The Salt Marsh

Plans sometimes are meant to be broken - Libby and I left this morning with the intention of visiting Bunche Beach because the tides were right for the venue, however on our way there it started raining and I suggested that we spent a bit of time at the Salt Marsh while the rain storm passed through. Turns out we spent a good 3 hours at that location with much to feast our eyes on in spite of the weather.

One of the first Sparrow to see - our first guess had been Saltmarsh but after further study and some discussion, it was deemed to be a Wilson's Sparrow.

Several Yellowlegs were seen - Lesser and Greater.

Then a Saltmarsh Sparrow - very sweet!

A House Wren drew a lot of attention.

Semipalmated Plovers and Least Sandpipers - resting/sleeping.

A Killdeer all fluffed up and resting too.

Bob Pelky - a blogger and photographer - was seen heading further unto the salt marsh with the hopes of getting a closer look of the Merlin.

More resting birds.

And off they went! We watched and stood still as they swirled around us, letting us feel their wind and hear their wing beats....wow....it always amaze me and takes me to a higher plane.

Soon they came back and rested again. We looked for that Merlin and figured that it might have moved from its perch and was probably the cause of disturbance.

Least Sandpipers

As we headed back to Sanibel, we cruised the Causeway and observed some Ruddy Turnstones and Willets. A Great Blue Heron was a nice surprise around the corner - check it out.

Check those plumes and blue lores - mother nature is perfect just the way it comes.

What a nice way to end the day.

As I dropped Libby off - we took a quick look at the Gulf to see if the Scoters were still there and sure enough there they were. We are still debating whether they are Black Scoters or White Winged Scoter.

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas

The tide was low this morning at Ding Darling, so I decided to take a drive through. What a beautiful morning this turned out to be - the birds were bountiful and there was entertainment to be had everywhere I looked. Taking photos of what I see provides me with a bonus when I return home because as I study my pictures I feel as if I am seeing the birds all over again. Unbeknownst to me, I had a theme going on - and so, without further ado, come and experience a White Christmas Florida style.

Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle bells rock!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

my two front teeth....

Silent night....holy night....

all is calm, all is bright.

Let it snow, let it snow,

let it snow.

Here comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus!

Right down Santa Claus Lane!

Go tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere!

Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout,

I'm telling you why; Santa Claus is coming to town!

Well, friends, sorry if I got you humming Christmas Carols by now - but ready or not - this holiday is coming, might as well put a feather in your cap and joy in your heart because .....

"It's the most beautiful time of the year!"

Birding Hendry and Glade w/Caloosa & Collier too!

TGIM - I love Mondays and the promises of observing birds and perhaps even seeing a "lifer" - today was my lucky day because I got to see two of them. 

We started our day by meeting the Caloosa Bird Club group at Barron Park in Labelle.

A beautiful and peaceful setting, one could easily sit here all day and watch as life unfolds. We spent a bit of time and observed some woodpeckers and warblers in the very old oak trees before heading out to Church Road.

A Loggerhead Shrike aka butcher bird because they catch small insects or lizards and smack them before gobbling them up.

Several Woodstorks were seen along the road.

A Wilson Snipe - very well disguised, if you didn't have your eyes on it while it moved, it was very easy to miss it totally.

A male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in breeding plumage - wow! He stayed within those branches and it was quite difficult to get a good look at it, let alone take a photo.

Along Church Road - cattles/farms and dusty road with heavy machinery/road graders and pickup trucks going by....some were very kind others not so much. When it was time for the group to return to Labelle for lunch, my friends Elaine, Libby and myself decided to travel south to see the Tomato Fields and visit with some ducks.

Many Roseate Spoonbills could be seen off the road in flooded fields.

Woodstorks

The view of the field where the Spoonbills are feeding, notice the pink dots....these are the roseate.

When I zoomed in with my camera (Canon SX50) I was able to make out that there was a Greater Yellowlegs within the group.

My new life bird - Snow Goose - there were 4 of them (2 blue, 2 white). And what timing we had because shortly after we arrived they flew off way to the other side.

I wish there was a hideout spot in the middle of these fields so that we could see those ducks up close and personal and even take some decent photographs, but hey, that's okay ..... take a scope with you and feast your eyes on those beauties.

We were blessed with sunny skies - very warm and balmy temperature. The winds were very gusty, often time shaking our scopes while viewing the ducks.

Canvasback - another lifer for me ..... wow ..... what a beautiful duck that is.

American Avocets were spotted in the distance - several sandpipers too ... my assumption is Yellowlegs here but I'm not 100% sure - I welcome any and all comments.

Ducks, ducks and more ducks - WooHoo

Sometimes I don't realize how many ducks there actually are - but when a Northern Harrier makes an appearance and the ducks lift off - then I get a clearer picture of what is going on.

We observed the Harrier while he held something underwater - we watched as he stayed there for at least 15 minutes....our guess was that a coot was under his talons, being drowned for future consumption. The other ducks - mostly Mottled Ducks - just went about their business without paying no attention to this hawk.

We bid the area farewell with gratefulness in our hearts - and headed out to the corner of Immokalee Road and Oil Well Road....

another pond - this one occupied by Ring-necked Ducks and Merganser.

What a nice bunch they make. At last, it was time to pack up our gear and head on out - a great Monday was had birding with great friends. Till the next time.