I was all alone on Black Point Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge one recent chilly morning, when this lone White Pelican suddenly swooped in overhead.As they migrate south over Florida during the winter, these huge Pelicans are most often seen in groups, sometimes filling the sky as massive flocks glide by over the water. With a […]
Osprey (formerly called Fish Hawk, due to their almost exclusive diet of fish) boast a great success story. Once seriously endangered due to DDT and other pesticides, they have made a strong comeback and are now found throughout the U.S. (Audubon.org)“Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into […]
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (BBWD’s) are found year-round in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Mexico, and South and Central America, and are known to breed mostly in coastal Texas (All About Birds).But we happen to be lucky to have many breeding pairs of these charming ducks here in Palm Beach County, Florida every year! They are so […]
One overcast morning, the Brown Pelican appeared to be the largest of all the birds wading at the Refuge.But when he approached the VERY large White Pelican, the big guy called out to his friends, “Hey guys. . . . This little fellow says he’s a Pelican, too!” 😀“Hmmmm. . . . . Let’s go check this […]
Last week I posted a blog entry (Q Train Birds) describing a visit with my daughter to the new Second Avenue Subway station installation at 96th Street in NYC, designed by artist Sarah Sze.From there, my daughter took me to the Second Avenue stop at 86th Street, to view the next installation, displaying 10 immense portraits by the acclaimed […]
A few months ago, my daughter took me on a fascinating visit to the incredible new subway stations along the Q Train in New York City. Be sure to click here to view a video about Second Ave Station, and hear the artist, Sarah Sze, talk about her intentions and her experience designing this new subway space!!What […]
This handsome young Great Blue Heron grabs a few private moments for himself.
I just can’t get enough of the brilliant pink Roseate Spoonbills, and most birders and visitors to our area feel the same way!The young Spoonie above was getting his bearings on a tall snag on a recent gloomy late afternoon. Looked like he was trying to figure out how to avoid the impending rainstorm.Four days later, this […]
What a thrill to get a glimpse of this beautiful, well-fed American Bittern. We were strolling along a boardwalk, when my husband suddenly spotted some movement in the tall marshy grasses . . . and then the Bittern emerged!Known for its solitary and elusive behavior, this ‘stout heron’ can be found in dense freshwater marshes (http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-bittern), and […]
This tiny little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ventured out on a bare tree branch, and actually stayed still for more than a second or two – very unusual for these active little birds! I caught sight of him rustling around overhead on a recent walk at our nearby National Wildlife Refuge. “The energetic Blue-gray Gnatchatcher rarely slows […]
