Yesterday, we combined a grocery trip to Gainesville with a birding visit to a new spot for us: Sweetwater Wetlands Park, a birding mecca of 125 acres of wetlands and ponds right in the city. While we saw dozens of neat birds, the star attraction was this small Sandhill Crane family.
I took Ginger on a short walk yesterday around the neighborhood, leaving my binoculars at home but carrying the camera. As we strolled on the quiet back streets, seeing our usual bird suspects, I heard and saw some Great Crested Flycatchers. I lost them and while searching the trees, came across these two lumps which, once I got my camera on them, were a wonderful surprise – a pair of Barred Owls staring back at me.
Most owls I have seen were pointed out to me by others, either in person or by location description — these are one of the few that I saw on my own. What a great treat.
While the warmth is nice, the birding with full foliage can be challenging. Here is an example of a mystery bird — answer is at end of post.
The first bird is an Orchard Oriole – I saw it without my camera earlier.
I’m calling the last bird a female Indigo Bunting. Good birding to you.
While the weather holds, we’ve gotten some good walking and birding done. Our cottage is nestled between some clamming operations: here’s a look to the southwest.
Yesterday, we encountered a few Purple Martins trying to hold on to their room reservations.
Ginger loves the small black lizards that dart in front of her but missed this critter, who thought he was hidden right by the path.
We missed the April snowstorm in New England but got hammered by thunderstorms last night. I had forgotten how intense these tropical deluges can be. Stay safe.
After a long but uneventful trip in the Subaru and LaQuintas, we are settled in Cedar Key for a nice change of scenery. This morning, as we sat on the back deck, we were treated to this visitor – a Little Blue Heron.
On a long walk later on, these were among the many birds we saw.
We are leaving for a little trip to Florida this weekend and it will be fun to handle the camera with warm, or at least thawed-out hands. I’ve been grabbing some shots here on our daily walks and thought I’d share a few.
Even the more common birds stand out with leafless trees (and power poles.)
Yesterday, while walking with Ginger at the Wrightsville Reservoir, I came upon this perched Bald Eagle who watched us as we circumvented his perch but seemed pretty disinterested. I can’t determine if it’s a molting bird or a juvenile.
One of the blessings of this Covid-winter has been the antics of a large flock of Common Redpolls who have been daily visitors for the last couple of months. When I take to feeders out every morning about daybreak, they are gathering in the tall trees, chattering away. Usually there are about fifty, sometimes double that – and once they decide to chow down, it’s wonderful chaos.
With the forecast of warm weather, I suspect this gang will be heading north in the next few days. Bon voyage!
Two days ago, I saw my first group of Canada Geese circling low, looking for places to land, but they moved off to other spots. The river, which had opened up, froze last night but this morning, a small group was gathered on the thin ice and open areas.
Ginger and I were walking on the ice just last week but that’s over now. In a month or so, I hope to be watching these visitors from the kayak as they court and then raise their youngsters, essentially in our back yard.
Ginger and I have a Friday morning routine: take the recycling/trash to the depot and then head up to the airport and Berlin Pond to check for birds. Today, it was too windy to chase balls on the tarmac but we came across this nice pair of Hooded Mergansers.
I am part of a small group of local birders who help one another with sightings using WhatsApp. Tuesday afternoon I saw a report from my friend Chip, who directs North Branch Nature Center, about a Snowy Owl found about five miles from here. Sally and I decided to drive up and see if we could find it – and we did so on some muddy dirt roads arriving at the parking site, which in spite of the tough cold wind, was a beautiful vista of the Worcester mountain range.
Initially, I had no luck and with freezing hands, texted another friend who had just been there. In no time, one of the many clumps of snow turned into a Snowy Owl, sitting patiently far off next to tree. The wind made a steady camera a hope but after a short time admiring this lovely visitor from the North, we hopped back into the car.
Tuesday was my 81st birthday so it was a special gift. Here are a couple of long-distance shots.
