Good News and Bad News In Pelican Land

With the October 12th arrival date of the pelicans getting close, the number of arrivals is already weighing heavy on this years visit by the big birds that winter here. To compound that was the National Weather Services issue of major storm warnings for heavy snow and temperatures  up to 50 degrees below normal for the north and central Rockies and the northern plains. The pelicans should be on the way with their ability to sense things like that. And, since the scout has been here for the past ten days, the indication is that the main flock is getting ready to travel.

When I made the check today, I was somewhat relieved that the initial arrival of the big birds had arrived 4 days ahead of schedule. That is always a chance of luck but knowing that the weather systems were getting ready to hit the Montana plains, it was hoped that the birds were indeed, on the move.

However, as first feared when the National Wildlife reported that 13,000 had been killed in the sudden hail storm a few weeks back, my heart sank into deep concern for our birds. Keeping in mind that the rehab bird that stayed over this breeding season and the arrival of the scout ten days back gave a base line of 2 birds to begin with to any total that actually arrived initially.  Usually, that count is in the mid 30's to 40's  with about as many to follow a couple of days later. The count today was a total of 19 birds less the 2 gives us 17 birds plus what ever comes later---if any. So, already, the earlier fears of a major loss came to be true today. I will need to check out a couple of other places were the birds have been known to visit--- they are social birds. But that within itself is also an indication that most likely, we will see fewer birds this year because of the tragic storm in Molt, Montana.

Here are the first arrivals this year from the Molt, Montana nesting grounds where the 13,000 birds were killed earlier this year when the birds were caught by surprise in a massive hail storm. This first arrival is about half of what normally comes in the first main flock arrival.

Around The Lake On the First Good Fall Day

At first, it felt like a dream. Then, it actually registered that this is a Great Lakes Cold Front. When you fell that cool air on your face, it's a "OH! Yes!" type of recognition.

Last night, I went out on the porch and just stood there as the front blew past. For me, it's a welcomed arrival delivered by mother nature, although late, but still delivered! Thank goodness. It came on a day of record high temps for the day at 97.

While my wagon wheel route has shifted with the new arrival of October, a once around at the lake is still done, just not spending the time daily while the hummingbirds and cutting of the meadows is ongoing. The big thing this month will be to see that the American White Pelicans make it back on or about October 12th. From previous post, you will see that a massive kill of waterfowl occurred at the nesting grounds where most of our pelicans go to nest. So, it is an anxious time to see just how many do return of the main flock of 72-90 that winter here annually. The scout did arrive about 10-days ago and that was a positive sign.


Meanwhile, at the lake on that first trip on the new schedule, there was so fun, some gladness an a chance to look into the eye of the most evasive waterfowl that I have ever photographed--the Great White Egret, part of that family known as cranes.

Here's the finds of the day! Click on an image to enlarge all three.

Great White Egret Fishing

Bright, Smart, Polite, and  Funny Young Men enjoying that Fall Afternoon Waited for all Summer.

Finally, Dallas Fire and Rescue and Parks and Recreation, have created an official launch area. Those wooden post with fading red paint were being ignored as people parked there. Earlier in the year it caused a critical delay prior in getting a boat into the water to go up White Rock Creek. A rescue  of an elderly couple that got stuck in their boat was the call. Heaven only knows how much I have complained about this and other areas that are not marked that are causing confusion to the new people that visit and use the park. Several are beginning to speak out about the same problems. A dead duck, pelican, 5 armadillo, two red shoulder hawks, two rabbits have been killed this year. The city spent $42 million of Hike and Bike trails. Bikers and runners still use the roadways and have ruined the peace and dignity of  the park. We finally got the Park Rangers to say who had the responsibility to write tickets on bikers that blow through stop signs like they didn't even exist; runners that make their own rules about using the roads with the 3' foot rule in place. A car cannot drive down E. Lawther or W. Lawther on the weekend without having someone that are in the class of being bullies, screaming, yelling and trying to intimidate those that are 65 and above.

Water Towers Have A Part-Time Job and Yellow Flowers Are Still Yellow---Maybe,

As a kid, in the 5th grade, a science project was to take these very flowers and place them into a bottle of different colored inks and watch them take on the color of the ink.

Not only is the first cold front on the way, it's already crossed the Red River. Plus, the stronger cold front is also coming down the pike and get this, it's bringing reinforcements! That Fall Weather Cool down will be sooooo welcome. The heat has been relentless this year.

The post of yesterday, like so many other things, appear when they want to appear and can't be programed planned with 100 percent  reliability. Just as this image came a day later, it fits and that is why it is being included today.

I'm keeping a close eye on the October 12th arrival of the pelicans. It looks to be normal with one of the scouts already hear ahead of the main flock. That's normal. What isn't normal is the massive Hail storm that hit Big Lake  in Molt, Montana. The area is where most of our pelicans go to nest for the late spring and summer before making their winter migration back here to White Rock arriving on Columbus Day plus or minus a day or two because of weather systems.. The hail storm killed 13,000 waterfowl, of which most were pelicans. So, with some reservation, it's still a waiting game to see just how many make it back to White Rock this season.

Water Towers are not just for water anymore. They are cell towers and relays for data and who knows what else. Here, you can see the far right where the bulk of the workers were working. One of the guys standing between the lift an the units being installed waved at me. At first, I was focused on the bucket of the lift and didn't see him, but I did later and his wave was received on the ground

This was the first worker that I saw and it was several minutes later that I discovered that not only were there more humans up there, but they was working in several locations. The cables dropped down the one leg of the tower where the lift was situated.

Nothing Is Normal Anymore. The Old Normal Is No More

Monk Parrots Drink From A Boat Ramp. Their many nest which can be several feet in length and height are within eyesight of here.Located in the tops of a large electrical substation, it is set in a stip of land that is covered in scrub brush on the back side and a drive entrance for utility trucks on the front side.

Red Line Meets Blue Line as it enters the new renamed SMU/Mockingbird Station. The change to SMU/Mockingbird was to better associate the station with SMU because of the school and the George Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus, which is just across Central Expressway US75 (which has been renamed to honor President George W. Bush.

A Butterfly in a butterfly garden. The problem this year has been the weather and the declining number of Monarch Butterflies that migrate through Dallas on their way to the Northern Mountains of  Mexico for the winter. The drought is returning also with September being the warmest and driest September on record.

Think Reverse Order To Swallows and Buzzards

Last March when the American White Pelicans left White Rock for their nesting grounds in either Salt Lake or Molt, Montana, one pelican could not make the trip because for rehab of injuries. He spent the entire winter here on the lake hanging out with the ducks, geese and mallards. He was lonely, for sure, as most of us think about being left at the "bus stop" as my mom referred to nursing homes and the like. Ironically, this past week I recall going by a couple of retirement places and thought to myself that I had to tell my baby brother that if he ever put me in a place with a names like Autumn  Leaves or Golden Haven or Golden Acres, I'd come back to haunt him. That pelican has reminded me of that over the winter as I would see him off by himself along the shore line.
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Today, I was also reminded that the annual arrival of the American Whites back to White Rock is fast coming to term. For the past 8 years that I have documented the arrival date as October 12th. However,  like the Swallows of San Juan Capistrano who dispatch  a few scouts ahead of the main flock by several days and so---the American Whites do the same by about two weeks,  give or take a few days because of weather systems etc.,etc. The Buzzards (turkey vultures) of Hinckley, Ohio have been returning there since the massive animal kill of 1888.They have come on March 15th since 1957. The swallows on March 19th which is St. Joseph's Day. Birds are instinctive, they are.

The Old Boy Left Behind

The Main Flocks Scout Arrives Almost on time. That seems to indicate that by the annual arrival date of October 12th (give or take a few days) Our Old Boy  was like a kid in a candy shop to see one of his own.

Fishing was good,too.

The past two weeks I have been shooting hummingbirds at multiple locations with the hummers also here on migration. After shooting today, I drove over to Sunset Bay (the water project has closed the roads from Lake Highlands Drive to Poppy for the next phase of construction)

Low and Behold, there was a scout here swimming with our old boy from rehab and he was having the time of his life. I had not seen him so active and I know for sure now that the old bird being a social breed by instinct,  was rejoicing and it was most obvious. So, now, I can note the arrive of the first scout and will need to start watching for other arrivals.

I have been very concerned since seeing the National Park Service article about the 13,000 birds killed in a sudden hail storm in Molt about a month ago. Most of our birds do go to Molt to nest in March although some do go to Salt Lake as those tagged do so indicate.

Most likely our winter-overs may very well be less this year, the final total count will soon reveal the answers to our concerns. It is a very large number to be killed by baseball size hail; 13,000.

It May Be Fall, But The Hummingbirds Were Panting From The Heat.

Had A Friend Shoot Almost the Identical Photo Yesterday at a different Location. Today, It was my turn to shoot the hummingbird telling the bee to back off.

Big Tex Takes His Place To Greet Fair Goers.

On Friday, Big Tex put on his new boots along with his new Dickie's Shirt and Pants and was lifted into his Greeting Position to this years fair goers that begins this coming Friday, the 27th of September.

Today, Big Tex was getting adjustments made and audio got connected. The traffic around the roundabout in front of the Tower Building was like a bee hive of activity. Since my last trip down to Fair Park a few days ago, the changes that have taken place were absolutely amazing. Today, the framework for some of the stages were going up and cranes were lifting more trucks onto towering steel frames. Sometime, people tend to forget just how big the Texas Auto Show really is during the fair.
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Brick masons were filling in the frame work for several large numbers.  The transformation of  what you see and how it was done is even more amazing sometimes. I watched the guys work for ten or fifteen minutes before making my way through the maze of workers who had their jobs to do. I try to stray out of the way but have gone the final week  before the fair opens for years because I enjoy the behind-the-scene atmosphere.

The Dallas Arboretum Half Marathon had White Rock in a mess this morning. One reason that I headed to Fair Park first. On the way back to White Rock after leaving Fair Park, I made a quick stop at Samuell Grand (Tennison Memorial) to get some shots of the new water park that is already closed for the season. It's one of three built  from the sale of the Elgin B. Robertson park on Lake Ray Hubbard to Rowlett. 

Then, it was on to Flag Pole Hill when I saw a Park Ranger. Parking, I sat down at one of the picnic tables closest to the road as he ranger was taking pictures of cars parked off-road. Those that he snapped pictures of will be getting tickets according to the ranger. As the ranger came to his truck, I ask if we could talk. He came over to his drivers'  side and we were talking about a few things concerning the park. As we talked, a lady came over and excused herself and was asking if she was going to get a ticket for where she had parked. The Ranger explained to here the rules and codes and she moved her car. She had ask the ranger if there were signs posted. The answer was, "yes, everywhere".

One of the issues we were discussing was the number of signs that the city has posted concerning the issue of bikes running stop signs. He told me that the only person that can issue that ticket for that violation would be a Dallas Police Officer and  they were 700 cops down at the moment. Of course, that doesn't take into account the 5---6---or 7 that are assigned there and can be found parked off in a corner somewhere that could do that while watching the hot spots where someone is going to get killed when one of there bikers runs over someone,like they did on the Katy Trail a few years back. 

Also, there is a bully gang of Lance Armstrong Want-a-bes that fit the definition of a gang in almost every way. Those are the ones that people are worried  and concerned about. The issue is raised almost every time I'm talking to someone I see at the lake. But, at least, the ranger was able to provide a key point of information that Dallas Police needs to be the ones  writing tickets when these bikers blow through a stop sign  as they are defined by three differed signs state that they function as motor vehicles and are subject to the same rules as any vehicle driver. So, that being the case, when they do  hit someone and they die, (God forbid) they can be charged as an motor vehicle driver. That's a big leap from what some of these bikers think about the laws that they say do not apply to them.

New Duds for the Dude

Howdy,Folks

While at Flag Pole Hill, I was invited to sample one. I passed. Being about to shoot these on the grill by the two smoke jockeys that were tending to the dogs, brats and sausage-on-a-stick.

Another Red Shoulder Hawk Falls at White Rock--Graphic Warning

It's always a sad day to spot beautiful raptors that I have been watching as they established a new territory along White Rock Creek lay lifeless alongside the road. This one was a fresh kill and less than 12-hours had passed most likely, judging from the insects and ants population not very heavy upon the body. The time frame was about right. This bird had probably been on his morning feed when he was hit.

The first thing that I do is to inspect the bird to see if the bird is banded. If so, then I try to get a shot of the band and the numbering ID system on the band so that it can be reported. There was no banding on this animal. Then, after shooting several images, the documentation is complete except to note the location where it was found. The image has an auto ID date and time stamp of the discovery. Last week I got several shots of a new Red Shoulder sitting high in a cottonwood along White Rock Creek that I had not seen there before. He's usually sitting there daily about the same time that I make my rounds. In fact, I was looking at the tree branch that sticks out near the top of the canopy when I spotted this kill along the roadway. Now, I will be watching to see if I see a Red Shoulder on the same branch or not. If not, then this bird was that hawk for sure.

I have debated whether to post the image or not as some will think that it is graphic. So, after the a lot of thought and consideration of others; the increased number of wildlife that I have report on this year alone from pelicans, ducks, to other red shoulders, to lots of armadillos on the roadways at the lake, it is a fact of life and in the public interest, people should be aware that sharing the lake means sharing it with the wildlife, as well. So, take this as a warning that the following photos maybe graphic for some readers.

A Young Red Shoulder Hawk

This Red Shoulder Had Been Seen Recently in the area  along White Rock Creek. It is most likely a 1-2 year old just establishing his territory.

Widow Makers Are The Most Dangerous for Parks and Recreation

In normal times (pre-storm times) when seeing a widow maker, it was just second nature to flag down a parks and recreation guy to report the danger. Over the years, I've reported many widow makers. When the massive storm took out over 700 trees in early summer, just clearing the big majestic trees out of the way to open up roads, get power back on for traffic signals and then do the same day after day after day, only to have more break off and fall right where the guys had cleared a day or two beforehand. The crews were well organized and took every thing by stages as to tree sizes, whether entire trees were uprooted or in some cases where old growth were split right down the trunks or snapped off 40-50 feet up in the canopies. It wasn't these guys first rodeo by any means. This storm was by far one of the worse in years.

The Chipper was snacking on some pretty big branches

Cutting out the Dangers

Widow Makers Hanging in Trees

Driving through the park in that expanse of time, one could spot problems blocks away.When park goers saw supervisors riding around the trails in their golf carts, people were being unfair to even talk about the park crews needed to step up their game instead of riding around in their golf carts. It was hard to keep my tongue pinned down on my teeth while they talked their ignorance. White Rock has one of the best crews of maintenance workers the park system has. Most people don't even know that some are assigned to the west side of the lake while others are assigned to the east side and would not even recognize  the west crews when they are going to the barn behind Sunset Bay.

Today, after getting some of the most amazing shots of the large wing yellow Swallowtail butterflies, I parks and watched one crew clearing out a tangle of widow makers near the bike gates. One was as large a couple of feet across and it was wedged in other branches that were dead wood. With winds finally picking up today to near 20 MPH (they have been in the 5 MPH range) the danger of widow makers  danger increases significantly.

Meanwhile, the annual cutting of the meadows that have been marked as 'No Mow' zones has begun and is progressing faster than I had expected. These guys have been dealt every kind of maintenance hand by Mother Nature this year and they have not missed step one. In my book, these guys are super and I am thankful that they work at White Rock to maintain the park in top notch condition.

Many Thanks, Guys. Job Well Done.

Temperatures Are Still Summer But Signs Are Everywhere

It's been hot this summer. The heat has been relentless. It seems that the promise of changing weather patterns in the 10-day forecast just keep extending 10 days. Now, we are being told that the heat will be here until at least September 22. One thing for sure...it makes our fall shorter.

Fall, on that note, is showing up everywhere hot or not. This growing season, the wildflowers in the meadows have been exceptional and the project this year was to track the change from first bloom to the end of the season. Parks and Recreation's expansion of the natural grasses program in all aspects,it seems, has been an amazing success

August is always an early morning shooting schedule because of the sun's angle and how it hits the tall grasses and skeletons of the Queen Ann's Lace, or beautiful sunrises over the lake. This year they have been amazing and the florist that have the creative power in their design departments have been rushing to get the skeletons that can be painted or dyed for fall arrangements. Friday, I spotted a lone tractor in one of the high meadows. Instantly, Sunday morning's shoot would be the last as the tractor had begun its mowing of the 'restricted area for mowing'. The mowing is a must however for several reasons. One of those reasons seems to be the broadcasting of the seed pods that ensure the continued success of nature's beauty for the future coming years. The second reason is the migrating hummingbirds.

While the question  of  how many pelicans will arrive this October 12th at the lake after the death of 13,000 waterfowl at their primary nesting site for the Eastern Flyway in Molt, Montana at Big Lake. A freak hail storm with hail the size of baseballs caught the birds by surprise. The National Park Service said in it's release that there were many more that had been injured and would not make it following their injuries.

Berries have begun to turn in the scrubs and seem to be a bumper crow. The birds are already zeroing in on that fall change. More cardinals and blue jays have been noted than in other years.

Bumper Crop of Berries

Mowing of the High Meadows Is Under Way

The Skeletons of Queen Ann's Lace, Tall Prairie Grasses and Early Bloom Wildflowers.

It's All Gone, Folks! Both of Them And Maybe Our Pelicans

Valley View Only A Memory

Life has long gone in cycles. The moon has two cycles. One that happens once a month, give or take a day. The second cycle is the 18 year cycle. Yet, another cycle is the annual move of the earth's Axis from the Tropic of Cancer to the Equator to the Tropic of Capricorn and then back again giving us our seasonal changes we call the four seasons. I notice that more and more as I make my way on my 18-mile wagon wheel cycle covering the Metroplex. In that cycle, change is dramatic in the Metroplex. The growth factor drives a lot of it. But, it seems that Dallas, as well as the smaller cities are making changes that cost the loss of what once was in order to advance the future. It does not always agree with me, personally because I am, for better or worse, a traditional type of guy that loves old building and would much rather see them reused after a make over than to see them torn down and the property redeveloped. But, on the other hand, this is Texas and Texas puts more value on land than they do on buildings.

Currently, two malls of the 70s-90s era are falling and a beautiful old colonial Presbyterian Church fell this week, but the developer did agree to save the Chapel. The malls, of course, are Collins Creek in Plano just off 75 Central Expressway. It is now officially closed and up for redevelopment. The second mall is my favorite, the old Valley View that is still in the shadow of the Dallas Galleria at The Dallas North Tollway and LBJ 635 on the west to Preston Road on the East. I liked that mall for many reasons,but I also lost my favorite Bar-B-Que that lived in the atrium food court. It had, in recent years become a place where art shops lived and after having my leisure lunch, would walk both levels to see what was happening in photography, paintings, and other mediums. The latest that I had found technical interest in was a shop of 3-D printers that were churning out amazing things that were not only useful, but could match anything that could be reproduced with a drawing scan. Amazing.

So, on Sunday, the fist day of  fall on the meteorological calendar (Sept.1to Nov.30), I set out for a look at the demolition of the rest of Valley View after the fabled Sanger Harris (later Macy's)  had fallen first, then the Sears Store. The old J.C. Penny's followed by the parking garages where a large part of famed Dallas families had arrived to do their shopping. Pretty much all that remains now is the AMC 16, which is the only life breathing of the past structures. Redevelopment is reported to have spared the theater during the redevelopment and then it, too, will go for a new theater.

It was sad. but the sadness deepened when I saw the Casa Linda Presbyterian roof of the sanctuary crushed into the sanctuary, the massive white columns of the colonial structure's red brick also gone in organized form of confused rubble.

In one last cycle to list in this post is the most sad of all...

The American White Pelicans  that come each year around the 12th of October may not come back this year to greet the one lone pelican that remains here because of old injuries that keeps it from making the flight to the spring nesting sites.

It has been reported by main stream media, was well as the National Park Services Wild Life Section, that a sudden and unexpected hail storm with hail the size of baseballs had killed 13,000 waterfowl at Molt,Montana's Big Lake, which is one of the main nesting sites of the Eastern Fly Way's American White Pelicans. The pictures were disturbing at best. The majority of the casualties were pelicans, that were totally caught off guard. There are no trees around Big Lake, outside of Billings.

The nesting cycle this year may have gotten  the majority if not all of the 72-90 American Whites that arrive at White Rock Lake to spend the winter until the end of March when they leave for Molt. Because our birds are on the Eastern Fly Way, most of our birds go to Molt's Big Lake, a lake about the size of White Rock.Some that have bands have been checked show some have taken the odd ball nesting sites near the Great Salt Lake in Utah, but those have been some of the oldest of our flock of birds, I've been told.

So, while this post sounds more like Death and Destruction, it's just a part of life's cycles that we pay little attention to until something happens.

I saw two cars in the Filtration Building Parking Lot last week. One had New York plates and the other one was with California. Coast to coast like jam on toast! and then, The hurricane parked over the Great Bahama Island Nation off our East coast  and a boat full of underwater divers off the Channel Islands of California.

The last life at Valley View, for now.

Facing Preston Road near Spring Valley

Presbyterian at White Rock's Casa Linda

The cycle theme seemed to have raised its head and said," I'm not done with cycles, yet!"