A pair of grebes is calling the canal their home

A number of days has passed since my last post because I spent some time away from home visiting family out of town.  During that time a neighbor was kind enough to take care of feeding our backyard visitors so they would not feel the need to find a new food source.  They were fed on a different schedule but seemed to adapt and when I returned, the usual suspects were back within a day or so.  As for the eggs that I am incubating on behalf of Muscovy duck Cutie2, another neighbor was their foster mother while I was away, turning them three times a day and watching out for their temperature.  They came home today.  So things are back to normal pretty much.

I did notice a pleasant new turn of events today.  We now have a pair of pied-billed grebes in the canal swimming around and fishing below the surface.  I had seen one before and now there are two of them.  I wonder if it is the same two that were here last year.  Some migratory birds return to the same place year after year.  This is my third year seeing grebes.  And this is the earliest I have seen them; it is usually closer to Thanksgiving.

A happy grebe couple

Today was a pretty active day with a lot of variety in the backyard.  I saw a great blue heron fishing across the canal and a great white egret did a few fly-bys.   The small tricolor heron, who has been around quite a bit fishing on both sides of the canal, was back with some of his turtle friends taking the sun on the canal bank.

Relaxing together and catching some rays

A cormorant was back on the dock post today and a little later Ani the anhinga was there also.  The cormorant had been absent for a while.  The pigeon was not here today and was not for a few days before my vacation so maybe he has flown off to greener pastures.  In contrast, the Egyptian geese have maintained their habit of morning and evening visits.

The bird feeders have been going empty faster lately owing to the greater presence of grackles.  And the other day I saw three or four little birds by the tray feeder.  It could be that the painted bunting brought some friends but it looked more like the palm warbler size though I never saw one of those at the feeder before. They prefer plucking bugs off the pool screen and I saw one doing that today.  I hope to get a closer look.

A snowy egret was fishing across the canal today.  It was interesting to watch him stir up the bottom with his bright yellow foot and then pounce on whatever he turned up.  Sometimes he lost his balance and had to flap his wings to get it back.  It was exactly the same thing that the stork from a few weeks ago did.

The fishing is good over here

The usual Muscovies have been around mostly in the mornings.  Males Blanco, Freckles, the handsome guy, Big Boy, Lazlo and another one or two are here but Black Foot is no longer a daily visitor and he comes and goes alone.  I wonder what's going on with him.  The harem girls and Cuutie2 and CutieTips are usually here and it seems that Cutie2 has paired up with Lazlo and CutieTips is still with Big Boy.  They rest together under the neighbor's bushes after eating.  Cutie2 apparently did not make another nest after hers was traumatized by something.  The juveniles and their mom were around before my trip but I have not seen them return yet after it.  Hopefully they will.

The mottled duck count has stayed around 12 to 14 and of course call duck Colson is with them.  He is still chasing away that handsome Muscovy male whenever he sees him.  I find it to be the oddest behavior.  And he is still swimming with his mottled buddy.

Our backyard flock of white ibis was in evidence this afternoon a little to the west of the backyard.  They are a big group that seems to stick together.

Backyard ibis flock resting in the shade

The other day ended with a pitch black cat taking a walk across the backyard and checking out the top of the dock for a little while.