Splash of Color

How about a splash of color via Mother Nature on this Sunday? I was at a neighborhood park in Sarasota earlier this week poised with my camera patiently waiting for an owl to return when this handsome fellow showed up. He certainly seemed ready for his close up. Who was I to turn him down?!

Skimmin' the Gulf

I thought I'd share a few more photos from my recent stay-cation on Sanibel.  There was lots of sun, surf, sand, and (of course) birds for me to shoot!  I was excited to encounter this flock of black skimmers on the Gulf of Mexico one morning.  They're easy to spot with their black tipped orange beak and jet black and white body.  The skimmer is the only bird with an upper bill that's shorter than it's lower one, which is why it's nicknamed the "scissorbill".  I don't see them very often in Sarasota, and this was the largest number I've ever spotted together. 

They fly quite fast and skim the water, dipping their lower bill in the water, scooping up shrimp and small fish near the surface.  Skimmers like to feed together and when they do, they swoop down one immediately after the other in a line.  So, if one doesn't snag something to eat, the next skimmers in line probably will.  Very interesting to watch.  Hope everyone had a good weekend -- and for those in the States, I hope you're acclimating to Daylight Saving Time!  

Sandhill Crane Mama

I checked in on the sandhill crane family recently, and Baby had grown quite a bit within just two weeks.  (You can see my first post here.)  While I was there, Baby was testing its ginormous feet, walking around the nest and swimming to shore then back to the nest.  Both parents were there, including this one who was taking housekeeping to a whole new level.  I couldn't help but think this was the female, as I watched her diligently move branches, grass and piles of mud onto their island nest.  She was very intent on maintaining that soggy home as best she could.  It seems a mother's work is never done, whatever the species.  The apparent father was standing guard nearby, most likely watching for predators.  Check out the short video I shot to see what I mean.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

I believe these shoreline birds are sandpipers.  They were scooting up and down the beach last night diligently pecking at the washed up seashells hunting for food.  The bird in the middle of the pack nabbed what looked like a live crab.  But, the crustacean must have put up too much of a fight because after shaking it a few times, the bird dropped it and all three sandpipers quickly stepped away.  I suppose it's just a lot easier to open your refrigerator and select from an array of leftovers.  Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

Dinner For One

At Lovers Key State Park, near Ft. Myers Beach, a hiking trail runs parallel to Estero Bay. I was walking along that trail over the weekend when the SDP Junior Editor simultaneously gasped, pointed and motioned for me to look up. An osprey was atop a tree devouring dinner!  Serendipitously, the trail forked at that spot.  Quietly, I was able to maneuver around the corner (with the osprey pausing to keep an eye on me) in order to get an incredible close up view of him enjoying his dinner.  Based on his methodical pecking (with the occasional ripping), and the size of the fish, that meal probably went late into the evening.  What a catch!

Where Ya Goin'?

This was another 'I can't believe it' moment with Ozzie and Harriet, the bald eagles in North Ft. Myers. I visited the nest last weekend and it went from being absolutely quiet with nary a winged soul to be found to suddenly bustling with activity. In this shot, Ozzie had arrived a few minutes prior. Harriet was minding her own business up on a higher branch with her back to me and the two eaglets were tucked below in the nest.  With most birds, you can sense when they're getting ready to take flight. They twitch their feet, wobble a bit, ruffle their feathers...give some kind of indication they're about to do something.  But, not the American bald eagle.  Almost always, they catch me off guard because they take off without warning.  Well, this time I was staring through my viewfinder hoping to take a family portrait when Ozzie took off unexpectedly, prompting Harriet to look that way along with one of the eaglets.   I held my breath and pressed the shutter.  **click**  **click**  **click**   What are the odds the eagle family was just as interested in what Ozzie was doing as I was?  (Look closely at the bottom of the pic and you can see one of the eaglets watching Dad take off.)  The little ones were quite active before their parents got home.  More on that this weekend.  In the meantime, I'm linking to Skywatch Friday and I hope everyone has a terrific day!

Twice the Fun

We're returning to Punta Gorda for some more owl action.  Earlier this week we saw the two adult great horned owls.  Now it's the wee ones' turn.   Yep, two babies.  Aren't they adorable?!  Gosh, I'm so happy I actually captured a shot of them looking at the camera.  Before this, they had fun playing games with me.  Whichever way I pointed the camera, they would face the opposite direction. So, I walked (in high heeled boots, no less...don't ask, it's just how it worked out) all the way around the cordoned nest area to the other side.  By the time I arrived (it's a long walk -- maybe 75-100 yards) they swiveled the other way.  This occurred one too many times.  Finally, I caught up with the SDP Junior Editor who regaled me with one story after another about the fabulously entertaining show the two little ones had put on.  They bobbed...they danced....they wobbled...they flapped their wings...and overall were extraordinarily cute.  And, I had missed it all trundling back and forth.  I decided to give them just two more minutes to cooperate for the camera --- and **presto!** --- they suddenly popped up from the bottom of the nest facing toward me and bounced their little fuzzy heads up and down and back and forth like fuzzy bobblehead dolls.  So cute!  One is flying a little bit -- up to a branch and back. I suspect these two won't be in the nest much longer.  I'm thrilled I got to see them when I did.  I'll probably try to visit them again....but, who knows if they'll still be there?

On yesterday's post several people inquired if I'm going to 'Les Miserables'.  Unfortunately, it's not in my plans.  I heard, though, opening night was terrific and the cast has incredible voices.  

Peek-a-Boo

It's another first! Yesterday I showed you my first kestrel sighting and today I'm sharing my first great horned owl. This is an adorable baby peeking over the edge of his nest in Punta Gorda, located between Sarasota and Ft. Myers.  See his cute little ear tufts?  The last time I was visiting the bald eagle nest in North Ft. Myers, a freelance photographer tipped me off to this nest. The owls took it over in December when a bald eagle couple, which built the nest years ago, failed to return.  That's the modus operandi for the great horned owl -- they occupy unclaimed eagle nests, which is rather smart, I think.  Who wants to build a nest from scratch if you don't have to?  I knew exactly where this nest was located because I visited it three years ago and took these photos of the bald eagle family.  Back to the owls.  This little guy was such a treat to see.  He was just a big poof of fluffy feathers -- just adorable.  Unfortunately, I don't have much time to write, so I'll leave you with the promise of more owl pics to come.  That reminds me.  We're wading into March which is the busiest month of the year for me. So, if the SDP appearance becomes sporadic just know we'll eventually get back to posting as usual.  Happy Sunday!

Kestrel

While I'm waiting for Ozzie and Harriet, the bald eagles in North Ft. Myers, to fly in or out of the nest there's quite a bit of down time just standing around.  So, I end up looking for other possible photo opps.  The last time I was at the nest I got really lucky and saw this kestrel.  Isn't she beautiful?  The elements were working against me that day.  It was windy and shadowy, plus the kestrel was a good 40 yards away in a tree.  Yet, I'm still pleased to have captured my first ever sighting of a kestrel.  They're quite small -- only 10-12 inches. (They seem really tiny when you compare them to an eagle.)  Because of their size they're also known as the sparrow hawk.  Locating and identifying this kestrel was a team effort. The SDP Junior Editor spotted it with her incredible vision and a freelance photog waiting around killing time was happy to identify it (which I confirmed in my trusty 'Birds of Florida Field Guide'.)   I hope to see another one soon at a closer distance.  As for Ozzie and Harriet, my fingers are crossed to catch up  with them this weekend.

Stealthy Observer

Great Blue Herons can be quite stealthy, especially considering their size.  When I was at the New Pass Bait & Grill recently taking pictures of egrets, I turned around and was a bit startled to see this large guy standing a few feet behind me near a picnic table.  I guess he was patiently waiting for his close-up.  Here you go, Mr. GBH!

Crane Convention

For amateur ornithologists, such as yours truly, winter in Florida is fun.  It's migratory season, and I never know what I'm going to see with so many feathered creatures flocking south.  It's common to see sandhill cranes here year round.  Usually, they're alone or with a mate.  In the winter, I've seen as many as 5-6 flying together, which is an impressive sight with their 7-foot wingspan.  But, last weekend, as the sun was setting at Myakka State Park, three dozen sandhill cranes filled the sky as they flapped and honked toward the birdwalk and prairie.  What a sight!

It was really exciting because I've never seen so many sandhill cranes flying at once.  Plus, quite honestly, until that moment I had never seen much bird life at the birdwalk.  As they dipped past the visitors and landed, they announced their arrival:  honk!  honk!  (They're quite loud.)

After awhile, another dozen arrived followed by several white pelicans with a few roseate spoonbills drafting.  (Who knew the spoonbills and white pelicans were on such friendly terms?!)  They all peacefully wandered the prairie nibbling on dinner in the beautiful golden sunlight.  Remember the prairie photo I posted earlier this week?  All those sandhill cranes and other birds are 'hiding' in the vegetation.  It was a very successful birding excursion.

Photo of the Year

Traditionally, the theme day for January in the CDP community has been 'Photo of the Year'. I don't think there's an official theme day today, but I thought I would continue the tradition nevertheless. This shot was taken on St. Patrick's Day 2012 early in the evening. A bald eagle surprised me by flying around a bank of trees in the Sarasota city limits with what appears to be a rack of roadkill ribs. It was so low (just above an electrical line) that I think we startled each other. Definitely, an awesome memorable moment! I ended up calling the eagle family the Eddies (Edward and Edwina) and I have great news about them -- they're back! The other day I mentioned I saw two workmen climbing down the Eddies' cell tower and I was concerned they may have been scared away. Well, I saw both Eddie & Eddie yesterday morning. One was in the nest and the other was flying out of the nest. Excellent. I hope 2013 is filled with terrific photo opps for my friends in the blogosphere.  Happy New Year!

Bird's Eye View

I spotted this osprey enjoying a fresh sushi lunch about 30-feet up on top of a tree on Sanibel.  The ground way below was thick with trees and brush -- definitely not favorable shooting conditions.  So, how did I manage to get this shot? 

Ta-dah!  I was staying at a house with a screened-in deck with a trap door in the roof. So, I employed the 'ol "Scale-a-Ladder-and-Poke-Your-Head-Out-the-Screen-Door" trick.  Whatever it takes to get the shot!

Myakka Hawk

One last photo from my visit to Myakka State Park in Sarasota County.  I was surprised to see this red shouldered hawk because I've never seen one in the park before.  And, I was quite impressed by its girth.  What a plump birdie!

Playful Heron

When it started raining quite hard at Myakka State Park, I was surprised to see this great blue heron standing in the parking lot getting soaked.  Then, things got really interesting when he started dancing. Yep, dancing in the rain! 

This bird hopped, jumped, flapped its wings and pretty much let its guard down and just had fun in the downpour.  I was tucked inside my car and couldn't believe what I seeing.  What a goofy bird! But, when he finished dancing he wasn't done having fun. 

He found this stick and starting playing with it...tossing it up and down.  When I mentioned the bird to a park ranger he immediately knew who I was talking about and where he was located in the park. Apparently, this great blue heron has quite a reputation for silly behavior.

Gotcha!

For the first time in months, I went out on a photography adventure. It was great to be out and about again camera in hand.  Although it was raining, I decided to see what was going on at Myakka State Park.  Turns out, there was a lot of wildlife activity! Usually, I feel sorry for the great egrets.  Whenever I see them, they're standing very, very still hunting.  And, yet I rarely see them capture anything. All that intense waiting...and for what?  I was feeling especially sorry for this guy standing in the rain, when suddenly it nabbed dinner.  I wasn't quite sure as to the identity of the captured creature, so I showed the photo to a park ranger who suspected it's a crawfish.  Pretty cool.  I hope everyone in the blogosphere is doing well. I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of posting and commenting regularly. Hopefully, that's right around the corner!

Snowy Sanibel

Because my blog buddy We are: Clamco was kind enough yesterday to mention she misses my bird photos, I couldn't help but scare one up. (This photographer/blogger responds well to positive reinforcement.)  This beautiful feathered creature is a snowy egret.  He was perched in a tree overlooking the fishing pier on Sanibel on a beautiful morning after several days of rain.  Speaking of storms, hopefully, TS Isaac will spare Sanibel and everywhere else and just fizzle in the Gulf of Mexico.   Then, the Republican National Convention and all the accompanying business revenue and protests can carry on up the road in Tampa.  Happy Friday everyone!

Lighthouse Keeper

Welcome to island life!  This is Sanibel's version of a lighthouse keeper: an osprey looking out over the Gulf of Mexico. Happy Thursday everyone!

Cardinal Couple

Earlier on our tour of Corkscrew Swamp Santuary, I mentioned there are two locations where bird feeders are placed. One is next to the visitor center and the other one is near the pine flatwoods which attracts beautiful cardinals. This is the male with that gorgeous brilliant red. He was hopping on the ground pecking on seed which had fallen. He didn't seem to mind being out and about. His mate, though, was quite skittish.

She popped out of the brush and darted back in repeatedly. She's a nervous little thing, but quite pretty.  I really like the red-orange accents on her wings, tail, and beak.  And, who can resist that cute little red spiked hair?   Although I grew up with cardinals in my neighborhood and my high school mascot was the cardinal, I found this couple to be particularly charming.  It was one of the rare times I've seen a male so close and the first time I've really gotten a good look at a female.  Love this place!

Grey Catbird

While walking through Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, I was delighted by the constant sounds filling the air: chirping, buzzing, whistling, cawing, pecking. It was a feast for a nature lover's ears.  (At the time I couldn't help but wonder if some of those soothing CDs with sounds of the rainforest are recorded here.)  One distinctive bird call I heard was emanating from a grey catbird.  It sounds similar to a cat meow. But, they're elusive!  They like to hide in thick shrub and trying to get a decent photo was a challenge. Fortunately, this guy showed himself because he was interested in nibbling on those berries.  I had just enough time to snap one decent shot. Such a loud, pathetic call coming from such a little bird!  This was another bird I'd never seen before.  But, I knew exactly what it was as soon as I heard that telltale meow...er...call.  See why this place is such a treasure?!