It’s always a thrill to spot an American Bittern! If you have the good fortune to encounter one at all, it is usually well-camouflaged – and it’s often likely to disappear from view quickly.When disturbed, the Bittern will frequently elongate his neck and point his head skyward, as if trying to blend in even more […]
Category Archives: Birds
I always love watching Purple Gallinules as they scale the heights of the tall, narrow Fireflag plants to get at their tasty purple blossoms.You can see the eager anticipation in his eyes as he gets closer!Success . . . . delicious! Off on a quest for more. . . .
The White Ibis, present year-round here in south Florida, is often seen unceremoniously probing for insects in the mud and grass on lawns and roadsides, looking less than glamorous. But our White Ibises also inhabit wetland marshes and shallow ponds, where they feed on fish, frogs, and small crustaceans (Audubon). I thought this one actually looked quite lovely, […]
As birders, we are always looking to the skies and paying attention to flight patterns as a key to identifying our fine feathered friends, like the Osprey featured above. But I’m always paying attention, too, to the interesting signs that are posted in our preserves and parks. I recently noticed this very cool sign above – the first […]
“The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” The Little White Bird, by J.M Barrie, 1902.
This young Purple Gallinule is often seen clambering around the Fireflag plant, on his quest for the tastiest purple flowers. Always charms the passersby – so pretty, so sweet from head to tail.
This Limpkin was one of many who were enjoying the Apple Snails along the shoreline of Lake Kissimmee. Limpkins have a specially designed bill, the tip of which acts almost like tweezers, to pry open and extract the Apple Snail from its shell. But they also feed on insects, worms, small crustaceans, and other mussels (All […]
Northern Mockingbirds are well known for their melodious non-stop singing. They are expert mimics of other birds, and are continuously adding to their repertoire of sounds. In fact, male Mockingbirds may learn more than 200 songs over a lifetime (All About Birds).But I caught this lovely Mockingbird just resting quietly on a branch at dusk the other evening, occasionally fluffing […]
Just moments before he flew off, I spotted this flashy Tri-colored Heron (sometimes still called the Louisiana Heron), in the pond this morning. Notice his slender, spear-like bill – compared to his head size, it is proportionately the longest bill of all the herons (The New Stokes Field Guide to Birds, Eastern Region, 2013). The Heron engaged in what David Sibley […]
The Kestrel suddenly appeared on a high tree over the marsh as I walked at the refuge this morning – what a lovely surprise! According to Florida Fish & Wildlife, the Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) is a permanent resident of Florida, whereas the common American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) that is found throughout the northern states is a winter migrant […]
