Summary

Dennett shares a week's worth of personal photography and reflections, capturing the daily life of birds and wildlife in her surroundings, as part of a Photo-a-Day Challenge to combat the pandemic blues.

Abstract

In a personal blog post titled "What’s on the Roof?" Dennett documents her experiences and observations from December 5 to December 11, 2021, through a series of photographs and narratives. Each day, she selects a photo that encapsulates her day, often featuring local wildlife such as Muscovy ducks, Whistlers, a Snowy Egret, a snapping turtle, and a Great Blue Heron. The photos are accompanied by short descriptive titles and captions that provide context and personal thoughts. Dennett also reflects on her gardening activities, the behavior of local wildlife, and the beauty of nature. She expresses gratitude for the crows' alarm system that warns other birds of predators and reminisces about her old neighborhood. The post concludes with an invitation for others to join the Photo-a-Day Challenge and a set of rules for participation.

Opinions

Dennett expresses surprise and amusement at seeing a young Muscovy duck, which she affectionately calls a "Quackling," on her rooftop, playfully suggesting it might be practicing to be a "Santa duck."
She appreciates the crows' vigilance in sounding the alarm for potential predators, acknowledging their role in the local bird community.
Dennett values the importance of rearranging her succulent garden for better sunlight exposure and ease of maintenance, indicating a thoughtful approach to her gardening hobby.
She fondly remembers her and Captain Argentina's old rented home, noting the contrast between its current state and the well-kept yard they maintained.
Dennett shows a mix of fascination and caution when encountering a snapping turtle, demonstrating respect for wildlife while ensuring her dog's safety.
She feels fortunate to capture a close-up shot of a Whistler, highlighting the challenge of photographing these birds due to their constant movement and skittish nature.
Dennett enjoys the unseasonably warm weather and takes the opportunity to photograph a Great Blue Heron in a picturesque setting, sharing the experience with Captain Argentina.
She laments the absence of Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks during a subsequent visit to the same location but appreciates the Great Blue Heron she finds.
Dennett reflects on a record-breaking warm day, expressing a wish to have taken longer walks and capturing the beauty of a crepe myrtle against the morning sky.
She encourages others to join the Photo-a-Day Challenge, emphasizing the joy of noticing and appreciating one's environment and the satisfaction of sharing it with a community.

© Dennett ~ Sunday, December 5, 2021 ~ **Santa Duck??**

Photo-a-Day Challenge

What’s on the Roof?

My week in photos

It’s not unusual for us to see Whistlers in the trees or on our rooftop, but I was surprised this foggy Sunday morning to see one of the Quacklings (our nickname for some young Muscovy ducks on our lake) looking down at me from the peak of our roof. Was she practicing to be a Santa duck??

© Dennett ~ Sunday, December 5, 2021 ~ **Preparations**

I took advantage of warmer weather and spent time Saturday and Sunday working on my succulents. I moved them from the front of our privacy fence to the side. This summer, I started a pollinator garden in the front and some of the bushes are so tall that they block the sun from the succulents that were hanging on the front fence. Plus, the pollinator garden is so dense, it’s nearly impossible to reach the succulents, and they desperately needed to be repotted. Also, by having them clustered on the side, it will be easier to cover them with frost cloth when we have freezing temperatures.

The Santa, which Ben bought for our grandkids several years ago, is my one nod to Christmas.

© Dennett ~ Monday, December 6, 2021 — **Flotilla**

Monday morning, all of these Whistlers plus some Quacklings and a Muscovy were breakfasting on or near our patio when the crows sounded the predator alarm. All the ducks flew or ran to the lake, where they remained for at least 30 minutes. I never saw what the crows saw but imagine it was a fox, hawk, or cat. I’m always grateful for their vigilance and their stranger-danger alarm system.

© Dennett ~ Tuesday, December 7, 2021 ~ **Breakfast**

Tuesday started off foggy and blah, but I felt inspired to go in search of birds. In the pond across from our townhome circle, I came across this Snowy Egret just as he nabbed his breakfast.

© Dennett ~ Tuesday, December 7, 2021 ~ **Memories**

Tuesday evening, Captain Argentina and I walked around our old neighborhood. This was our rented home for almost 13 years. We kept the yard looking much nicer than this!

© Dennett ~ Wednesday, December 8, 2021 ~ **Snapper?**

On Wednesday, Syau and I took our Long Loopsy walk that goes by a retention pond. There we found this snapping turtle. I dared not let Syau get too close, although she was fascinated by the creature. I’ve seen turtles there before but they were common pond turtles that don’t bite. This one was scary.

© Dennett ~ Thursday, December 9, 2021 ~ **Protrait of a Whistler**

It’s difficult to get close-up shots of Whistlers. First, they are always in groups. Second, they are always milling about, rarely staying still for long. Third, they are easily frightened and move or fly away when approached.

Thursday morning, I got lucky. Despite a foggy start, there was a small window of time when the sun poked through the gloom. I found one Whistler not clustered with the others, and he didn’t run away when I crept closer. He only tolerated my presence for a few seconds, but that was enough to get a great close-up picture.

© Dennett ~ Friday, December 10, 2021 ~ **Roofie**

There appears to be a roof theme this week!

After days of fog and gray skies, Friday blossomed in Florida blue. Since Captain Argentina was a little jealous about my last photo trip with Gina, I took him to the same retention pond where I photographed the Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks last week. Alas, there were no Spoonbills or Storks, but I did find this Great Blue Heron on the roof of a maintenance building. He posed very patiently for me.

© Dennett ~ Friday, December 10, 2021 ~ **Santa Bird?**

The weather was unseasonably warm on Saturday with a high of 84F, breaking a record that dated back to 1971. I would have loved to take some long walks in such “winter” weather but I worked all day, arriving home just before dark. I managed to take one photo during the day. My morning client has a home office and I got a shot of her crepe myrtle against the blue morning sky.

© Dennett ~ Saturday, December 11, 2021 ~ **Sunlit**

In July 2020, I started the Photo-a-Day Challenge to help combat the virus blues. I take photos every day and choose one (maybe, two) to represent the day. Then, add a one-or-two-word descriptor and maybe, some narrative. A simple way to observe and preserve.

Want to join the fun? It’s all about noticing and appreciating your environment and sharing it with us, as these photographers and story-tellers have:

Erika Burkhalter / Eileen Vorbach Collins / Anne Bonfert / Sasha Meyer / Tracy Aston/ Lisa Bolin / Juan O. Aguilera / David Wade Chambers / June Nguyen / Mia Verita / Susan Alison / LensAfield / Barbara Radisavljevic / Diana Lotti / Barbara Dalton / Kim Zuch / K. Barrett / Sandra Barrett / Shruthi Sundaram / Gustavo Mendez / Olive Wilson / Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms)

(If you participated in the Photo-A-Day Challenge and your name isn’t listed above, please let me know.)

Please follow the Snapshot rules:

Lead with a photo/title and subtitle follow No more than 10 photos per post No more than 750 words per post Yes, we know that the photos are yours but you still have to state that they’re your work

And, have fun!