1/13 to 1/17/2025 We were too COLD (You know, it was 50 degrees or so here) so we drove south to explore, catching a bathing Red-shouldered Hawk (who knew?) at Belle Glade, the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher being seen at Loxahatchee NWR, Burrowing Owls at Cape Coral, and 100 plus Nanday Parakeets in a feeding frenzy at the Celery Fields preserve.
1/17/2025 Circle B Bar Reserve and Merritt Island NWR, FL: A little Blue Heron (white juv. in molt) with a fish, Sandhill Crane, Purple Gallinule , Anhinga , Black-bellied Whistling-Duck , Belted Kingfisher , Black-crowned Night-Heron , Great Blue Heron , Cattle Egret bust , and Glossy Ibis . Also: Bonaparte’s Gull , White Ibis , Blue-winged Teal , Green-winged Teal , Pied-billed Grebe , Greater Yellowlegs , Wood Stork , and a Great Egret with a fish.
1/16/2025 This was a long day starting at pre-dawn for Burrowing Owls at Cape Coral, FL. We always enjoy seeing these little guys. Also in and around the area: Cooper’s Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Mourning Dove, and a Monk Parakeet flock .
1/16/2025 Celery Fields Preserve, FL : We ended the day with an amazing sight of over a hundred Nanday Parakeet individuals swarming the palms and grasses of the park. It was so cool to watch these beautiful birds zipping about!
1/16/2025 Myakka SP, FL: we also caught a Black Vulture flock feeding on a dead alligator and displaying Sandhill Crane groups in the fields nearby.
1/15/2025 Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, FL: A great place for birds and otters (see otters below)! A Purple Gallinule Study – so beautiful!
1/15/2025 Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, FL: A great place for birds and otters! We thought this was a 1st winter White-eyed Vireo but apparently it is a Bell’s Vireo (rare bird here – thanks Kyle! ), Glossy Ibis , Green Heron , Mottled Duck , Little Blue Heron , White Ibis , and Virginia Rail peeking out along with some otter pics!
1/15/2025 Loxahatchee NWR, FL: A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was being report and it was indeed there. A Limpkin was also calling nearby. Also: A cute family of four raccoons were on the boardwalk!
1/13 and 1/14/2025 Belle Glade, FL: A beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk was taking a bath while another flew by with a snake. Also: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher , Limpkin , and Tropical Kingbird. Then: A Crested Caracara , American Kestrel , an unusual sighting of a juvenile Dickcissel , Gray-headed Swamphen , a white Little Blue Heron , an osprey pair building their nest , and a Red-bellied Woodpecker . Also, a poorer image but still of interest: a half-hidden Western Kingbird .
1/13/2025 Big Talbot SP, JAX, FL: An American Avocet flock feeding at the pond! What beauties! Unfortunately, a bike rumbling by scared them away.
1/12/2025 JAX, FL: It’s always fun to catch an American Oystercatcher out in the surf. Also: Bonaparte’s Gull (always surprising how small this gull is!) , Osprey with fish , Dunlin , and Red Knot .
1/12/2025 JAX, FL: Short-billed Dowitcher , Black-bellied Plover , Bald Eagle (2 interacting), Black Skimmer flock (reacting to the eagles!), Sanderling, Forster’s Tern, Western Sandpiper , Semipalmated Plover and Wilson’s Plover .
1/5/2025 Amelia island, FL: Most of the Painted Bunting gang have gone south for the winter, but this little fellow (in all his color-mess glory) came out right in front of the camera. It looked like he was slurping dew off the leaves. Also: White Ibis (juv, ad), Northern House Wren , Gray Catbird , Great Egret , and Palm Warbler . (And of interest, a sneaky White-throated Sparrow that we do not see often on island.)
1/4/2025 Amelia Island, FL: Happy NEW YEAR 2025! The hour spent was well spent though quite chilly. A Red-bellied Woodpecker was already checking nesting holes, a Red-shouldered Hawk pair was sunning themselves and a Northern House Wren duo was scolding us for simply existing it seemed! Also: Black Vulture , Yellow-rumped Warbler , Palm Warbler , and Orange-crowned Warbler. Also of interest: Two Mallard males were trying to determine who ruled the pond. The camera could not quite catch the intense flurry at dawn. (Note the foggy breath on the calling eclipsed male. It WAS frosty!)
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