It had been 4 months since my last visit at Harns Marsh - way too long. We got an early start today with the hopes of seeing a King Rail that has been reported to have been there, a few folks from the club heard it but no one saw it. However as birding goes, there is never a bad day while birding and today was no exception, come along and see.
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| The sun was about to rise and we could see many ducks species - a few Ring-necked Ducks are always a pretty sight. |
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| A few Sandhill Cranes flew overhead while belting out their lovely chorus. |
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| The star of the day - a Snail Kite. He gave us some great looks while he flew and dove down for succulent snails which he carried off to a nearby snag where he savored his hard earned meal. |
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| What a nice pair of Ring-necked Duck. |
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| A female Snail Kite produced a lively conversation while some of us wondered whether it was a Harrier or not - our books and bird apps came in handy for comparison. |
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| A Cattle Egret - the smallest in the Egret family coming in at 20". |
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| Harns Marsh is usually only opened for foot traffic, the club made previous arrangements for us to be able to drive through - it is a 4 mile loop. We combined people in cars and caravan our way through while stopping several times for ample observation. A scope is highly recommended for good views. |
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| A pair of Sandhill Cranes with two White Ibis and a Cattle Egret. |
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| Along the outer edge of Harns Marsh - some private properties and several horses were observed as well. We were hoping to find the Red-headed Woodpecker which has been seen in the past but today they were nowhere to be found. |
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| More chorus going on - I love these guys. |
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| A Lesser Yellowleg, a Killdeer, A Least Sandpiper and a Western Sandpiper - what a nice variety! |
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| A Glossy Ibis - beautiful in person but difficult to photograph. |
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| On the way home we made a quick stop at a member's house, these folks have been setting up bird feeders for years and they are rewarded with yearly returns of beautiful Painted Buntings and American Goldfinch. |
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| And this, folks, conclude the birding trip for today....stay tune for more :). My E-Bird List for today at Harns Marsh http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20660904 |
Sorry I can't share where I saw the American Goldfinch and Painted Buntings since it is at someone's private home.
We are in Sarasota, a bit north from you. We always enjoy your posts and especially photos. The eagles with talons clasped a while back, and the snail kites in this entry are amazing. You always seem to come upon something that is fascinating. We wish we could come along!
ReplyDeleteKen and Patch Davis
Thank you. I bet you get your share of birds in Sarasota too. I recall going to the Celery Fields with the Caloosa Bird Club and how much I enjoyed that trip - we are scheduled for a Jan 26 return and I really look forward to that.
ReplyDeleteI do love the Sandhill Cranes marking on the heads. Horses are they a new type of bird? (Lol). I do find the Glossy Ibis kind of interesting in color. Keep posting. I do like the education.
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