I start writing my blog at the beginning of each month and make some additional edits and updates as the month progresses. Now on the last day of the month, everything I have written so far seems like a distant memory. The last few and continuing days, the civil unrest in my city and the country leaves me grief stricken. Our history, structural system, politics, anger and fear, perceptions of justice and injustice, violence, is hard to make sense of. I hope this leads to lasting positive changes. Right now I don't see that happening yet. Even a few weeks ago, a birder in New York City's Central Park, could not escape into the joy of nature. Maybe there is no sense, only emotion. 

Despite these last few days and my heavy heart, I will continue with the rest of my blog as I had been writing throughout the month.

Park closures continued for the beginning of the month, but then started to ease up. I am getting used to wearing a mask and to my weekly routine for grocery shopping and disinfecting. I've increased my social interactions through zoom calls with family and naturalist groups. I even had a couple of socially distant lunches with friends outdoors, where we each supplied our own chairs and lunches and sat about 10 feet apart. My initial fears of the pandemic are subsiding a bit. Watching and photographing nature always helps keep my focus on something positive and peaceful.

I mostly stuck with local parks. Most of the migrant birds have found their way to the mountains and further north. Some resident birds are sitting on nests hiding from view. This has made for much quieter walks in the parks. However, some of the resident birds already have fledglings. Young Great-horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks, and Great Blue Herons are some of the larger ones. They always look scruffy and gawky. There were many parents carrying food for their screaming offspring. Additionally I caught some nature courtship and 'romance' including Royal Terns, Black-necked Stilts, and Margined Calligrapher flies.

Mammals, reptiles, frogs, insects, spiders, and even snails and slugs were fun to photograph. Squirrels and rabbits get a lot of camera coverage, not for any scientific understanding, but just because they warm my heart. However, I was surprised to learn that squirrels eat birds! A horrified House Sparrow made a tremendous amount of squawking as the squirrel munched on a family member.

I am preparing for a talk about the Bixby Marshland. This has required me to dig a little deeper into my lacking plant knowledge and learn a little more technology. I always enjoy learning something new.

There are so many stories with each photo. I take each photo for a reason. Even if the reason isn't anything deep, I have chosen to click the shutter. Take a walk with me sometime.

Even if you haven't gotten out for a walk yourself, I hope this window on the world brings you at least some peaceful distraction.

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Watch the slideshows or click on the links to look through at your own pace. Links open in a new tab.

Enjoy the show! I always appreciate corrections to ID's.

Local stuff:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_may_2020