I recently saw this American Bittern strolling through the marsh. American Bitterns are fun to spot, since they are usually very well-camouflaged – they blend right into their surroundings. Variously described as stealthy, secretive, and solitary, the American Bittern reacts to intruders by stopping in his tracks, stretching out his neck, and pointing his nose upward, trying ever so hard […]
Category Archives: Marsh/Wetlands
This beauty above is one of the magnificent Great Blue Herons who court and mate and raise their young in our local Wetlands. “He flies through the air, with the greatest of ease . . .” Bringing yet another branch to the nest. . . . This gigantic male Great Blue Heron was en route back to […]
The Red-winged Blackbird featured above definitely is at home here in the south Florida marshes. But this Yellow-headed Blackbird is definitely out of place! I never even knew there was such a bird as the Yellow-headed Blackbird until a few days ago, but lately, a couple of them have been spotted among the scores of RWBB’s flitting […]
The American Bittern featured above is one of those special, elusive birds that we don’t see out in the open very often. Several birders stood watching him for the longest time . . . waiting for him to just DO something! Meantime, he was very accommodating to stand in this little clearing and be […]
The Purple Gallinule is one of my favorite wetland birds. I loved how this one looked, surrounded by the dark green plants and dark blues of the water on a late afternoon December walk. We see them frequently here, all throughout the year. Their colors are just glorious in the sun, as their feathers truly […]
We were visiting our daughter in New York for Thanksgiving, and she suggested we take the subway up to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. What a serene and beautiful place~! The Garden’s 250 acres are varied and beautifully kept, and there are many special exhibits and collections on the grounds. Definitely a […]
Exciting news!! They have arrived! The Great Blue Herons are coming back and are beginning to settle in at the wetlands rookery. Today was the first time this fall that I saw them ‘displaying’, as in this arched neck posture, and jockeying for the best nesting sites on the tree island. They looked just magical in […]
The other morning was the chilliest so far this fall, and completely overcast, with occasional drizzle, so I wasn’t sure I’d see much on my walk. But I was delighted to encounter several of my favorite bird friends! The Wood Stork featured above was foraging among the marsh grasses, when he suddenly leapt up and made a […]
Moments after I had passed the [human] fishermen and crabbers setting up their gear at the water’s edge early yesterday morning, I spotted this determined Yellow-crowned Night Heron, hiding in the shadows, out of sight of the humans! He looked quite self-satisfied As I approached, he gave me a slightly nervous, momentary glance, when he […]
As dusk closed in, the graceful flock of Glossy Ibis featured above sailed toward me in the waning light. From a distance, I wasn’t quite sure what they were, but as soon as I could discern their body shape and size, it was clear that these were Glossy Ibis and not some other wetland bird […]
