Sunday at the Bailey Tract

I love this time of the year - and at the present we are having beautiful balmy and sunny weather - what's not to love. It started with a bit of fog and it warmed up in no time at all - the trail is void of folks and the birds are waking up, " Let's go!"

The Yellow-rumped Warblers were in great numbers this morning and filled with hyper energy as they zipped by.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also eager to fill their belly.

There was over two dozen Blue-winged Teals and they were chatting away - they sure were entertaining.

After being seemingly out of sight for a few weeks, the Common Ground Doves have returned and they are feeding along the trails.

The Red Cardinals have become quite melodious and are entertaining to listen and watch.

Several Palm Warblers were observed too - they were feeding heartily - soon they will go back to their breeding grounds.

At least the Mottled Ducks will stay and have their families.

This Tricolored Heron begs for a quirky quote.

Here's a great example of how important it is to learn the bird by shape (Grey Catbird) - especially when it is in a dark recessed corner.

There's something to be said about sunny days and how the colors perk me up.

A young Little Blue Heron was quite focused on getting something else to eat.

A skip over to the Sanibel Garden Preserve provided me with great views of a Kestrel and

an Eastern Phoebe, what a great way to end the day!

Roseate morning

A visit to the Bailey Tract this morning made for a very nice beginning for this day.

There's a cold front heading our way and even though the Bailey Tract is 1/2 mile from the beach, I could hear the ocean roar....

the Pied-billed Grebe is pretty well protected.

Around the corner a Mourning Dove's feathers seemed to glisten with gold in the sunshine.

A Kestrel was surveying the area for a bite to eat.

This Roseate Spoonbill gave me the impression of being filled with kindness - can you see it in its eyes and can you feel the softness too?

Once the Roseate disappeared from sight - a Palm Warbler caught my attention - it had me wonder at first because it was hopping while keeping its tail up, not quite a Palm behavior however with closer inspection it was confirmed.

Well, this concludes another beautiful visit at the Bailey Tract - looks like the Mottled Ducks were able to find a spot away from those high winds....I think I will too.

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.

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?