Before today, I had only seen an occasional Eastern Meadowlark, perched out in the open atop a low tree, or on a fence near a marshy preserve – its presence always signaled by its melodious singing 🎶.But this afternoon, Meadowlarks literally appeared at every turn as we wandered through Dinner Island Ranch, a wildlife management area (WMA) in south Florida. What […]
Category Archives: Nature
The almost all white plumage of this bird below poses an ID challenge for many newcomers to the wetlands, who often mistakenly assume he is one of the white egrets – a Snowy Egret or Great Egret.But the bluish-black color of his beak, and his unmistakable green legs are great clues to his true identity. His behavior gives […]
This juvenile Purple Gallinule was so delightful, I just had to show off his lovely face!A few clues to tell us that this is a Juvenile Purple Gallinule . . . His plumage has begun to show the wonderful blues and greens that will become shimmering, iridescent colors in the sunlight when he reaches adulthood. There is […]
Red-shouldered Hawks are quite common year-round here in southeast Florida. The distinctive reddish patch on the shoulder is not always readily visible from a distance, but is quite easily seen in both of these birds.This time of year is when courting and nest building begins. Red-shouldered Hawks form pairs and return to the same nesting area […]
I’ve written many posts about the Purple Gallinule, but just couldn’t resist adding one more. ☺️ Have a beautiful day~!!
“The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many a North American wetland.” This one was surveying the ponds below from a perch high atop the marsh, just before sunset the other day. His sweeping spray of long feathers is a distinctive sign of the upcoming breeding season. “Called aigrettes, those plumes were the bane of […]
This relaxed-looking White Ibis sat for the longest time on the boardwalk in a rather odd, squatting position.When all of a sudden, he stood up slightly, and . . . . . . .SPLAT!!!!He appeared to lose his balance momentarily, apparently flustered 🙂Then he stood up, looked around sheepishly, and said:“WHO . . . . ME?!”
This Great Blue Heron actually looked like a fake cut-out against the water as he sailed by before touching down!He slid in gracefully, for a nice smooth landing . . . And then strolled around looking quite elegant 🙂I don’t think he was even foraging for something to eat. . . !Just strutting, looking very debonair […]
The “Tricolored Heron is a characteristic bird of quiet shallow waters,” (Audubon), and a very common sight in our wetland preserves in Palm Beach County. But I couldn’t resist the image of this striking Tri-colored, foraging in the mangroves at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on New Year’s Day morning. Almost hard to tell which bird is real […]
Birder's Journey 