A few days ago, while birding in the Everglades, we were treated to the spectacle of two stunning Swallow-tailed Kites swooping and soaring right over our heads for nearly a half hour – what an amazing experience!Swallow-tailed Kites breed in the southeastern U.S., primarily in the freshwater marshes, wooded swamps, and lake shores of Florida, lucky for […]
A very common sight in our freshwater marshes these days is the Common Gallinule, seen above helping one of its many new chicks learn how to feed on the aquatic vegetation not far from the nest. The fluffy black Common Gallinule chicks are comical (but adorable!) with their giant chicken-like feet, bald heads, and stubby little wings. […]
What a sweet and gentle expression on the face of the young Purple Gallinule featured above!This little beauty was peeking out from among the pond greenery next to the boardwalk. Despite the low lighting and the shadows playing on his face and back, I couldn’t resist posting a few shots of him. Just before he climbed deeper into […]
Lucky me – this lovely Roseate Spoonbill emerged out of the reeds and was the first bird I spied on my walk today. Though he spent most of his time with his head down, foraging in the shallow water, I noticed the broken tip of his large spatula-shaped bill right away.I got thinking about a Roseate Spoonbill I’d seen last […]
When I first moved to Florida, I was so awed by the egrets, herons, spoonbills and other large wading birds, that I scarcely noticed the more ‘ordinary’ waterfowl. But now I’ve grown to love the Ducks, like these Mottled Ducks above. They are rarely seen in large flocks, but rather, gliding gently by in pairs like this […]
There are many familiar references to the Dove in Jewish literature. Certainly, the Dove is remembered in the story of Noah and the Flood, and as a symbol of peace. I have posted previously on Birder’s Journey (click here) about the Columbaria or Dovecotes, which housed the Doves and Turtledoves used in Temple sacrifices 2000-3000 years ago. […]
This is a very special time on the Jewish calendar, as we count the remaining days between Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. It is said that the birds guided the Jewish people and kept watch over their crossing during the splitting of the Red Sea, following the first Passover. For seven weeks after the […]
I recently posted (Sibling Rivalry) about the Tri-colored Heron chicks, who are fast learning to be independent. The babies have gotten much bigger and much more self-sufficient in the past few weeks. This Tri-colored Heron is learning to forage like the grown-ups in the shallow water, where they find fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and other small invertebrates (iBird Plus). I chuckled […]
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