Bits and pieces.

I had the opportunity to stop at the Bailey Tract in between days of working with the Sea Turtles and with the Shell Museum - I was rewarded with the sighting of.....

a beautiful Summer Tanager who was feasting on the berries of the Fig Tree.

Within that cluster of Fig Trees was a mini warbler frenzy - I could hardly keep up with them and trying to i.d. them as they flitted by quickly.

In the distance I spotted this Mockingbird which I thought odd because of its brown color but a good source assured me that it was a youngster - I learn something new every day!

A beautiful male Osprey watched us as we went by.

Look at this Anole and how it is color-morphing, just AWEmazing.

A pair of Gulf Frittilary flew by and landed long enough for good views and photos too.

Great views of the outer and inner coloring.

Our last sighting was this Marsh Rabbit that had this huge growth under its chin, he hopped and grazed in a normal manner though - so that was good. You just never know what you'll come across when out in the natural world.

 

Markham Park in Broward Co.

Tis the season .... lalalalala....

and folks, wishes do come tru to those who believe!

For the past 3 weeks I had been reading about reports of two beautiful birds making repeated appearances on the east coast and I was delighted to get a chance to set my eyes on them, so with a little detour on our way to visit family, we made a stop at: Markham Park.

As soon as we pulled up in the parking lot I could see birders heading away from the reported area toward their cars and I thought to myself....this can't be good.....I asked about the Western Spindalis and was told that he flew into the dog park. The Spot-breasted Orioles were still hanging around and I spent some time admiring them.

Wow - what a bright burst! This was my first time seeing this bird, what a beauty!

After a bit the Orioles left so I ventured into the Nature trail where I spotted several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.

A few Prairies were around too - seeking cover from the wind.....soon I was itching to return to the flowering tree where I hoped the Spindalis and Orioles had returned.

A group of them were back feasting on bugs nestled within those blooms - quite entertaining to watch those little acrobats.

I can see why they are called Spot-breasted Oriole even though my brain keeps calling them Black-spotted!!

My husband Tony was spending his time reading the New York Times near the entrance of the Nature Trail - I visited with him and shared my updates - he then shared my day's horoscope with me and it was so apropos that I'm putting it here: "Once upon a time you gave up too quickly, only to find out that if you had hung on for a short while longer you would have succeeded. Now you have the determination to see it through." So, this was exactly what I needed to hear and off I went to wait for the Spindalis.

Someone shouted: There! In the Cypress tree.

Really?? Where??

There! Meet the Western Spindalis.

What a beauty! Would you drive 250 miles for this bird?

I will remember this day - this is really special - I smiled so much that my face was hurting and a headache was brewing - but it was so worth it.

The Spindalis left after a bit and I revisited the Butterfly Garden.

A lady Painted Bunting

Blooms, butterfly and Aphids - a ladybug is needed.

And a bird of question - after searching in my books and asking my birding friends - this bird turned out to be a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

The wild wild world of birds always brings a little mystery to the mix - all we need are clues which leads us to the answers.....

This bird gave me enough clues - a Northern Parula.

After birding for a few hours - we explored this large park and found a lovely shady spot to have lunch by the water side. If you even find yourself in that area I would highly recommend a visit....this park has it all: dog park, nature trail, playground, tennis, racquetball, marina, bike trail, picnic shelterssss, target range, model airplane field, campground and plenty of restrooms. Free entrance during the week and I think it's 1.50/car during the weekend. I had a good time watching birds and tallied up 39 species, my E-bird List for that beautiful day.

 

A revisit to Rotary Park

The high gusty winds are staying in our area which makes it conducive for the birds to stay a bit longer before continuing their migration journey - another visit to the Rotary Park sounded like a good plan - we were not disappointed.

I felt very lucky to be able to observe a Gray-cheeked Thrush - this is certainly not a daily occurrence by any means.

And another lucky strike - a House Wren right out in the open - giving us ample ooh-aah opportunities.

Except for the hummingbird - this may very well be the next smallest bird there is - A Northern Parula.

A dwarf Poinciana in bloom.

Of course a visit to the Butterfly garden is always in order when you visit the Rotary Park. Lucky for us, we witnessed a Giant Swallowtail laying her eggs...

look closely and you'll see her eggs on some of the leaves.

This Coontie plant is home to the Atala's larva.

The Atala Butterfly.

I'd venture to say that this was a beautiful day in every way - I am blessed.