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 […]
Tag Archives: wildlife
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 […]
Just one of those sunny mornings when you look out across the pond and spot a Snowy Egret reflected in the water~! 😌
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 […]
The bright yellow eyes of a Least Bittern suddenly popped 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. 😉 Knowing how elusive Least Bitterns […]
Fall is one of my favorite times of year in the wetlands. The weather is getting cooler and the humidity is gone. Everything is still mostly lush and green. But the Bald Cypress are beginning to look bare as their needle-like leaves turn rust-colored and fall to the ground (read more cool info about Bald […]
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. Here’s a Cool Fact: “A 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) […]
Just came back from an evening walk at our favorite wetlands. A slight movement here in the dense marsh foliage made me take a closer look – and there he was! How lovely to encounter this Least Bittern climbing deftly from stem to stem right in front of us. ☺️
Birder's Journey 