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!

Wilson Snipe & Gator surprise

A foggy morning greeted me at the Bailey Tract - I tend to enjoy those because they provide me with a state of serenity....and off I go.....come along and join me....

Do you see what I mean - can you feel it too?

A pair of Red-shouldered Hawk were quite vocal though and it made it easy to find them.

A quick skip over to the Sanibel Garden preserve rewarded me with great open views of a Wilson Snipe....

did you ever notice that the tail is coral in color?

Soon after a little Eastern Phoebe puffed and posed for a quick photo - thank you!

Back at the Bailey Tract - several Mottled Ducks are gathering up, some were quacking away and others were preening their beautiful feathers.

A fairly large Gator was spotted from across the pond - probably hoping for the sun to warm it up.

Side by side - a Common Grackle and a Yellow-rumped Warbler - a fun opportunity for size comparison.

A closer inspection of the Gator showed a satisfactory grin with the restful spot.

On my way out - a Gray Catbird looked at me and I thought to myself "How fortunate to be able to see so many species today right out in the open!" I shall keep alert for what comes next.

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.

Fly, roost, swim, sit and pick - a week's recap

It seems as if S.W.Florida has been out of sorts this past winter - high winds, overcast days and mucho rain which provided some challenges for bird outings - however not enough to keep me totally away. Today I bring you a few glimpses of where I've been this past week....let's go.....

A spiffy Black-and-white Warbler was spotted at the Bailey Tract.

A Great Egret was sporting its breeding plumage (green face/dusky bill) at the Sanibel Garden Preserve.

A Yellow-rumped Warbler was not too far away.

A visit at Lakes Park provided quite a few sightings of Great Blue Heron in/out of nests....way up in the Australian Pine Trees.

One of my highlight this week was being able to capture bits and pieces of this Hairy Woodpecker.

This pecker looks similar to a Downy however it is slightly bigger (Robin size) and its bill is much larger. 

I did find him along the boardwalk at the Six Mile Cypress Slough among many other woodpeckers (Downy, Pileated, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Red-bellied).

On my way out of the slough - a sweet sighting of an Eastern Bluebird.

A quick stop at Bunche Beach provided another look at the wild American Flamingo that has been making an almost daily return for the past two weeks.

Two out of three Common Loons are pictured here with Estero/Ft.Myers beach in the background.

A pair of Forster Tern bid us farewell for the day - my weather app popped up with warnings of more rain coming. All in all it was a great week for bird watching with the added bonus of capturing some of their sweet faces.

 

Across the Cape on a bird chase

We took a long tour of Cape Coral today and went out in search of several species - it was a very good day - take a look.....

A Burrowing Owl

A Monk Parakeet

Killdeer

Red-shouldered Hawk - juvenile

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - juvenile

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Cooper Hawk - juvenile

Great Horned Owl

A Bald Eagle family

Two Florida Scrub Jays

 They have been fed by a local lady and they have no fear of human and come to you if you put your hand out or will land on your head, warning - wear a hat or else you'll feel every single little toenail on your scalp.

Interesting pond with misc ducks,coots,ibis etc.

A very yellow Palm Warbler

Nanday Parakeet

Go birding folks, you just never know what you're going to come across - it makes for a great adventure and a fantastic day!