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 […]
Tag Archives: wildlife
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 […]
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 […]
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. 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) […]
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. āŗļø
Barred Owls are SO good at camouflage! We nearly walked right by this quiet fellow, hiding in plain sight just a few yards off the trail.
The White Ibis is so ubiquitous here in Florida that I often forget how limited their range is in North America! (See the All About Birds, White Ibis Range Map) The lovely brownish youngster above hasnāt yet matured, but soon heāll grow into his completely white plumage and eventually be as handsome as the breeding […]
The Double-crested Cormorant is a common but dazzling sight here in our marshes and wetlands, with its sleek, glistening plumage and āstriking aquamarine eyes that sparkle like jewels.ā (All About Birds)