Storms are great!

If you would have told me once upon a time that a storm would be a blessing - I would not have believed you. It turns out that every time a front comes through and pushes rain and wind our way it affects the migrants that are trying to head north for their breeding season, of course it's a bonus for us birders since we get to see them in their beautiful plumage. This weekend turned out to be particularly nice - we had Hummingbirds by the dozen in addiction to.....well....before I blurt it all out, come along and see....

Now, it's true that we see Black-and-white Warblers on a regular basis however some of them are migrating through and are so hungry that they don't care if you are only a few feet away - which provides us with ample good views.

One of the many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that landed at the Lighthouse, interestingly enough they were all mostly females.....boy are they hard to photograph especially with a camera that takes forever to focus.

With the Great-crested Flycatcher - taking its photo is a lot easier. Don't you just love its attitude?

The Gumbo Limbo tree could have easily been called the Red-eyed Vireo trees as there were so many feasting on the ripening fruit.

Warblers, warblers, warblers ..... they were everywhere and we were all giddy about it. This Black-throated Green Warbler found a juicy bug.

A beautiful Chestnut-sided as well as many others - truly loved the Seagrape flowers and all the little bugs that were in it.

A Bay-breasted Warbler gave us ample views and much delight.

A very lovely Ovenbird - check out the orange crest!

After a bit we went to the Pond Apple Trail and had a delightful greeting when we entered - this Rose-breasted Grosbeak stopped us in our tracts.

Shortly after we found the bird we were looking for - an Eastern Wood Peewee - sweet!

This morning I returned to the Lighthouse and found more of the same - a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak feasting on the Gumbo Limbo berries.

Well, I felt really blessed because I had been wanting to find a Hummingbird for several months now and this weekend found a few dozen - I guess it pays to be patient. Thank you. My E-bird List for the Lighthouse.

A Golden-winged Warbler at the Slough

The words started to spread this past Sunday about a Golden-winged Warbler being at the Slough, more of the same was spoken of the following day....so it was with high hopes that I made my way over there this morning.

I arrived before the sunrise and positioned myself near the amphitheater to witness the rookery come alive and leave for the day.

And that was pretty amazing - to see it and hear it as it went over my head and flew toward the new day.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed this Little Blue Heron tiptoeing away - he probably didn't want to be seen "fishing" by the no-fishing zone.

I think he looks kind of guilty, don't you think?

 

The Golden-winged Warbler - what a beauty! He can be seen here, upside down with head on - notice the bright yellow cap (matching with the golden yellow patch on the wing) and the eye mask - a striking fellow.

An underside view of its tail, black throat and eye mask. It was unfortunate that I wasn't able to capture the yellow wing patch but I'm happy never the less to have these glimpses.

A Red-eyed Vireo.

 An Ovenbird with its orange crest visible.

A Carolina Wren - staying put long enough for me to capture its photo.

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

A Yellow-throated Vireo

All in all it was a terrific day, I was especially grateful that more experienced birders were along the boardwalk .... the more eyes to the sky the better the chances of spotting those fast moving creatures. Get out there and Go Birding!

Ding Darling - and the Roseates

Fall is here - and low tide is happening at Ding - time to make a visit. The gates open at 7:30a.m. and there's always a line waiting for it to open and today was no different. 

A juvenile White Ibis

An adult White Ibis - I love their blue eyes.

The sunrise was casting a special glow on the Roseate Spoonbills, a beautiful sight to greet the day.

A Spotted Sandpiper taking the view in or perhaps just trying to hide from me.

The No-seeums were really bad this morning and after a while I gave up and sought shelter in my car and took photos through my windows - the result was a slightly different tint.....took me a while to figure out why they were looking different.

Ding Darling is such a special place, you just never know what you're going to see - and so many different species hang out together too! Reports of the White Pelicans came in the other day but this morning I couldn't find any.

A quick walk on the Calussa Shell Mound trail before leaving provided me with a Carolina Wren in full view above my head,

A Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher buzzing by and

an Ovenbird checking me out.

Quite the acrobat this Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher, I never tire of watching them.

 

 

 

Make sure to check this little trail, it always holds nice surprises.

My E-Bird List for today

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20264054 

Migration through S.W.Florida

I haven't been posting much lately, especially since my camera went into a coma. I've been out on the field with my binoculars and observing the migrants as they go through while keeping track of my findings. I find it hard not to be able to keep photograph documentation and have also realized that I missed sharing my days with you all. So, with much further ado - as they say - I am here today to share what I have seen out there while using my stock photos. Thanks for bearing with me while I patiently wait for my camera to come back to life.

Magnolias were spotted this past week - beautiful bird with bright yellow, striking black and a big black block under its tail - the perfect clue for identification.

This female American Redstart as well as many others were seen at the Six Mile Cypress Slough.

Cuckoos were seen too! The Black Billed and the Yellow Billed. The Yellow-billed has been a regular at the slough for a week now.

Reports of the Prothonotary has been reported - the last time I saw one was this past spring migration. A stunning bird if I must say so.

Ovenbirds - everywhere I go.....Bailey Tract, Sanibel Garden Preserve, Lighthouse, Ding Darling Caloosa Trail and Six Mile Cypress.

The Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers are singing their hearts out and if I'm lucky I get to see them too.

Do you recognize this "identification" spot? This is the Magnolia Warbler.

A Prairie Warbler - This little guy has dark circles under his eyes and I can identify with that :)

The acrobatic Black And White Warbler - always a great sighting as they buzzz around while climbing up/down/upside down along the limbs and trunks.

Here's a sweet Ovenbird with all its identifying features in clear view - even though it likes to hide in deep foliage - sometimes I get lucky.

A Female Chestnut-sided Warbler without any chestnut color on its side - but note the lime green above, very striking indeed. I photographed it at the Lighthouse earlier this year and got to see it yesterday at the Six Mile Cypress Slough. My photos have helped me to identify what I am seeing this fall, I don't know about you, but for me as a new birder - it's not always easy to recognize a bird that I've seen only once before.....some are easier, some not so much.

Another Black and White - creeping sideways - don't you wish you could do that too?

A Red-Eyed Vireo - they are quite plentiful at the Six Mile Cypress slough and also on the Caloosa Trail at Ding Darling.

Now, this is a bird that is easily spotted and identified - A Summer Tanager. Seen yesterday at the Slough.

A Yellow-throated Vireo, look at the yellow eye ring too.

Kingbirds have been plentiful around Sanibel - they were one of my first fall migrants to spot - coming in drove across the island. I've seen them at the Lighthouse, Bailey Tract, Sanibel Garden Preserve and this weekend they were at my house! They are seldom alone.

The White-eyed Vireo - well named, I think.

The Tuffed Titmouse as regular resident at the Six Mile Cypress slough and since they were so very present while I was there, it seems fitting to include them. I found out too that since they are so vocal - they tend to attract others, so when you hear the Titmouse, look around - you may very well be surprise to see who else is hanging around - looking to see what the commotion is all about.

A Downy Woodpecker - the smallest of them all - woodpecker-wise. This one is a male - telltale sign is the red spot on its head.

Of course, It wouldn't be fair not to include this little fellow who often belts out a beautiful serenade across the slough - who would have thought such a little bird could sing so loudly? Don't let the size fool you.

The Summer Tanager waved me on yesterday - it surely brought a smile on my face. I love migration and all the excitement that goes with it.

My E-bird List for the Six Mile Cypress Slough - I'm pretty sure that it is missing a few species since I couldn't identify them all, but either way - it was a great day - take advantage of the fall migration because you won't be able to see a lot of those birds until the spring. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19981160