On Duty–August 9, 2013
I find the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron above on this same post along Clear Creek most evenings on my visit. 
And I find this YCNH (left) in this same tree on the peninsula most evenings, as well. And here is my nightly Ibis flyover (left).
I think I mentioned something about being creatures of habit the other day. That’s not always a bad thing. Some habits and routines feel good and comfortable, like slipping in to your favorite pair of bluejeans, or sipping that hot cup of tea first thing in the morning.
The African desert sands are gone finally, and we are back to clean air–well, as clean as it can be when you live on the “Chemical Coast.” I
t’s nice to have the haze gone, anyway. One less thing to worry about breathing in.
Slow night, hardly anything is stirring. The water level around the outer banks has risen again, and with the higher water the roseate spoonbills and ibis are gone–I wonder where they go? And how do they know when to come back? 
I wonder if they periodically check different locations, or if they have some instinctive understanding of the ebb and flow of natural events? Or maybe it’s just blind luck, they stumble upon a good hunting area. My journalistic inquisitiveness makes me want to sit down with one of them for an interview.
Our baby goose is growing nicely, and still in the company of his momma.
He is part of the flock at Lake Nassau Park. I believe they are here year round, and I don’t think he will be flying off any time soon. But this is my first year of tracking such things. We’ll have to keep an eye on him.
Here’s the latest visitor to the old, dilapidated purple martin house. I love this old birdhouse. There are a lot of memories and connections in that disintegrating wood. 
I guess it is similar to those habits we were talking about. It’s comforting to look out and see it standing there.
Green Thought: Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty.― Albert Einstein