It’s hard to believe that these very same tree islands were bustling with noisy (and sometimes smelly đ) nesting wood storks, herons, and egrets of all shapes and sizes just two months ago. Almost everyone has moved on. This morning the boardwalks were empty and quiet and the ponds were utterly still. What a tranquil time to […]
Category Archives: Marsh/Wetlands
Are you familiar with the infamous plume trade that supplied the millinery industry just over 100 years ago? This sign at the entrance to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, near Naples, Florida, provides a glimpse into the history behind this practice . . . and, this incredible place. I cringe to think about it, but literally millions of […]
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks always put a smile on my face~! We’re so lucky that they breed throughout the southern U.S. and are regulars here in our wetlands and sanctuaries every year. For more info and more of my previous posts on the BBWD, click HERE.
This Yellow-crowned Night Heron was enjoying his grooming in the privacy of this leafy cypress tree, when suddenly . . . He noticed that he was being watched – AND photographed!So, he raised his wide wing to hide from view, and stayed this way for the longest time. I confess, I got the message! . . […]
The White Ibis is ubiquitous here in Florida, a coastal wading bird that is seen from the Carolinas to Florida and up the Gulf Coast into Texas.Although the White Ibis is mostly found foraging for small crustaceans and amphibians in freshwater marshes, wetlands, and mangrove swamps, this graceful bird is equally at home strolling in urban parks […]
This delicate adult Black-necked Stilt strolls around the shallow pond, keeping an eye on his last remaining chick. As I watched, this little one keep toddling off while his watchful parent kept ‘herding’ him back to a safer space.The Stilts build their nests in what would seem to be the most vulnerable of places, on ‘bare […]
This pair of young Roseate Spoonbills looked quite relaxed as they strolled through the marsh at Merritt Island NWR. These unique pink wading birds use their spatula-shaped bills for foraging in the shallow water, catching their prey by tactolocation.Audubon.org calls Roseate Spoonbills “Gorgeous at a distance and bizarre up close.” The young Rosies are distinguished from older […]
We saw and heard many beautiful woodpeckers at Corkscrew Swamp on a recent visit – Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, and this beauty above. The vertical white wing patch (along with the yellow belly :-D) is a key distinguishing feature that tells me this is a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Tree trunks lined with ‘distinctive, neatly […]
