‘Strikingly slender’, according to Audubon, the Tricolored Heron is an active lone forager in marshes, swamps and other bodies of shallow water. Very common in the Southeast United States, it’s one of our most abundant year-round Florida wetland birds. Same lovely bird, but in breeding plumage this time! Still known to some as the Louisiana […]
Author Archives: Birder's Journey
These tiny Great Egret chicks were barely visible past the thick foliage 2+ weeks ago! ☺️I went back to this spot last week to see how much they’ve grown, and could barely see a head popping up in the leaves! I’m not sure if all three chicks are still there.The Great Egret‘s nesting period is […]
We’re fortunate to have an abundance of Wood Storks in our local wetlands. “However, because Wood Storks occur only in a small portion of the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists them as federally threatened.” (All About Birds)Our breeding Wood Storks have been gathering in great numbers for several months now. Some Wood […]
Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Mary Oliver, Sometimes 4, in Devotions (2017, p. 105)
The glossy Purple Martin, largest of North American swallows, winters in South America and migrates north to spend the breeding months across much of the United States. These aerial insectivores eat, drink, and bathe on the wing, feeding on flying insects (American Bird Conservancy). Purple Martins in the west tend to nest in tree cavities […]
This spot looks just right . . . Make sure no one else is around . . . First, a little sip . . . Some basic preening . . . Freshening up my head feathers . . .Ahhh, now for a quiet little swim . . .Who’s this interloper rushing over?!?!“May I join you. . . . ?” “Well. […]
I was out alone on the Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island NWR looking for Scrub Jays, but having no luck. Then, halfway along the trail, I heard a lovely song coming from deep in the thick scrub right next to me. It didn’t sound like a Scrub Jay, but I had no idea who […]
Birder's Journey 