all of a sudden, it was midnight and I don’t know how it got so late. These little marvels are making each day like Christmas. Can’t wait to open the next gift.
Summer soundtrack. I like that. Now, if I could just find a porch to sit on at night and hear crickets again.
At some point, I’ll post a picture of the very large tent enclosures they are now using for maturing groves. Impressive. Ugly, but impressive. We keep hoping they will leave portions of the groves “untented” so birds will still have a safe place to roost.
Dawn, dusk. The edges of the day. Apparently, I am a crepuscular critter.
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As you say very dramatic sunset and beautifully captured!
I had to smile reading this. Later today I have an appointment to see an audiologist for, yep, hearing aids. A life time of abuse as come home to roost except that is not the full problem. Originally the doctors referred me to the hospital because of blocked tubes causing everything to sound ‘hollow’. Specialist at the hospital didn’t want to know and just said I need the hearing aids, we’ll see.
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Thanks, Brian.
You have my best wishes going forward. I hope the hearing aids help with improved hearing, but I sure hope the actual problem can be addressed at some point. Will be thinking of you.
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Wonderful – and how exciting to hear it all again.
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Thank you, EC! It’s like a miracle. Another one of those things we take for granted – until we lose it.
Gini and I continue to include you in our prayers as you face the challenges ahead.
Our son just returned from a week in Australia and announced: “I will be returning!”.
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Thank you and I am so glad your son enjoyed his visit to my country. Where did he go?
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He was in Perth on business. During his off time, he explored and talked to enough locals to determine he’ll be back. I pointed out how large Australia is and that he may need to plan for a very long return trip!
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Glad you’re getting around in nature more often now.
Without the explanatory text, I’d swear that your opening picture shows Arizona or Utah or some other western location. Never would I have thought of a citrus grove.
Imagine if male humans made booming sounds during courtship.
Does a grosbeak really have a gros [= big] beak compared to other birds its size?
That pretty sunset and those dramatic clouds over water are a good way to close out your post.
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Gini spotted that opening shot and helped “compose” it. We also thought it was “out westish”. Almost White Sands like, except for those green sprigs.
I’m pretty sure some male humans could be accused of booming sounds during courtship.
Yep, that big bill is “Größer” than most other song birds.
The sunset and clouds were a good way to close out our evening drive, too.
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Your experience with new hearing aids reminds me of mine when my hubby got his; I had tears running down my cheeks there in the doctor’s office, as he exclaimed like an excited child over all the things he could now hear.
The photo of the Blue Grosbeak among the tree tents is ethereal, as though he is some special totem crowning the head of a trekking pilgrim. To be guarded on our way by Blue Grosbeaks would be pretty wonderful.
And your sunsets are spectacular – the perfect reward for coming out to witness the close of the day.
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My first “wow” moment with the new ears was heading for the clinic parking lot after the fitting and hearing an Osprey calling overhead. A memorable event.
Thanks for the wonderful comments!
Birds as totems. There may be precedence.
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