Monday, September 8, 2008

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Red-tailed hawk

This guy was a little elusive and hard to identify... I believe it's a red-tailed hawk?

Great Blue Heron






Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Water-logged Barred Owl

It was quite rainy out when we spotted this owl - I think rain may have contributed to the owl's silly feathers... like he got a bad haircut! I believe this is a barred owl because of his bright yellow beak and large round eyes, but I could be wrong! - if I am wrong, please send me a message!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008

More Black-bellied Whistling Ducks!





I just can't get enough of these ducks! This was the second time I saw them in a week - but also the 2nd time I had seen them in my life! So I would say Tropical Storm Fay brought some luck my way by dropping these amazing birds off in South Florida.

Black-Crowned Night Heron



Black-crowned night herons typically feed at night and stay in trees during the day, so I felt especially lucky to see this heron on a very sunny Saturday morning right in the middle of Green Cay wetlands.

Red-bellied Woodpecker



Friday, August 22, 2008

Wood Stork


Wood Storks aren't necessarily the most attractive birds, but they're still a big part of Florida's bird population!

Mottled Ducks


Mottled ducks are relatives of Mallard ducks, but are in danger of being displaced by Mallards due to hybridization. They are beautiful birds with a distinctive greenish-blue patch at the back of the wings.

Limpkin



Limpkins are sometimes mistaken for immature ibis because of their brown coloring - really, they are more similarly related to cranes! They feed on small aquatic animals mostly, and love apple snails.

Anhingas




I saw the baby anhingas in late February - they were growing quickly and seemed to always look for food from mom. As for the adults, they don't seem too camera shy! I walked right up to one, who was kind enough to let me take its picture.

Red-winged blackbirds



Red-winged blackbirds love to sing and have beautiful voices!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Burrowing owl


How could you not love a burrowing owl?

The happy family

A lovely bunch of Common Gallinules. The chicks are about 1-2 weeks old!

Purple Gallinule




Immature Tricolor Herons



Tricolor herons, or Louisiana herons, are similar in size to Little Blue Herons, but have distinctive white, blue and red colors.

Happy little Gallinules






Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Roseate Spoonbill




Black-bellied Whistling Ducks




I couldn't believe my luck when I saw this mother and duckling at Green Cay wetlands. It was a few hours before Tropical Storm Fay blew into town - despite the rain, I was able to take some photos of the rather elusive Black-bellied Whistling Ducks!