Duck, Duck, Ducky!!

What a spectacular day! Yesterday was my second outing with the Caloosa Bird Club and it certainly was a memorable one ..... again! The day started out at Eagle Lakes Community Park in Naples and concluded at Sugden Regional Park - also in Naples. We had a nice group and saw a collective count of 70 or so species....sorry the numbers are vague now - note to self....make more notes.

After a picnic lunch, a bunch of us agreed to follow Vince to Oil Well Road in Immokalee....well, that really topped the cake with a big cherry on top. 

Well, before I get ahead of myself - let's take a look at some of the photos from the Parks in Naples.

One of our first sighting was actually a Northern Flicker - way up - a life bird for me, too bad that I couldn't get his photo.....maybe next time.
The usual fare was seen all around - the Common Gallinule didn't mind posing and so did all the Grackles -  some folks were hoping to see the Cowbird which had been at that location previously....but not this time around.

Then we gathered up in the parking lot and got our directions for the next stop...the Sugden Regional Park.

This was a very lovely setting - very peaceful in comparisson to all the bikers/runners that we encountered in the Eagle Lakes Park.

My very first sighting of "Ruddy Duck".

Aren't they lovely?
Don't let the amount of photos fool you because there were close to 70 species seen at those two parks and it was a great outing - Thank You M.Mulheim for leading our group.
My E-Bird List - combined sighting for both parks.
Now, this is where it gets really ducky....

Quite a few White Pelicans....they brigtened up the place like a light bulb.

Not visible from any of my photos - was the fact that there were literally thousands of Coots in the back portion by the shoreside.

Avocets! I was so happy to see them. I had been wishing to spot Avocets since I first set my eyes on them - over a year ago.....I wanted to add them to my Lee Co.....but, hey, I'll take this anyday.....even in Collier Co. :)

The Avocets in flight - shortly after a raptor flew over.

The funny - odd - thing, was that the group in flight was lead by a Black Skimmer. That is what is so exciting about birding....you think you're looking at something you thought you knew when all of a sudden you realize that it's something else entirely.....don't know about you, but I love surprises like these.

The Northern Shoveler were in the midst of many other ducks.

Before long - 3 Bald Eagles came flying overhead and this caused many flocks to rise up and fly off - generating clouds upon clouds of beating wings....it was just BEAUTYfull to see and to hear too....wow!

Blue-winged Teal.

The general view from the road - where we had all set up our scopes. Too bad that my equipment doesn't allow me to get better photos from afar, but hey, that's okay....I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to see it all and to capture the few bits that I did.

I am glad that I went the extra mile - literally - to go and see those ducks.....many of them were put on my Life List.

Check out my E-Bird list to see all the ducks that were spotted on that trip.

A big Thank You to Vince for showing/sharing his knowledge and spots where the birds/ducks are....this make for happy birding.