A Full-time Life

WOOD STORKS: still endangered?

 

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY and NATURE NOTES.  Can't let a season in Florida go by without posting something about our native wood storks.  We could hardly believe what we were seeing when we first saw these odd-looking ungainly birds four years ago.   

 Because of loss of shallow wetlands in South Florida, due to agriculture and over-building, this species has been on the endangered species list since 1984.  These pictures were taken in April at Big Cypress but during the winter  months, we even see them feeding in ditches and canals.  Because they are so frequently seen, there's a big push on to take them off the endangered list.

However, according to stork researcher Jason Lauritsen, assistant director at Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the birds searching for food in those city ditches are not nesting birds.  They are merely biding time, waiting for the return of quality wetlands.  The birds depend on shallow wetlands for foraging early in their breeding season (winter, the dry season here). Lack of good foraging causes later breeding and nesting and when nests are started late in the season they usually fail.     

A healthy population of breeding storks would be a sign that ongoing efforts to restore the Everglades is succeeding, but according to Lauritsen, the species is far from meeting the criteria to be considered fully recovered.     

 

 

     An article by Jason Lauritsen in the Fort Myers News Press was the information source.

 

 

 

WARNING

FOR SIGNS SIGNS  brought to us by Lesley.  

 

 

 

 And here's one thinking about eating a car:

Seen in the Everglades.  Another sign explained that vultures are attracted to the rubber seals around windows and doors.

We escaped unscathed ..... so did our RoadTrek camper van.  (Although I did fall asleep wondering if we'd be wakened by vultures on the attack.)

BLACK SKIMMER

Thanks to Springman at PIne River Review for bringing us WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.   

The BLACK SKIMMER was a new bird for us -- he looked so strange, but this time we were able to identify it and learn that this "exotic"  belongs where we saw it.

 

We saw this incredible bird at Flamingo Campground in the Everglades.  It was so strange looking, I was honestly afraid we were seeing another escapee or invasive species like the mynah we saw on an earlier trip to a different part of the Everglades.

I also worried that the bird was ill or poisoned or something, because shortly after I took these pictures, it laid down flat stretched out  on the grass.  That, and the fact that you can't see the eye on the bird at all, made me worry.  

But it was that stretched-out behavior that helped me identify it  -- Sibley shows a drawing of it in that exact position. He says they rest that way.  And you can't see the eye in the photo in my Audubon guide.   The Skimmer is the size of a large crow, about 18 inches long

If I'd had my  books with me instead of identifying it after we got home, we would have tried to stick around until dusk to watch for this bird to fly and feed.  It must be beautiful to see.  When they fly (my books tell me) they skim the surface for fish.. hence their name.  It says the bird uses its long lower mandible (beak) to cut through the water and scoop fish.  It is the only bird that has a longer lower beak than upper.   

This was obviously another brand new bird for us; hope we get to see it again!

 

 

ANONYMOUS BIRDS?

 

I have some unknowns today from earlier this season.  Hope nobody minds -- we are in the middle of a remodeling project and I've temporarily misplaced my bird books in all the moving around!    Any ID help would be much appreciated.

This post is linked to WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Thank you to Dave for hosting and thanks as well to all the other excellent birders and bird photographers who not only link to this site but who are also kind to amateurs!  Go visit if you love birds.

 

The above hawk seen at Big Cypress.  

This bird was (obviously) hopping around in a weed patch somewhere nearby.  I cropped the picture to see if that would help me figure out what it is.   I really thought his eye was interesting.

This uncropped one below where there's a grackle nearby shows the size of the unknown bird.

COMMON BUCKEYE ....

.... AND no, I'm not talking about any of my Winter neighbors who are Ohio State (Buckeye) supporters  (they're all wonderful and not the least bit common besides)!   Nope, instead ... 

 I'm working on my butterfly identification skills...... and I think I've got this one nailed!

(THIS POST IS  LINKED TO NATURE NOTES.  Thank you Michelle)!

 

Spotted these beauties at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge .... and saw the sign the next weekend over at Cape Coral (where we found the Zebra butterfly  chrysalis for this post).    

Perfect match, don't you think?   So here are two views of a Common Buckeye.   

I grayed the background on this shot and I think its lovely colors might even show up better that way:

 The Buckekye's host plant (where they lay their eggs) is the mangrove -- one of the many reasons why this habitat is vital in our area.  

YELLOW SLIPPERS

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY  

SNOWY EGRET - DING DARLING WILDLIFE REFUGE, MARCH 2012

 Smaller than the great egret, the snowy egret has a similar white body and black legs.  

It has some yellow beneath its eyes.

 And the snowy also has bright yellow feet.  It was called YELLOW SLIPPERS by the Seminole Indians.

The curly tail feathers are breeding plumage.

I'm sure about this identification (for a change).  The picture shows every identifying criteria that our guidebooks talk about.  

We didn't find as many birds at Darling this time as we have on past visits, but the ones we did see were wonderful!  

It was a good day.

 

 

 

REDDISH EGRET

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Thanks Springman!

We had fun watching a Reddish Egret in the mudflats at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge last weekend.  This bird feeds by confusing its prey.  

It dances around, stumbles and flaps its wings and, in general, confuses the poor little fish so much that it can't figure out where to go to hide.  

And then -- bam -- it's a fish dinner for the egret!      

This egret actually weaved around so much it looked like it had had way too much to drink. Wish we'd had a video camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BURROWING OWLS IN CAPE CORAL

 

THIS POST IS LINKED TO WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY  and NATURE NOTES  *

We did a little urban birding this weekend at Cape Coral ("next door" to North Fort Myers, where we live), looking for Florida burrowing owls.  This City has the largest population of these birds in Florida (and by extension, the world, since this variety of burrowing owls only exists in this state.)

To educate the public about these charming little birds, the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife sponsors a festival at the beginning of nesting season, the third Saturday of February every year.  The Friends group is active in preserving and protecting all of the city's natural resources, but especially the burrowing owl.

We learned a lot from our knowledgeable guide and found quite a few burrows, most with owls who were looking at us as we looked at them.

   

Here is some information from our CCFW guide:

 A long time ago, the 118 square miles of land that now comprise Cape Coral supported incredible wildlife and plant diversity.  Mangrove forests lined the coastline and the area also included open grassland prairies and pine flatwoods, and cypress swamps and marshes.   Sadly, most of those original ecosystems are gone, the result of old land-clearing practices from a time when governmental guidelines and restrictions were non-existent.   In spite of all of this, many plant and wildlife species survived and Cape Coral is home to many federally and state-protected wildlife and state-protected species, including these burrowing owls.

These owls usually make their burrows in weed-filled vacant lots and sometimes in parking median strips or grassy areas such as those bordering school grounds or playgrounds.  They can be "invited" into lawns by digging a starter burrow to give them a secure nesting site.

My pictures are enlarged to show detail (especially their beautiful eyes!).  These adult owls are not much bigger than an American Robin and they weigh 6 to 8 ounces.   

Nesting on the ground seems like a dangerous proposition for birds.  We sure hope the neighborhood cats can read.  

We will try to make another urban birding trip this season to check on the owls. Volunteers have marked all the burrows for protection and now that we know how they do that, they are easy to spot. 

There is more information from the owl expert who was our tour guide  here.  One of the tour stops was her front yard, where she has an introduced burrow.  She's installing a webcam and it will be fun to watch what happens.

 *****************************

Go visit both of these fabulous sharing sites -- beautiful pictures and wonderful information.  You can't miss at either place.

 Thank you to SPRINGMAN at PINE RIVER REVIEW for hosting  WBW.  

 and to MICHELLE at RAMBLING WOODS for Nature Notes.  

SWAMP WATER

WELCOME TO OUR SWAMP!

We live near swampy areas.  Urban lore says that the populated area in this part of Florida was built on "one big swamp."  That's not really true -- years and years ago,  before it was developed, this area was diverse, with several different ecosystems.  But there was definitely swampland -- and fortunately some of it has been preserved.   One such area  is Corkscrew Swamp and Audubon Preserve.  It is one of our favorite places for a day trip.

FOR OUR WORLD* and WATERY WEDNESDAY**.

Rain is Corkscrew's only source of water.  There are no springs or lakes. During the summer and fall water levels are higher. (We're away during the wet months, so we've never seen high levels here.)  During the winter and spring, when rain is infrequent, water levels drop.

Although it doesn't always look it, the water is clear and pure.  Tanins in the water give it the tea-like look.

Sometimes the light makes the water look even darker, with murky reflections. 

Sometimes the water even looks like it has an oily sheen.  That's caused by resins from falling cypress needles (or even branches)  and is not pollution. 

 

 

**  Here are the excellent bloggers who also host Our World:  Arija, Gattina, Sylvia, Sandy, and Lady Fi.  Thank you for providing this opportunity!   

*** And the same for 2SweetnSaxy, who hosts  Watery Wednesday.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COUNTING RHYME .....

This illustrated counting rhyme (for Florida children) is shared with CAMERA CRITTERS.*

  One, two, three.  How many baby alligators do you see?

 

 

They're kind of cute when they're little, but:

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary , February 2012.  (All pictures taken from the Boardwalk...safely above the swamp.)

 

*Thank you to Misty Dawn for hosting CAMERA CRITTERS each week.

MANATEE PARK BUTTERFLIES JANUARY 2012

THIS POST IS LINKED TO NATURE NOTES hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods. Also posting to FLORAL FRIDAY, which I just learned about.  Thank you  MIchelle and Nick.     My butterfly identification skills are nil -- but there is something so special about seeing all these beauties (especially in the middle of winter), that I thought they were worth sharing. 

We went to Manatee Park last weekend so that our company could see the manatees which congregate in the warm water there.  And we saw quite a few.  But we all enjoyed the butterfly garden in the park as well.  

   

 And, my butterfly pictures turned out much better because the manatees stay mostly underwater and definitely don't pose as nicely.

 

Manatee Park is very close and we'll visit often this season.  Goal for another Nature Notes:  show and tell about the manatees.  (Goal two:  get a butterfly book!) 

ESTERO RIVER

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WATERY WEDNESDAY.

 We went kayaking on the Estero River last weekend -- during a visit from our grandkids.  Andy and Denae are expert kayakers, and they took the back seats in the tandems we rented. 

 Because of that I managed to get some pictures, but even so quite a few of my shots have water drops on the lenses.  It will be awhile before I learn to manage paddles and camera all at once!

Our area of Florida is full of wonderful spots for kayaking though -- we saw great wildlife.  Here are a few of the less water-spotted pictures:

 

 

 

URBAN BIRDING - LAKES PARK

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.      

 Lakes Park in Fort Myers is one of those great easily accessible urban parks with many natural acres.  There is something quite magical about going birding right in the middle of the city.

Here are some we saw there last Thursday:

 

I know that there are other sites to help with bird identification, but I hope that the kind and helpful  experts on this meme won't mind if I post some we are unsure of.  We are thinking some type of Night Herons here, but the pictures above don't seem to exactly match either of our bird books. 

My guess here is a tri-colored heron. 

 

Happy New Year and thanks to all for the great year of virtual birding. 

May  you gaze on peaceful waters and blue skies and find many beautiful birds.

  (And don't forget your camera!)

 

HOW MUCH IS THAT KITTY IN THE WINDOW?

FOR CAMERA CRITTERS.  Thank you to Misty for hosting.

Of all the fine art in this gallery, this camera-shy kitty is undoubtedly the most valuable.  Because I'm sure the owner wouldn't let her go at any price! 

She was quite funny, keeping an eye on passersby until someone tried to snap a picture, then she'd hide her face.   (Taken in the French Quarter of New Orleans, November 2011.)

UPRIVER GREETER?

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY (go visit!).  Thank you Dave.

Spotted on a morning walk along our canal toward the end where this light pole is, the osprey was sitting so quietly that at first I didn't even think it was a bird.  He didn't move much for about half-an-hour -- just looked left and right -- searching for something to eat.  

 

And finally giving up and flying off.   (I was ready for breakfast by that time too!)

    

WHAT A WONDERFUL BIRD IS ...

 

...THE PELICAN

(FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY)

 

 Because our other posts this week are about New Orleans, I am posting about the Pelican, Louisiana's State Bird.  But it is not the white pelican, which is a rather stately bird (unless it's upside down catching fish).  White pelicans glide along gracefully and leave not a ripple when they hit the water.

No, it is the brown pelican that is actually Louisiana's State Bird.  This bird is less graceful than the white ones -- when he dives after a fish, "bellyflop" is the only word to describe the landing. 

But the brown pelican is a friendly fellow --- he's just here for the party! 

    

Probably no wonder he's Louisiana's State Bird

These pelican pictures are not actually from Louisiana.  The white ones were taken in Fulton Harbor Texas and the party guy is sitting on our boat here in Florida.  Here is a link to our album of Louisiana birds (not pelicans) and other fauna and flora taken in the bayou country a few years ago.  We enjoyed our short visit to New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, but next time we will spend more time in the Bayous instead.

 

 

 

A FELLOW TRAVELER

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY

One time years ago when we were camping in Baja, we were told that the Mexican name for the ROADRUNNER is "paisano." Which loosely translates to "comrade" or "fellow-traveler."  So it is no surprise that we have an affinity for this this icon of the American Southwest.  We always enjoy catching sight of our friend, whether we're staying or just traveling through ourselves as we were on this roadtrip. 

(For those following our current roadtrip route, we traveled through part of Arizona and Texas where the roadrunners live.  We are now in New Orleans.)

FLYING SOUTH

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY (a flashback to an earlier trip).

We are on a roadtrip and now we actually ARE heading south. (Our first stop was in Washington State -- North from our summer stay in Oregon). Now, like the geese, we are finally heading the right direction.

This is an old picture (from way before World Bird Wednesday). It was taken at Bosque Del Apache in New Mexico. Here's a link to ourTypepad photo album of that great spot. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. This is definitely a spot we would recommend for birding.

http://travelingrainvilles.typepad.com/photos/bird_watching/index.html

BIRDS OF THE ALMOST (NO)LAKE

 FGR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY

The water of Fern Ridge Lake (reservoir) is shallow and getting shallower by the day, but there was enough last week for a whole raft of coots to swim past the RV window.  They created so much wake, it looked as if they had little motors.

But at the edges of the Lake, where I took so many pictures of the grebe families earlier, the water is nearly gone.

  

 So it's just about goodbye to the Lake for this season -- the water is leaving and, pretty soon, so are we. 

 

ROSEATE SPOON BILLS

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Go there for virtual birding at it's finest. 

 

 There's just something magical about a pink bird!

We watched (and fed) birds for years before we sold our home in Springfield, but in the Pacific Northwest you don't see birds like this. 

So when we spotted Roseate Spoonbills on one of our first RV trips south we were enchanted.

We were staying at Port Aransas Texas on that trip -- and it was pre-digital camera.  Those were simpler times.  I was thrilled just to spot birds.  And I do try to remember those times now when I can't get a picture  -- it's still a good thing after all just to spot a bird (almost any bird).

 

On a later trip, thankfully with camera, we saw these lovely pink birds in the bayous of Louisiana (these pictures were all taken there).  Now we see them occasionally in Florida and I still get excited every time we do. Even looking at these pictures makes me happy.  It's magic even if all you really spot is a stretched out pink wing:

  

EGRETS WE'VE HAD A FEW ... updated October 2011

This is a re-run post FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  A few weeks ago, Springman, our accommodating  host, suggested that we consider re-posting bird pictures from before joining WBW.   This post was originally written in 2008

  When there's a group of birders, the good spotters give directions by saying things like (for instance) "I have an orchard oriole in the tree at about 3 p.m..."  Or "Do you have the blue heron at the edge of the marsh?"   It really helps beginners like me to know where to focus the binoculars (and to learn what it is that we're seeing).  I  don't know why they always say "I have.." instead of "I see..".  I guess because when you spot the bird for the first time, you have added it to your list of birds.

During a winter in Port Aransas Texas, one of the resident experts at Paradise Pond asked me if I had egrets.  I misunderstood her for a minute and ever since then, a certain Frank Sinatra song has run through my head every time I see one of these beautiful birds.  So I thought maybe I'd take the song out of my head and put it in yours.**  (See note below if you need any help.)  

We have actually had quite a few egrets. 

There are cattle egrets in fields along the road in lots of states. (These are the smaller cousins of the family.) When we were in Louisiana, they were in their beautiful breeding plumage.  Louisiana is also where we saw the most Great Egrets that we've ever seen in one place.  This was at Bird Island where the McIlhanely Family pretty much saved the species from extinction. 

   There are even a few of these beautiful birds here on Fern Ridge Lake.  Which is why my head is singing that song again.

   It's harder to get a good picture here, but this is an Oregon egret flying over the marsh at the edge of the Lake.

The ones in Louisiana and Texas posed better for us:

Bird Island

Our RV Park in Fulton TX

 ** "My Way" Lyrics by Paul Anka.

"I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
and more much more than this
I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception
I planned each chartered course
Each careful step along the byway
And more much more than this
I did it my way."

  

 

 

COMMON NIGHTHAWK*

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY  .  Thanks Springman!!!!

 

 

Taken a couple of years ago on the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon. 

This was really the first bird I ever became aware of besides a robin -- and nobody knew what it was!  In the tiny town in Eastern Washington, where we both grew up, kids could play outside in the evening until curfew (a siren which rang at 9 p.m. sharp every night). My family lived in a post-war housing development and there must have been a hundred kids on our block!  Looking back, it seems like we just ran all over the streets from after-school until curfew (there must have been a break in there sometime for eating dinner!). 

Every spring and summer evening, we kids would see flocks of birds with a white spot on the underside of each wing swooping low over the streets.  The boys pretended to shoot them and the girls wanted to catch one for a pet. (Hey, it was a loooong time ago.)  **

But no grown-up knew the name of the bird -- or cared.

I don't remember seeing the bird after a while -- I suppose more houses took over the feeding fields and they moved on.  Or maybe we just stopped playing outside in the evenings.   But I always wondered what they were (and actually whether the birds just existed in my imagination). 

And then one year, way after I was a grown-up myself, Bill and I were in Eastern Oregon and saw them flying over our campsite.  I was as excited as if I'd spotted an ivory billed woodpecker!    By that time I owned a bird book and my long-standing mystery was solved!   

So although it's a common bird in some places, it is special to me and I was happy to get a picture of it sitting on a fence a few years ago when, once again, we were RVing in Eastern Oregon.

 

** Notes:  I don't have a picture of it in flight, but since that's a big part of my story here I borrowed this one from Google. 

*  The bird is misnamed.  Pioneer settlers mistook it for a hawk, because of its flight pattern, but it is not a member of the hawk family at all.

A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

 
THIS post is linked to WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Thank you Springman.

 

From the archives, taken in February a few years ago during our longer than usual season here.  The Lake has been drained for the season.

  I admit to a love-hate relationship with Oregon's non-migrating Canada Geese.  I love to hear and see them flying over the Lake.  And it's pleasant to watch them swim by in front of our window.  And there's nothing more fun to watch than when they're at this stage:

 

 
July 2011

But these geese love the mild climate here and don't mind the rain, so they don't bother to migrate.  And oh *goose poop* how I hate to step in what they leave behind.   

 

There have always been non-migrating geese around here, but years ago, when we owned our house in suburban Springfield, we only noticed the 'left-behind' problem when we went camping or on picnics -- now when we stay here at the Lake it's kind of in the backyard and (literally) hard to miss.

(This old photo taken at Winchester Bay over at the Coast.)

This time of year, the geese seem to hear nature calling them to migrate and they fly South -- but only as far as the neighboring fields. 

And every evening they come back home and hang out at the swimming beaches and lawns and fields.  You have to watch your step and take off your shoes outside the RV, just in case.

  -- So I guess I love them in the air or on the water, but not so much on land. 

 

 

Here's one more I love, from earlier this season.  Several families came swimming past our window shepherding their rather wayward adolescent offspring.  Who will grow up and ......(repeat chorus).

      

SOLITARY GREBE

FOR WEEKEND REFLECTIONS and WEEKENDS IN BLACK AND WHITE.  Thank you to the hosts of both these great sharing opportunities.

  

One more picture of the pied-billed grebe, my favorite bird of the season (because it was a new-to-me one).   Here is a link to the post about my first sighting (when she had babies with her).

Grebes are water-birds but not ducks.   They're a whole different family.  Although usually seen swimming, they don't have webbed feet. 

 

RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE

fFor WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY, brought to us by the talented and generous photographer and essayist Springman at Pine River Review.

 

Two views of a rufous-sided towhee on a perch that doesn't look too comfortable.   His red eye is looking at you.

These were taken here at Fern Ridge Shores.  The towhee used to be a frequent backyard visitor years ago when we owned a house near here (pre-digital-camera). I was glad to see him here and to get his picture. 

BIRDING IN SPITE OF MYSELF

 

This was OUR WORLD a week ago today.  Also for WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Thank you to the hosts of both of these lovely memes. 

 

After a sunny weekend spent with family and friends, we woke up last Monday to a cool misty gray day.  Using the weather as an excuse, I spent the day indoors reading  -- books and blogs.  About five in the afternoon, I decided to force myself to go outside and play.  It was nearly time to think about dinner and I almost didn't grab the point and shoot.   But I did, and while the pictures aren't the best, they do illustrate why I'm glad I went out and enjoyed OUR WORLD and the BIRDS in it!

The pied-billed grebe family was swimming in the wetlands toward the end of the usual Jeans Road stroll.  (This was a new bird.  The ones we usually see are Western grebes.)  I was happy because the first glimpse was the mother with 4 little ones following.  Then, I thought I'd witnessed a tragedy because she swam into the reeds and when she returned, there were only two babies.   I walked a little further and turned around -- then, she was there again with three followers. 

When I got home and looked up this bird (which we're pretty sure of -- the picture in the Audubon looks exactly like it)...I read that the mother will carry the babies on her back.  And when Bill downloaded the pictures -- and we enlarged them -- sure enough, we could see at least one baby on her back.  So apparently she was swimming into the reeds and maybe the babies were taking turns piggy-backing.  I guess she's teaching them to swim on their own.

Earlier on that same walk, before I even left the RV Park, I saw two cedar waxwings feeding each other while perched on an evergreen bush. They are the first waxwings I've seen for a long time.   By the time I'd fumbled out the camera they'd flown apart.  This a terrible photo crop (It kind of looks like a paint-by-number picture) but it also helps as a reminder of why I need to GO OUTSIDE! 

 Because it's a wonderful world out there!

GREBE IN THE REEDS

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY, AND WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

 

Near the shores of Fern Ridge Lake August  2011 

This image is straight-out-of-the-camera.  Didn't even notice the curly-looking reeds until we downloaded it because I was so concentrated on the grebe.   There were two of them there when I first stopped, but one went under and just would NOT come back up!

WALKIN' WITH THE TURKEYS

For WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY this wild turkey mom and her little family.

 

 

 

 __________________________________________________________________________________________

Just ambling down a wetlands path when I noticed this family out for a stroll too.

They stayed just a little ways ahead of me for quite a while before the mama decided to veer away to the left.  

The young ones didn't always stay on the straight and narrow path.

She turned around and lectured this little one:  I could actually hear her soft noises and I'm sure she was saying "Keep up with us Jr. .. and stop wandering off."

 

 

 

 

  

 

MY TERN NOW

for WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WATERY WEDNESDAY

 

A gull seems to be leading a parade of terns along an Atlantic Ocean beach.  (This is a flashback post -- we are near the Pacific Coast currently.)

My bird books are in Florida and I can't identify the variety of either bird.

REFLECTING ON FLORIDA

August 19.  Apologies:  I posted this flashback earlier this month, but computer problems on Friday of that week prevented me from linking to  WEEKEND REFLECTIONS .  So here it is again -- I love the reflection and wanted to share it on James' lovely meme.  

This is a flashback to January in Florida; I posted the pictures back then, but they kind of got buried in a collage at the bottom of a long post. I  think they deserve a rerun.  The birds were showing off for company along the kayak trail  at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.  We were enjoying a visit from Geoff and LIsa.

     

  LINKING to WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WATERY WEDNESDAY and (later) WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.  (The original post was not linked to these memes.)

BIRDS OF THE LAKE

For WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY -- here are some every day birds we see now that we're back on the west coast after our roadtrip.

 

This was the view right outside our window on our first morning at the Lake.     We are watching the babies grow.

In the collage below are some of the other birds we often see here at Fern Ridge Shores.

 

 Grebes swim past our window almost every day and can be sighted all over the Lake.   

The goldfinches were visiting our neighbor's feeder.

I am guessing that the top right is a young coot, since it seems to always hang out with the adult coots (old coots?) in a shallow part of the Lake.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD BABY BIRD

    

WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY is hosted by Springman.  Wonderful birds on his blog and, by clicking the links, from birders from everywhere.

 This seems to be my summer of the baby bird. 

 

 

We had a great time watching swallows at Junipers RV Resort in Lakeview Oregon.  We stayed at this unique and well-run park two years ago -- here's the post about it -- and it was a joy to find it just as lovely this time.

The adult birds were kept very busy ... they had a team approach.  When one would arrive with food, the other would fly away for second helpings for the brood .

 After the babies were fed, the adult would sit on top of the house watching for the partner to arrive -- it would fly off as soon as the other one was spotted.

    

STORK STRUT

THIS POST IS LINKED TO WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Go visit Springman, the host, and all the wonderful bird posts there.  We are on the road -- this is a flashback to the first day of our trip, still in Florida.

 

 LOOK  AT ME!  Stop searching for lunch.  Turn around and look at me -- I'm so handsome!

 

 Really -- I'm still here.  Over here.... turn around!

 

Look....just just focus on my beautiful feathers -- ignore my bald head!  I'm really a very handsome guy. 

 

FEED ME

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  On our son and daughter-in-law's patio (taken through a window -- not the best lighting, but still too good to miss!).

 

We're easy guests to entertain!  Just put a robin's nest outside the dining room window.  All four of us are having a wonderful time watching the babies' progress. 

 

We can see them grow each day.  We'll be gone when they fledge -- but I hope Geoff and Lisa are home from work and get to see the big event. 

 

SLOW CROSSING

FOR CAMERA CRITTERS and  SIGNS SIGNS  Taken near Koreshan State Park, Estero Florida (before we left on our summer road trip).

 

Gopher tortoises are on Florida's threatened species list because of loss of habitat.   So far at least.  Because unfortunately, at this time this State has a governor and legislative majority who are not at all environmentally friendly and quite a few species have recently been removed from the list.   (This would make it easier for builders to get construction permits on land that is now set aside for habitat.) 

 

Here is one link to more information about the tortoises.

ACCIDENTAL BIRDING

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY hosted by Springman.  Go there to visit  professional, purposeful  AND HELPFUL birders as well as amateur accidental ones like me! 

 

We are getting ready to abandon our Florida home for the season (hot hot weather and hurricane season approaching...time for us to hit the road). 

And so there has been no time this week for purposeful birding expeditions. 

But serendipity happens!  We spotted this beautiful  hawk while waiting for a temporarily carless neighbor whom we had driven to an appointment. 

This wild-looking spot is just at the edge of the parking lot for a large medical building complex, right off a busy commercial street.

I wish I had a recording -- he was not happy with our being there, but remained for some time --  complaining bitterly all the while. 

 

ALIENS ATTACK?

For THAT'S MY WORLD.    Our outdoor paradise here in SW Florida has some odd drawbacks this time of year!  It seems only fair to let our neighbors who have already left know what they're NOT missing!

You never know what you'll see on your boat dock these days!  This guy looked to me like something that dropped in from outer space.

 

  Lubber grasshoppers are hard on plants and even though we don't have one, we try to help our gardening neighbors by (permanently) getting rid of some of these frequent visitors.   But it is disconcerting because their big dark eyes seem to make them more personable than most insects. 

The adult lubbers are huge for insects -- three to six inches long.  And they have a voracious appetite.  Here's a Link for more information.

Not so harmful but also no fun is the annual spring hatch of Lovebugs. (Yeah, that's two bugs on our car window, doing what they do to create more lovebugs for next season.)  These are miniscule compared to the grasshopper -- only about 1/4 inches long, but they are real pests. To get an idea of the problem, multiply this pair by, oh a million or so, most of which seem to have shortened their already brief life by splatting on the hood and windshield of our van.  They don't bite but they sure can mess up a car. 

The lovebug hatch lasts less than a month, so it's not a long-term problem, but definitely an annoyance during the season.   Wikipedia has an article, but this one is funnier -- and, as far as we know, biologically correct. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNKNOWN JUVENILES (not)** They are Limpkins!

THIS POST IS LINKED TO WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY hosted by Springman.

** REVISED AFTER A LITTLE HELP FROM (VIRTUAL) FRIENDS.   THANK YOU to all the birders who identified what we incorrectly guessed were some type of juvenile heron as instead LIMPKINS.    Needless to say, a new bird.  We are happy to know and grateful to all who helped with the ID.  It's wonderful to be a small part of this virtual birding community. 

Quite a few of these birds were hanging out last weekend at Lake Trafford in Collier County.

      

We think they are juvenile herons of some sort, but can't identify them for sure, even after consulting Sibley.   

 This lovely Great Blue was among the other birds we sighted at the lake: 

 

So it was a good birding afternoon, even if we couldn't identify everything we saw (we needed some of you professional birders!).

MORE FLAMBOYANT FLOWERS

This post is linked to RUBY TUESDAY.  Thank you Mary!

 

We do have Spring flowers here in Florida (well, our neighbors do).  They are just not the same ones we were used to in the Pacific Northwest.   There is very little that is understated and quiet.  The Royal Poinciana (last week's Ruby Tuesday post) is sometimes called the Flamboyant tree, but it definitely isn't the only flamboyant plant.   

  

                                              

Springtime also brings out the insects, including these big huge grasshoppers called 'lubbers'.  They're pretty flamboyant themselves. 

 Here's a closeup of the one sitting on the plant above.  (They are not good for plants -- given the chance, they will nibble them to death.)

It's quieter people-wise here in our RV resort (most of the snowbirds have already left for their Northern homes).  It seems like summer to us (in the high 90s mid-days) but the neighborhood birds, squirrels, and insects think it's spring.  So from that aspect, it's a lively time of the year. 

 

 

 

BIRD ISLANDS on the Caloosahatchie

LINKED TO WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WATERY WEDNESDAY

 

We boat past several of these small mangrove islands that apparently are excellent bird habitat.  At first glance, it almost looks like white flowers blooming in the greenery.  We don't know why the birds pick the particular real estate they do -- we''ll pass one island with not a single bird, then the next one will have dozens of them.  

Here's a close-up of the Woodstork above, coming in for a not-so-graceful landing.

We have seen some Islands claimed by Egrets and some by storks. 

And again, we wonder how they decide who gets what. 

IBIS FAMILY

Linked to WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY, where the virtual birding is fantastic.

 

We see Ibis often, on the edge of roads or in our neighborhood -- even on our back deck.   But I like this set of pictures because they show the different stages of maturity.  The dark one is a juvenile.

 

It's neat to see these largish birds perched in trees.  These were taken at Six Mile Cypress Slough.    

 

ALLIGATOR (THE REAL THING)

 

Friday an alligator-shaped cloud.  Today, the real thing.  I am linking this to CAMERA CRITTERS.  This is my first post to this meme and I hope it doesn't frighten anyone.  Go click on the links  -- most of the critters featured there are cuter!

 

We see alligators pretty often, especially when we're on the boat. 

 Not all sightings are as good as the one above.  Often they're like this one -- mostly submersed.   (It's easy to think you're looking at a log or, sometimes, a piece of tire tread.)  This picture can be enlarged to better see its eyes barely peeking out. 

 I am kind of fascinated with these prehistoric-looking animals and not frightened of seeing them at all.  They don't want to have much to do with people  -- which is exactly the way it should be (and vice-versa).  

BIRDS ALONG LAKE OKECHOBEE

Posted to World Bird Wednesday -- click on those links for your weekly world-wide birding expeditions.

 
 

Little Blue Heron and Great Blue Heron seem to be studiously ignoring each other.

Some more drive-by birding (well, boat-by) from our gulf to ocean boat trip last week.

 

JUST DOIN' THEIR JOB

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY

 

We spotted these guys out beside the road working -- cleaning things up, so to speak. 

 

That's a black vulture and a caracara.  These birds aren't beautiful and it isn't exactly esthetically pleasing  to think about what they're planning to dine on, but they do serve an important purpose in nature.  Below is a better picture of the vulture, with his beady eye.

 

Whenever we see these birds circling above us, we always try to move around a little more -- so they won't mistake us for dinner!

 

(SHELTER) #2 HAWK

FOR WORLD BIRDING WEDNESDAY where you can click on the links to go birding all over the world without leaving your computer chair.

 

This beautiful guy was sitting on top of Shelter #2 at Franklin Locks Park and he just posed and posed for me.  It was very vocal -- calling for a mate?  Or a mom?  Looking at my Sibley makes me think it might be a Juvenile red-shouldered, but I am not good at hawk identification at all.  I'm open to suggestions! 

 

 ADDENDUM:  In one of the comments below, Larry of The Birder's Report  (click this site) confirmed my identification of this hawk as a juvenile red-shouldered.  Thank you Larry.

SANDHILL CRANES

THIS POST IS LINKED TO THE BLOGGING COMMUNITIES AT RUBY TUESDAY (because of the cranes' red cap) and WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

 

The sandhill crane is one of our favorite birds and we've taken pictures of them in several different locations over the years.  We saw the pair on the left when we were out driving around our Florida backroads recently.  It's not a good picture (not even the best I've ever taken of them) but their parade with the cows does show how tall these birds are. 

(Most of our pictures show one or two of them standing alone out in a field and it's really hard to get an idea of their size.  These are big birds!) 

They're fun to watch on the ground and just beautiful in flight.  

 

  
The last two pictures were taken at Bosque Del Apache bird refuge in New Mexico.  The top photo is in our file labeled "where the heck were we when we took this?" 

 

THE SENTINEL

FOR SKYWATCH FRIDAY -- click on the links.  Admire -- or join in!

 

Somebody has to be on lookout duty!

 

 

 
 

WILDLIFE WATCHING

We enjoy watching the silver-gray squirrels who live here at Fern Ridge Shores.  

When we owned our stick house in Springfield, we had only the brownish-red variety.  They were amusing to watch, but they sure made it difficult to keep our bird feeders full.  If the sunflower feeder was empty, I swear those little guys would come and knock on our glass patio door.  This made us laugh, but I often thought about how unfunny it would have been if I'd seen any other member of the rodent family at our door.

There's a squirrel nest in one of the trees near our spot here at the Shores, so we have a great spot to watch the local wildlife.  Our next-door neighbor (who has the tree in her yard) is not quite as enamoured with them.   

What do you think?  Watchable wildlife or rat with a fat tail?

(Both of these pictures are from Google Images.  Can't seem to locate the pictures I know I've taken of our gray squirrels; when I do, I'll replace that one.   No digital camera back in the day when we watched the brownish ones steal our bird-seed.)

TURKEY TIME

We see this flock of wild turkeys out on Jeans Road almost every time we go anywhere these days.

They don't pay any attention to cars and will cross the road anytime they want to do so, no matter what's coming. 

It doesn't look like they're a bit worried about the upcoming holiday.  Maybe they know that nowadays most people prefer to do their hunting at the supermarket down the road.

BIRD WATCHING

Today just feels like a bird-watching day. And a day to celebrate the fact that I just recently learned to crop by using Picasa.  That means I was able to rescue these pictures that were ready for the trash bin otherwise.  It's never too late to learn!  And its always fun to remember good birding trips. 

Ospreys.  These ones were in Louisiana.  We often see them here in Oregon as well.

 

 

Two Florida birds:  Curlews and a Roseate Spoonbill

 

Texas Laughing Gulls

 

 

 

 

 

Whooping Cranes on the Texas Gulf Coast, near Rockport/Fulton (above right and below)

These cranes are endangered and the Texas Gulf Coast is where most of those that are left spend the winter.  These birds are as tall as a grown man.  

We enjoy birding, but usually I have binoculars instead of a camera.  It's hard to manage both at once.   But I've enjoyed remembering these great birding places so much that I'm going to work harder at taking pictures from now on. 

Click on the links below for a couple bird photo albums that we made earlier.  In these two places, we got some good pictures (that didn't need cropping as much).

New Mexico birds     Louisiana birds