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Testing — Testing

Header Image: Snail Kite “BBQ!” Ribs or chicken? “Chicken!” Almost dark but as it’s winter it wasn’t late. Dinner time, as a matter of fact. Since I forced Gini to accompany me on an impromptu trip to the park this afternoon, it only seemed fair to treat her (okay, and me) to a dinner of her choice. Smoky chicken, green beans, potato salad. She said something about going birding late every day… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: lake parker park, osprey, snail kite, snowy egret, white ibis, wood stork

Birding to infinity – and beyond (III)

(Header Image: Shorebirds At Dusk) There are some occasions when birding becomes secondary. (GASP!!) This was one of those times. The birds were numerous, it was exciting to see species we don’t normally encounter at our inland home turf, observing feeding behavior was fascinating – it was a birders dream day. The mid-afternoon sun was warm and the breeze from the Atlantic Ocean was gentle and kept the air refreshed and comfortable…. Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: american avocet, black skimmer, dunlin, glossy ibis, great egret, horseshoe crab, least sandiper, lesser yellowlegs, merritt island nwr, northern harrier, ring-billed gull, sanderling, semipalmated sandpiper, snowy egret, sunset, western sandpiper

“So Maybe I’ll See You There”

(Header image: American White Pelicans) Sunrise will happen in about 45 minutes. I’m on the way to a spot where there have been reports of a couple of uncommon winter migratory waterfowl. As darkness gives way to the early morning light, I approach the target area and search for a place to park. I have calculated where the sun will rise in order to have it behind me as I hope for… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: american white pelican, brown pelican, bufflehead, downtown, great blue heron, lake morton, lakeland, lesser scaup, limpkin, mallard, mute swan, northern shoveler, ring-necked duck, ruddy duck, snowy egret, tricolored heron, wood duck, wood stork

Among The birds – III

Stepping into the warm water of Tampa Bay, a school of mullet moved ahead of me as though it was one large organism. Occasionally one would jump and smack the water’s surface and I would once again wish for proficiency in the art of throwing a cast net. A much larger splash behind me turned out to be a Brown Pelican crashing onto a school of sardines. The East Beach turnaround is… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: black skimmer, black-bellied plover, brown pelican, common tern, double-crested cormorant, eastern wood-pewee, fort de soto park, great egret, gulf of mexico, least sandpiper, reddish egret, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, semipalmated plover, short-billed dowitcher, snowy egret, wilson's plover, yellow-throated warbler

“Take Two Warblers And Call Me In The Morning”

Eight minutes. “Would it be okay if I go to the park in the morning?” “You know you don’t have to ask. Of course it would be okay.” “It’s just that I have this headache.” “You? Have a headache? That’s unusual!” “I think it’s a migration headache.” “Oh. C’mon, let’s go to bed.” She loves my witty repartee. Birders know the symptoms of the seasons, though. Each spring and autumn scores of… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: american alligator, black-and-white warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, common gallinule, downy woodpecker, eastern bluebird, eastern wood-pewee, green heron, lake parker park, limpkin, little blue heron, mourning dove, northern parula, pileated woodpecker, prairie warbler, red-bellied woodpecker, snowy egret, tricolored heron, white-eyed vireo, white-winged dove, yellow warbler, yellow-throated warbler

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