The Common Gallinule is one of the most common wetland birds in our area of the southeastern U.S., and they are very prolific. They have 1-2 broods a year, and each clutch can have as many as 3-15 eggs (All About Birds). Formerly known as the Common Moorhen, this member of the Rail family is […]
Category Archives: Marsh/Wetlands
Ithaca, New York, home of Cornell Lab of Ornithology, was a relatively short 3-hour drive from where I lived most of my life in upstate NY. But it wasn’t till this past summer – after having lived in Florida for 10 years – that I finally had the opportunity to visit the Lab and Sapsucker […]
The Pie-billed is the most widespread Grebe in the New World, according to Audubon. I love All About Bird’s very apt description of the Pie-billed as “part bird, part-submarine”!☺️ They paddle cheerily along on the surface, then suddenly disappear under the water to forage on small fish, insects and other aquatic creatures, only to pop […]
Many thousands of elegant Snowy Egrets were “slaughtered for [their] plumes in the 19th century, but protection brought a rapid recovery of numbers, and the Snowy Egret is now more widespread and common than ever.” (Audubon). Today the species is found throughout the United States, Central and South America (for a Range Map and more, […]
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Mama and her ducklings enjoy the plentiful and delicious duckweed on the pond!!
I can’t resist posting these morning iPhone views from one of my favorite local Wetlands ☀️ So tranquil~ A stroll through the cypress swamp on this little section of the boardwalk is a lovely way to cool off as the day grows hotter.
That certainly seems to be true of our Green Herons, who seem utterly oblivious to all the human visitors strolling by on the boardwalk. In fact, they sometimes appear to be putting on a show! As I walked along the boardwalk one recent morning, this little guy trotted off right down the middle of the […]
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (BBWDs) can be found year-round here in Florida, across much of the rest of the southern U.S., and throughout Central and South America. (eBird) They are frankly always handsome, but during the breeding season, they seem especially scrupulous about preening and bathing and looking their best! 😉 These charming birds are endlessly […]
These first three images are some of the still-fuzzy Least Bittern fledglings that were clambering about in the marsh last week – tiny little white feathers still popping through their dark chestnut plumage. The nest was hidden out of view of the boardwalk, so it’s unclear just how old they were here, but 4 or […]
The intricate plumage of the Wood Ducks make them “one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl.” (All About Birds). “Beautiful and unique, this duck of woodland ponds and river swamps has no close relatives, except for the Mandarin Duck of eastern Asia”, another ornate and highly attractive duck (Audubon.org). The only two members of […]
Birder's Journey 