On a quiet walk one recent morning I was surprised to come across this beautiful American Bittern just strolling lazily in the marsh! āUsually secretive and difficult to see,ā this species is not uncommon in our Florida wetlands, but Bitterns are so elusive that they are often easily missed. They . . . āare stealth […]
Tag Archives: Birds
Red-winged Blackbird females have been very busy in the last few weeks! It was such a delight to spot the one above, singing her morning song. āļø This is the time of year we see the perfect little nests of Red-winged Blackbirds popping up everywhere in the wetlands. Often they are constructed in a V-shaped […]
Just one of those sunny mornings when you look out across the pond and spot a Snowy Egret reflected in the water~! š
It’s that time of year again~! šā„ļø. Just this week, BirdNote published a cool piece about Great Blue nesting behavior: A heron nest starts with just one stick. “Great blue herons don’t mate for life, but they do have elaborate courtship rituals that help pairs form strong bonds. Their mating displays include bill snapping, neck […]
Distinguished by its black legs and bright yellow feet, this elegant Snowy Egretās āgolden slippersā are barely visible as it treads gently through the thick marsh looking for a tasty morsel. We are fortunate to have Snowy Egrets as year-round residents here in South Florida. They are truly a conservation success story! āThe species was […]
We had the pleasure of visiting Orlando Wetlands again two weeks ago. Always one of my absolute favorite places! Thereās so much to see there at this time of year, and Iām sure Iāll post other photos soon. But I just couldnāt resist starting with the Roseate Spoonbills. The Spoonbills were very actively flying back-and-forth […]
I loved watching this juvenile Purple Gallinule making his way independently through the marsh. Looks like heās just learning the ropes. āŗļø But how do we know this a Purple Gallinule, and how can we tell itās a juvenile? Several unique features make it unmistakable: long, bright yellow āchicken legsā, a distinctive red and yellow […]
The bright yellow eyes of a Least Bittern suddenly ļæ¼popped out of the dense marsh leaves as I walked by. Once I saw this furtive little beauty, I waited ever so patiently for him to make himself a little more visible so I could get a really good shot. š Knowing how elusive Least Bitterns […]
I spotted this handsome little Red-bellied Woodpecker foraging for goodies high up in a tree in the Morikami Japanese Gardens. His diet consists mostly of insects, spiders, and other arthropods, but he also may be enjoying bits of plant material here. Hereās a Cool Fact: āA Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 […]
This delicate little yellow bird was busy flitting from branch to branch when I caught sight of her. The Prairie Warbler “forages mainly by taking insects while perched or hopping on branches or twigs. Also catches flying insects in mid-air, and takes insects from undersides of leaves (and spiders from their webs) while hovering.” (Audubon) […]
Birder's Journey 