December 26, 2016 - North Cape Coral with the Caloosa Birding Club

I'm a bit behind in posting so bear with me as I'm catching up. This particular outing was a birding day with the Caloosa Bird Club - the meeting took place in North Cape Coral....our first stop was at Charlotte Harbor State Preserve.

That particular morning was rather windy which made it fun to watch the Tree Swallows - there were most likely several hundred of them at one point.

A Northern Flicker was heard several times before we were able to locate it - smart fellow!

 

We walked all the way to the point and were greeted by this pair of Hooded Mergansers.

Along the shore it was evident that someone else had beat us to this location - I'd venture to say that it was a raccoon.

Our next stop was the leader's house for coffee and sweet treats and when we came out of his house we observed a group of Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Then off we went to the usual spot to view the Scrub Jay family - we had 5 of them in sight at one point.

Around the corner we spotted this pair of Burrowing Owl - though I bet they spotted us before we saw them.

And that's all for now - keep a watch for the next post.

 

Hoodies at Ding

It seems to be customary for a pair of Hooded Merganser to be seen along the Wildlife Drive of Ding Darling in Sanibel and I had the opportunity to go and spend some time observing them this morning, come along and see....

When I first spotted the pair they were sitting by the Willets at the Tower.

The female could blend in with the Willets but the male not so much.

Shortly after the male took off for a feast expedition and I watched....

and noticed how it lowers its crest before diving into the water - more streamline that way...

and off it went, what fun to watch him!

Before I knew it, a Little Blue Heron appeared from the Mangroves and fluffed itself up before sprinting away, I was grateful for this cameo.

Pretty good morning drive wouldn't you say and a great way to end it with a male Pileated Woodpecker.

 

Punta Gorda with the Caloosa Bird Club

I'm a bit behind in posting and I guess my excuse is that I am now semi-retired and I don't have as much free time as I used to....but better late than never, right?

This outing took place this past Monday - Elaine, Libby and myself met up with the Caloosa Bird Club and set out to explore several different areas as we have in the past....come along and see.....

In the past, this particular trip usually takes place toward the end of December and since we found ourselves at the beginning of the month - we really had to look hard to find ducks.

Nevertheless, a trio of Lesser Scaup was a welcoming sight.

As was the three pairs of Hooded Mergansers.

Shortly after we found ourselves at the Ponce de Leon park - this Great Egret watched as we entered.....

then we had to get passed these Black Vultures...

this one gave us the 'go ahead'.

Ponce de Leon has this facility that holds several types of birds which have been injured and would not otherwise make it out in the world, we entered and delighted on many of the species. This particular Yellow-crowned Night Heron was not caged but seemed to enjoy hanging around.

Though I wondered if it was having a bad day.

Perhaps it didn't appreciate being compared to the Black-crowned Night Heron sitting in the background.

Then we made a visit to Olie's Pond where it seems to be customary to see the Black-bellied Whistling ducks.

I enjoyed the scenery from this angle with the reddish looking tree and the 'pink snow' flowers on the grass.

As we neared the end of the circle around the pond, I took some time to watch this Great Blue Heron amidst the creamy water lilies.

We also spotted a few Ring-necked Ducks and commented among ourselves with wonder as to why it is not called a Ring-billed Duck.

The find of the day was this Least Bittern which was quite a challenge to locate - see how well it blends in?

And as customary to our outings - we always go and have lunch while we do our bird list....however for some unfortunate reason we ended up missing our turn and found ourselves over the bridge....but fear not, our fearless driver found us a quaint spot along the water - we hoped that our group across the way saw us wave to them as we enjoyed our lunch while watching this Spotted Sandpiper along with the beautiful vista.

 

Happy New Year!

Awww....a new year, a new beginning - don't you just love the possibilities that are associated with the New Year? For one thing - I get to start fresh with my bird list and with more knowledge under my belt - who knows where that will take me....I am eager, able and willing - so, let's go!

Today began with a drive through the Wildlife Drive of Ding Darling with my husband, what a great way to start the day. 

The White Pelicans welcomed us with open bills.

The Blue-winged Teals on the other hand were busy feeding and paid us no attention.

The Red-breasted Merganser entertained us with its diving and dashing moves.

It was pretty overcast this morning but not enough to keep us from viewing 100s of birds....each white dots represents a bird, some are pink aka Roseate Spoonbills.

Some White Ibis - adults, juveniles, immatures - as well as a Great Blue Heron and 2 Great Egrets in this frame.

3 White Pelicans gossiping about the Great Egret.

The Male Hooded Merganser was feasting on shrimps - yum, my favorite seafood.

Reddish Egret - aka "Ding" was spotted too, can you see its antenna? It is a great tracking device which is solar operated - quite useful to keep tabs on where it goes. (My E-Bird List for Ding Darling)

It was time to head home and get some breakfast, on the way we made a quick visit to see the Bald Eagle - I was glad to see that it was still there.

Then it was time for my roving shift at the Bailey Tract - an interesting afternoon this turned out to be. My first contact was with the Stokes - Lillian was sporting her bright colors and she reminded me of a beautiful Painted Bunting - meant with admiration. I also bumped into Elaine Jacobson and we chatted about birding, vegetation, Audubon, warblers, lectures etc....a lively conversation. While we were parting ways we could hear the chatter of....

a Bald Eagle - I believe he might have been defending his territory as he kept chasing a younger Bald Eagle away. Onward and forward, I chatted with several people along the trail answering their questions and pointing them to the last Alligator sighting spot. A bit later I bumped into Ed - another Ding Darling Volunteer - who eagerly shared his discovery of a....

Polyphemus Moth Nest - what an incredible find! The Polyphemus Moth is one of our biggest moths, growing up to a 5 1/2 inch wingspan. These moths are usually found in forests, but can also be seen in marshes and parks. In the caterpillar stage, when ready, it wraps itself in a leaf and builds a cocoon with silk from its mouth. Look how well disguised the cocoon is within the vegetation! Thanks Ed for sharing and for opening up new knowledge.

As I was reflecting to myself that I was seeing more people (101) than bird species (28), a pretty Frittilary Butterfly fluttered by - making me smile and reminding me that "Life is Good". Soon after, fast wings past me and landed in a nearby tree.....

"Sweet! an Orange-crowned Warbler". A small warbler with sharply pointed bill, subtle and blurry streaking, pale patch at bend in wing and a longish dark tail. Its good ID point is that it is "drab and very low contrast" (The Warbler Guide).

It might have been busy with foot/bicycle traffic but a few hours on the trail beats anything else hands down. My E-Bird List for the Bailey Tract.