I’ve always been partial to Little Blue Herons, the elegant wading birds who are entirely white as juveniles, then gradually develop patches of blue plumage until they mature into entirely blue adults. (All About Birds – Little Blue Heron). On a trip to Merritt Island NWR I was admiring the sleek Little Blue Heron in […]
Tag Archives: Marsh
It was springtime and romance was in the air in the wetlands 💚 But somehow this draft post of the dating and mating season got lost in my files! Better late than never!☀️ These lovebird Great Egrets eventually had chicks – the youngsters have long since fledged and moved on. ☀️
The irresistible, iridescent Purple Gallinule was one of the first wetland birds I got to know after moving to Florida. Still a favorite!! 🩵💜
“At distance, Glossy Ibises look uniformly dark, but a close look in good light reveals stunning colors: deep maroon, emerald, bronze, and violet.” (All About Birds) I was surprised to learn that the Glossy Ibis breeds throughout the world, but “they were almost unknown in the US, even in the 19th century. John James Audubon […]
We are fortunate to have Wood Ducks like this handsome pair appearing in our wetlands regularly in recent years. These cavity nesters enjoy our freshwater marsh and have nested there in a hollow, dead palm tree overhanging the pond. But you have to be there at just the right moment if you hope to watch […]
On a quiet walk one recent morning I was surprised to come across this beautiful American Bittern just strolling lazily in the marsh! “Usually secretive and difficult to see,” this species is not uncommon in our Florida wetlands, but Bitterns are so elusive that they are often easily missed. They . . . “are stealth […]
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. ☀️ 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 […]
It’s that time of year again~! 💙♥️. 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 Egret’s ‘golden slippers’ 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! “The species was […]
I loved watching this juvenile Purple Gallinule making his way independently through the marsh. Looks like he’s just learning the ropes. ☺️ But how do we know this a Purple Gallinule, and how can we tell it’s a juvenile? Several unique features make it unmistakable: long, bright yellow “chicken legs”, a distinctive red and yellow […]
