Birding Gator Hole, a 20/20 preserve in Lee Co.

It had been a while since I visited the Corkscrew/Alico Rd area and since I have the day off and much desire to bird - I and Libby headed out at the pre-crack of dawn....

I drove down Alico with the hopes of hearing the Whip-poor-will but had to settle for this Big Cypress Fox Squirrel - very cool!

One of the perks of being a volunteer for the Lee Co Bird Patrol is that I have access to some of the less traveled preserve such as this Gator Hole. We arrived after sunrise but the fog was still pretty thick in some patches - a common occurrence in Florida.

At the opposite end of the preserve we spotted two Wild Turkeys perched high in the trees!....not exactly where I would expect them to be.

One of many Palm Warblers seen flying in a frenzy while getting their feathers cleaned.

A few Eastern Towhee were heard before they were seen - what a beautiful male!

Many Butterflies were observed along the preserve, beside this Phaon Crescent we had Gulf Fritillary, Zebra Longwing, White Peacock and Barred Yellow.

Some moths too - beside the Rattlebox Moth we spotted this pink/orange moth and after much searching Libby found this to be a Southern Purple Mint moth.

Along the western edge of the property we noticed something down the path....

White-tailed Deer, two on the trail and 3 in the bushes - they quickly disappeared as we traveled down the path.

A Gulf Fritillary

Beautiful fauna within the preserve, don't you agree?

A very bright and yellow Palm Warbler.

One of my favorite - a Brown-headed Nuthatch.

A bright yellow flower bush going into seed.

Another beautiful butterfly that was a challenge to identify - at last it was - I introduce to you: Mallow-scrub Hairstreak - a pretty name that  does this butterfly justice.

Some of the very few remaining Aster at the Preserve - I love the pale yet bright color.

And, as all good things must come to an end - so does this adventure ..... in the meantime I'll keep a keen 'hawk'eye on things until the next time. My E-Bird List for today.

Lac Superior, Canada

A visit to see my family was way over due and of course the icing on the cake was to observe some of the wildlife, the rain kept getting in the way but what I did see was quite rewarding.

Just a few feet from the back deck I was able to observe a Hairy Woodpecker - how awesome is that!

A Blue Jay stayed close by - some injury kept him from flying away.

This was quite a highlight for me - a Black-capped Chickadee - and how I loved their song and quick movements!

These little Chipmunks were quite precious.

An American Goldfinch - probably getting fat for the long journey south.

Several Sparrows were spotted, a Chipping Sparrow took the time to pose.

Ha! This one looked familiar - An American  Robin on top surrounded by pine cones.

A pine forest ready for hikers.

A White-throated Sparrow.

A male (whisker) 'yellow-shafted' Northern Flicker showing off his yellow accents.

A fawn was seen following his deer mom.

Another Chipping Sparrow.

A Red-breasted Merganser, by himself on a big lake with not another duck in sight.

This setting was the back yard of the charming B&B that we stayed in - "La Petite Douceur" was charming and homey, the hosts....Francine & Daniel....extremely accomodating and the breakfasts were to die for. If you are ever in this area, I highly recommend a stay with them.

 Another White-throated Sparrow.

This one was a nice surprise - a female Black-throated Blue Warbler.

 Sadly the week went by too quickly, however many happy memories will be treasured for years to come.