Estero Preserve at Winkler

This rustic preserve has become one of my favorite places to go to - it can be rough walking, boots are needed most of the time and a mosquito head net is often worn - and I love it! We had a total of 53 species this morning and it was lovely, here are a few snapshots that I took along the way....

 I've been looking for this Nelson Sparrow on and off for a couple of years now and I was totally delighted to find it in this little clump of mangrove along with a Sedge Wren just a foot or so down below it - how sweet is that!

That large clump of mangrove is where we saw it.

At the large pond for the past two years we had several hundred different ducks visiting for the winter, so far this winter this is it - 6 Lesser Scaup and 2 White Pelicans had the pond to themselves....hopefully they will bring their friends soon.

At the bayside we were hoping to see some Avocets but were surprised with Red-breasted Mergansers and several Reddish Egrets....

those three White Pelicans were perched on stumps - perhaps drying their feet for a bit.

A few hundred Tree Swallows had an harmonious rhythm going until a Red-shouldered Hawk made an appearance and made them all scatter in different directions.

Soon after a Bald Eagle cruised on by.

Soon it was time to head back but not before taking a closer look at this Yellow-rumped Warbler - a very interesting specie with many different features from one bird to the next.

Another day, another stick and another preserve - so much to see and so little time.....do take the time to explore and enjoy the moments in your day....I did and I have no regrets.

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.

 

A Week's recap

Where does the time go? So many places to go, so much birding to do and so little time....not to mention the holiday that is right around the corner....what is a girl to do?? I know!! A recap of my week and where it took me....let's go....

Let's begin with Monday - logical, no? We - Libby and I - left the Island to report to our Christmas Bird Count duties at Shell Point in Ft.Myers, on the way we stopped along the shore to witness and appreciate a beautiful sunrise and scope out the species.

After meeting up with the group, we split into different directions - Dotty being our group leader - one of our first sighting was an opossum in a Strangler fig tree - odd to say the least. We then went on and covered several areas within that section and parted ways by 11 a.m. - we broke for lunch and drove through neighborhoods before we headed back toward the island.

We made a stop by the launching ramp and tallied up a few more numbers - this Brown Pelican was rather attractive - he is sporting a band but I couldn't get him to pose in the right direction to read the numbers.

We sealed the day and bid farewell until the next time.

It's Wednesday and I'm visiting the Bailey Tract - a Red-shouldered Hawk was observed in all its glory.

An Eastern Phoebe seemingly glowing in the sunlight.

One of my favorite Doves to see - the Common Ground Dove - the smallest of them all and found only in Florida. I love how the light bounces off the plumage and makes it shimmer.

Off the beaten path I followed a male Bobcat - he was nonchalant while spraying a wide and long path.

He turned around long enough for me to admire his entire wholesomeness.

Sniff, sniff....spray, spray.

Farewell Mr.Bob.

It's Friday - a cold front is scheduled to arrive by mid-morning, this gives me just enough time to make a visit to the Bailey Tract. The sky is coming alive with the sun just about to rise.

 

This just takes my breath away.

A dozen of American Goldfinch circled above and landed in a tree nearby - how exciting! Very seldom do I see 12 at one time - my conclusion is that the front is approaching and the birds are trying to stay a step ahead.

Then I spot a whole flock of ducks - later while looking at my photos and sharing with Libby, she and I figured out that they were Scaups - some of the ducks showed their upper wing display of 'white' which made me think that they were Greater Scaups. I shared my thoughts on a FB page with other birders and everyone agrees that they are Lesser Scaup and that more clues would be necessary to call them Greater....I learned a lot from that discussion.

The predicted front is quickly approaching and my app is warning me that rain is coming - the sky is my big indicator too ....time to get out of here.

Amazing isn't it how a sky can go from hues of orange and yellow to dark shade of gray.

 It is now Saturday and it's Christmas Bird Count for the San-Cap Audubon group. I met up with my team - Sue and Brita... here we go. The sighting of a Bald Eagle made for a great beginning - and a good show for us to see as he tried to steal fish from an Osprey's talons.

The front did arrive and very cool temperature with strong winds are making this a brisk type of day - it is also affecting the amount of birds that we are seeing today, making this a quiet bird count day.

This sweet little Red-bellied Woodpecker stayed for a bit and we marveled over the color of his plumage and how black the under layer was.

A Yellow-crowned Night Heron was hunkering down too but he didn't escape our leader's eyes. 

Well, folks, this conclude my week - interesting, would you say? Tomorrow is a new day and I can't wait to see what is in store for me....Happy Birding!