Ole stomping ground

It is good to reconnect to my field roots - it brings me peace and serenity and right now I need it in addition to food and water in order to survive, come along and see how relaxing the Bailey Tract and its surrounding can be - especially first thing in the morning....

I've seen many Marsh Rabbits along the trails of the Bailey Tract - however they are usually down on all fours while chewing on grass and not standing tall like it is here.

Of course a customary look at the Magic Tree is in order and it did not disappoint - A Cardinal and a Great Crested Flycatcher stood alert while the Pileated Woodpecker whizzed on by.

I know that the Cardinal is a common sight but what's not to love about this scarlet coat and black mask!

A Red-bellied Woodpecker in his Tree House - well truth be told - it's actually a Christmas Vine and it surely caught my attention.

Shocked!! This is not something that I've seen before - a river Otter walking away with its soft shell turtle - who knew they ate turtle too!

This one made me sad - let me explain....the Anhinga has sharp teeth along its bill and they all point toward the throat - it's perfect for flipping a fish down the hatch after stabbing it however if they try to eat fish that hang around docks with ropes - the Anhinga is bound to get some rope stuck around its bill....luckily for this guy he's figuring out how to eat his fish by bringing it to shore, stabbing it repeatedly and somehow swallows bits and pieces....sometimes life hands you lemons, the trick is to learn how to make lemonade out of it.

Green Herons are everywhere now - it also coincides with nesting and raising young ones - in a few months they'll be harder to spot.

Here's another view of my challenged Anhinga - on the left is a gator.

See what I mean, the rope material is blocking the hatch.

A very young soft-shell turtle floating lazily among the fishes.

The Black-necked Stilts were happily foraging while the parents kept a close eye for protection.

They grow up so quickly and before we know it they'll be going south by the end of July/August and won't returned until March.

The Common Ground Dove - our smallest dove.

A Little Blue Heron in its Calico phase - by next year it'll be all blue.

A young Tricolored Heron was nearby too....

and then they crossed paths.

And this is just what the doctor ordered because while I watch nature unfold before my eyes there is no room for anything else.....until the next time.

 

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.

Pond Apple Trail and retention Ponds

I had a great time this morning exploring the Pond Apple Trail and the retention ponds area, the birds have slowly returned and it is a welcome sight! Come along and enjoy the view.....

I was promptly greeted by the Red-shouldered Hawk.

It was quite a sight to see some of the birds flying through the maze of branches and leaves - I soon realized that they were getting an early bath - the Great-crested Flycatcher is looking a bit damp afterwards.

Along the retention pond I heard these 'gurgling' sounds which led me to a pair of Marsh Wren, they were quite entertaining.

And across the path I found a silent House Wren

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher probably comes second to the Hummingbird as far as speed is concerned, it's hard to pin them down.

A young Black-crowned Night Heron was seen coming out from the thick vegetation.

The Wood Stork with its lovely pink feet - this one is young with its pale bill and fuzzy head.

This Brown Pelican duo were seen flying and eating together.

While by the bank, a Great Blue Heron was quite satisfied with its latest catch.

The Palm Warbler seemed curiously interested.

This will take some time to get it down.

A Pied-billed Grebe with a Tricolored Heron were watching from afar.

This is quite a catch and a Cormorant wanted some of that....

It's a bird eat fish world out there - the survival of the quickest....

or maybe the biggest.

There's plenty of fish for everyone, Osprey included.

"You do not see me, I am part of the fence".

It's fish time for the Stork now.

Then it's resting time....does it have to be in the poison ivy?