Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Florida Trip Wrap Up

Screech Owl
What a fantastic trip!  I was able to enjoy my sister's company for the first 10 days. Then I was the guest of friends, Don & Deb for 4 days.  I loved stayed them and they made sure I got to see most of the birds on my list in their area plus I got a life bird ~ Burrowing Owl on a trip over to Marco Island and life butterfly ~ Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak in their yard.  They took me down into the Everglades which was also a first for me.  Just awesome and I thank them from the bottom of my heart!!  You guys rock even though we never did get into the pool.  Then I was off for another week by myself traveling more of the state and revisiting some areas.  I ended up seeing a total of 107 species of birds with 5 of them life birds.  I saw 20 plus species of butterflies with 4 lifers.  Add in alligators, turtles, tortoises, manatees, dolphins, lizards and more which makes for just a photographers delight.  My arms were really tired on March 24th when at Merritt Island, FL I could barely hold the camera up anymore to do flight shots of the birds.  My pictures are on the preceding pages with identification of the amazing nature found in FL.  Enjoy them.

Great Egret Preening
screech


Friday, March 25, 2016

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Merritt Island NWR, FL

Thistle
Twin-spotted Skipper ~ Life Butterfly

Marbled Goodwits

White Pelicans

Tricolored Heron

Roseate Spoonbill feeding

Thistle



Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Lakeland, FL ~ Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area

Common Buckeye
Juvenal's Duskywing (female)

Zebra Swallowtail Laying eggs on PawPaw

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Bachman's Sparrow ~ Life Bird #383

Bachman's Sparrow ~ Life Bird #383

Orlando, FL ~ Gatorland


Swallow-tailed Kite 

Great Egret feeding chick


Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk

Snowy Egret nest building

And American Alligators!




Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Wellington, FL ~ Peaceful Waters Sanctuary


Sunrise

Dowitchers
Glossy Ibis

Common Gallinule


Sandhill Crane and colt

Boat-tailed Grackles 




Monday, March 21, 2016

FL ~ Driving along FL's roadways

Cattle Egret

Great Blue Heron with snake

Tricolored Heron

White Ibis

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Marco Island ~ Burrowing Owls ~ Life Bird #382

Burrowing Owls 


                       And 2 more Burrowing Owls 


Gopher Tortoise

Gopher Tortoise hiding in burrow

Friday, March 18, 2016

Picayune State Forest, FL

Red-shouldered Hawk

Vultures as far as the eye could see!

and more

and only one we saw with a tag

Black Vulture