We recently traveled with our daughter’s family to Zion National Park in southeastern Utah. It was our first trip to Zion and the timing was perfect! The weather was superb every day, and we avoided the summer crowds. Zion National Park is one of 63 magnificent National Parks in the United States, protected and operated […]
Category Archives: wildlife
I love visiting Circle B bar Ranch Reserve, located not far from Orlando, Florida. Circle B’s 6 miles of trails encompass many diverse habitats, including marshes, swamps, hardwood hammocks, and the 4500-acre Lake Hancock. Following are just a few of the many delights I saw on a recent visit. ☺️
At certain times of year, the plant life in the wetlands just gets to be TOO MUCH! Even an alligator could get stuck! 🐊
Relaxing in an old wooden rocker on the back porch at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to keep out of the rain, I kept hearing a continuous chit-chit-chit call. I peeked over the balcony and discovered this sweet female Northern Cardinal hopping about in a steady light drizzle atop a small stone fountain. I’m pretty sure she […]
One of our most striking Florida birds is the Roseate Spoonbill. Adult Roseate Spoonbills, especially in breeding colors, look stunning in any pose. Their new, paler-pink fledglings have learned to open those great wings and take short flights, but they’re still a bit unsteady here! Getting ready for take-off . . . Sometimes they manage […]
Very small fish make up more than 90% of the Tricolored Heron (TCH)’s diet, so it always amazes me how much energy they invest in catching these little morsels of food! ☺️ Unlike Great Blue Herons and Little Blue Herons, who are very deliberate, slow and patient foragers, the Tricoloreds are generally much more active. […]
April – May is a great time to spot VERY CUTE baby birds in the wetlands! ☀️ Two hungry Red-winged Blackbird fledglings beg mama to hurry back with more breakfast. Red-winged Blackbirds usually have a clutch of 2-4 eggs, which they incubate for about two weeks. But the chicks soon fledge and leave the nest […]
I’ve written MANY posts about Red-winged Blackbirds (RWBBs) (BirdersJourney) over the years, but it’s always exciting the first time I spot new nests – and eggs! – in the spring. The mom who laid these eggs was sitting on them but flew off just after I caught sight of her. This female was still working […]
I’ve always enjoyed Audubon.org’s description of this bird: “Gorgeous at a distance and bizarre up close is the Roseate Spoonbill.” (Audubon.org) The ‘Rosie’ is the only spoonbill (of six species worldwide) to inhabit the New World, and the only one to have such colorful plumage. “Like all other spoonbills, the Roseate Spoonbill frequents shallow aquatic […]
Having enjoyed several previous birding trips in Central America, we decided to head for Colombia, South America this year. We chose Colombia for many reasons. . . . . Colombia boasts the greatest diversity of birds in the world (over 1900 species!), nearly 20% of the total global species (Audubon.org)!! Among the beauties we saw […]
Birder's Journey 