{"id":1965,"date":"2016-07-11T20:47:04","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T01:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1965"},"modified":"2016-08-15T09:47:38","modified_gmt":"2016-08-15T14:47:38","slug":"special-moments-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1965","title":{"rendered":"Special Moments in Nature–A Lucky Witness"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Special Moments in Nature<\/h2>\n

I pull out onto the highway from a dirt road. \u00a0In front of me, a single black crow feather spirals slowly down from the sky. \u00a0 The suspended feather spins like a tiny dirt devil as I leave it behind.<\/p>\n

I \u00a0step outside to watch for a late delivery truck. \u00a0A Mississippi Kite<\/a> sails over me at high speed, talons outstretched, rippling his outspread tail to maneuver. \u00a0He seizes a dragonfly,\u00a0bends it to his mouth, and it’s gone–all in a split second. \u00a0He soars out of sight.<\/p>\n

I surprise a Red-shouldered Hawk<\/a> just tearing into her breakfast of dove. \u00a0She moves to fly off with the prey but she can’t. \u00a0She calls back and forth with her mate who is across the creek. \u00a0 I slowly step back as we lock gazes. \u00a0I pause\u00a0when the distance feels respectful, and she returns to her meal. \u00a0Feathers fly. \u00a0She pulls at taught strings of red meat and tissue with her curved beak and snaps them down. \u00a0Later, I look for the spot where she sat, and there are no signs of the dove.<\/p>\n

Special moments like these are happening all the time in the natural world. \u00a0In fact, they are only ordinary moments until we add the awe and delight of the human being who is lucky enough to be a witness. \u00a0For me, it’s worth enduring the Texas heat, \u00a0insect bites, poison ivy, rain, or cold weather to chance being in the right place at the right time. \u00a0Even in the more familiar sights, nature offers wonder and feeding to the human soul.<\/p>\n

Mississippi Kites<\/h2>\n

We saw these beautiful raptors zipping by overhead as we canoed down the creek. \u00a0The Mississippi Kites stopped at this tree to give us a great photo opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"Mississippi
Mississippi Kite Checking Us Out<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Mississippi
Mississippi Kite Watching Us Watching Him<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Watchful
Watchful Mississippi Kites<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Mississippi
Mississippi Kite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Great Blue Heron<\/h2>\n

Two Great Blue Herons<\/a>\u00a0were fishing\u00a0on the creek. \u00a0This one flew from perch to perch ahead of us as we paddled. \u00a0In a tall, dead tree, \u00a0he stopped to give us a really good look. \u00a0Although my photos, hand-held with a 600mm lens, are blurred from low light and the motion of the canoe, the Heron struck some interesting poses.<\/p>\n

\"Great
Great Blue Heron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Great
Great Blue Heron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Great
Great Blue Heron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Great
Great Blue Heron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers<\/h2>\n

This Scissor-tail<\/a> was hunting for breakfast in the field. \u00a0He allowed me to take about 30 photos before he flew on to new territory.<\/p>\n

\"Scissor-tail <\/a>
Scissor-tail Flycatcher <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Scissor-tail <\/a>
Scissor-tail Flycatcher <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Birds <\/a>
Scissor-tail Flycatcher <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n
\"Scissor-tail
Scissor-tail With a Catch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The “Come and Take It” Raccoon<\/h2>\n
\"Come
Come and Take It Raccoon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This marauding raccoon looked up toward our tap on the window. \u00a0He placed his paw on the bird feeder as if to say, like the Texans at the Battle of Gonzales, “Come and take it!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Special Moments in Nature I pull out onto the highway from a dirt road. \u00a0In front of me, a single black crow feather spirals slowly down from the sky. \u00a0 The suspended feather spins like a tiny dirt devil as I leave it behind. I \u00a0step outside to watch for a late delivery truck.Continue reading<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,41,259],"tags":[11,5,31,32,30,37,206,312,6,310,278,81,281,313,7,311,309],"class_list":["post-1965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bastrop-lost-pines-nature","category-lost-pines-life","category-nature-and-the-human-spirit","tag-bastrop-birds","tag-bastrop-tx","tag-bastrop-tx-birds","tag-bastrop-tx-lost-pines","tag-bastrop-wildlife","tag-birding-bastrop-tx","tag-birds-of-texas","tag-crow-feather","tag-lost-pines","tag-mississippi-kite","tag-nature","tag-nature-and-healing","tag-nature-and-mindfulness","tag-observing-nature","tag-red-shouldered-hawk","tag-scissortail-flycatcher","tag-special-moments-in-nature"],"yoast_head":"\nSpecial Moments in Nature-A Lucky Witness - Lost Pines Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Special moments in nature happen all the time. 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