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Daily Bucket Friday Sequences [1]

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Date: 2022-09-23

A pair of Scissor Tails visit Appy Trails 8/ /22

Wednesday of this week Funningforrest posted a Daily Bucket displaying a parade of fine photos and including sightings over the past year. Since my Swallows left I’ve been pining away for lack of exciting new things to photograph, but not finding anything. Keeping track of BirdCast migration maps has been encouraging but so far unproductive in my area. That caused me to take a little trip back through my year behind the lens, and that led to look even further back. What I found was a renewed fondness for some of the things I have seen and photographed. I decided to follow his lead and post some of my favorites. If you don’t like it, blame Funning! LOL

The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.

Flint Hills of Kansas

I sighted my first Scissor Tail early spring 2021. They quickly became one of my favorite birds.

My first Scissor Tail sighting in Kansas.

It wasn’t long after that I began to see a lot of them. I even witnessed a competition between 3 males vying for the favor of a female. I’m positive her name had to be Raquel. That was exciting but the real excitement happened later. After watching them hunt insects and learning some of their tendencies I happened onto a mated couple who displayed what I deemed to be a dancing ritual. The photos I captured of that display turned into one of my favorite sequences.

Scissor Tail looking for a perch on barbed wire at the far end of tolerance for my presence.

Perching on barbed wire fence is a common behavioral trait for Scissor Tails. They also frequently perch on power lines. The game they play is to keep moving farther down the line if you approach too close for their comfort. They will keep doing that until you stop advancing, or until they tire of the process and simply fly away across the prairie. I give them enough room that they do not become alarmed to the point of flying away, but they certainly put on a most interesting flying demonstration. I liken it to avian prairie ballet.

Scissor Tail showing some color as it goes skyward. Then something so special happened everything on the earth slowed to watch.

The bird halted it’s forward propulsion, looked over it’s shoulder to make sure I was attentive, and styled in an iron cross opening act.

The bird heard it’s own music and twirled rapidly in a vertical pirouette. That had to be tiring!

The twirl came to a sudden halt, as did time. The bird reassumed an iron cross while displaying its custom tailored attire. I was so transfixed I’m not sure how I remember to click the shutter. I swear time stood still as the Scissor Tail was motionless in the air.

The finale lasted but a moment. Then the bird resumed it’s travel farther down the line, but it did so with a blessing from the Sun. This would prove to be the finale of one of my favorite sequences.

Later in the season I chanced upon one of my favorite Red Tail hawks perched on a pole minding his own business. I suspected it was my sudden intrusion that stirred him from his perch. Regardless the reason I prepared to catch a photo of him flying. This began what would be another of my favorite sequences.

Beautiful Red Tail, stirred from his perch and considering his options.

As I worked to keep him in my frame I noticed there appeared to be another bird at close quarters.

Red Tail sailing with an unknown assailant in pursuit.

Scissor Tail closes the gap as the Red Tail becomes aware it has company.

Are we really going to witness actual contact? Is a Scissor Tail THAT confident? The Red Tail still seems unperturbed.

Scissor Tail and Red Tail nearly eye to eye. Our Red Tail had seen enough and made some rapid maneuvers to disengage and create space. The Scissor Tail decided not to push it’s luck. So this sight provided another sequence finale. This photo is not perfect, but it remains one of my favorites.

As fall began to arrive I got a couple of fence perched shots to close out the season.

A juvenile Scissor Tail proves the spring matings were successful. This is one of three youngsters I watched on this stretch of fence. They looked like clones of each other. ZOOM

This photo exudes the coolness of late autumn air and the Scissor Tails are in the process of high tailing it to more southerly climes. ZOOM

Scissor Tails were numerous along the Wagon Trail in 2021. That did not turn out to be the case this year, but I did encounter a few pairs along Wagon Trail West and adjoining country roads.

Scissor Tail sporting breeding colors while vacating a fence line perch. 6/2/2022

Scissor Tail hunting a wet area near a fence line. 6/2/22

Summer Scissor Tail 2022. Wagon Trail West area.

As summer waned and fall approached I was excited to welcome a pair that visited right here at Appy Trails. Their visit lasted 3 days. Then they moved on for to a winter location. They seemed to like our pond and pastures and the easy meals to be had in the corral. I hope they return next year to spend the spring and summer with us.

I was sitting on my bucket at the pond waiting for some Swallow dipping action when this male Scissor Tail joined his mate on the power line right above my head! After some discussion they flew off the line and moved into the safety of the willows along the west bank of the pond. That is when I took what is the lead photo for this sequence diary.

Heading for the Willows. I should have figured out a way to make this the closer! ZOOM

It was so hot time spent in the water was both productive for finding food and for cooling off.

They made scouting forays from the Willows to the pond looking for things to eat. Water landing at the edge of the pond below the dam.

Sometimes just being in the water seemed to be an end game. I noticed our Phoebe family worked the pond too.

After every foray it was back to the Willows to meditate, and enjoy the shade.

By the third day of their visit Papa Scissor Tail spent more and more time scouting from the treetop.

The treetop scouting was prelude to the visit finale, so this photo is the finale for the last section section of our Friday Sequence. Now it’s time for our coup degras comment section to provide the finish with a flourish.

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