Florida Gulf Coast Creations

Tag: Crested Caracara

Hurricane Update
It has been an active hurricane season with 3 storms affecting us since early August. Hurricane Debby kicked things off with incredible rain. Despite making landfall in the big bend region as only a category 1 storm, our area received over 15 inches which caused a lot of flooding. In fact, several streets in our subdivision were impassible for a couple of days. That had never happened before. Next up in late September was hurricane Helene which again made landfall in the big bend region but as a category 4 storm. The storm surges from Helene devastated our coastal areas. There were piles of sand on Anna Maria Island that reminded me of the snow piles from Midwest winter storms. Helene went on to destroy many areas in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. We experienced moderately strong winds, but since we are about 15 miles from the beaches, we didn’t encounter any of the surge, and our rainfall was only about half of that with hurricane Debby. Just 2 weeks later hurricane Milton came ashore in Sarasota as a strong category 3 storm. It was a direct hit for our area and was definitely the most powerful storm we have faced since moving to Florida almost 10 years ago. There was significant damage and loss of power in the area. Despite the intensity of the storm, we came through in pretty good shape. There were lots of branches and leaves to clean up and a couple of smaller trees that needed to be straightened and staked. Several tiles from our roof were blown off. There was a lot of dirt and mulch that needed to be cleaned from the lanai, but no screen damage. We were more fortunate than many others.
Our Back Yard the Morning After Hurricane Milton
Last week after getting things cleaned up from the storm, my good friend Art and I visited the Sebring area again. I’ve written about the area several times in the past. It was amazing to see debris piles as far as 50 miles inland. Unfortunately, our citrus crop may take yet another hit this year. We saw several groves with oranges all over the ground after being blown off by the strong winds.
I have added a few more shots from the day in the following galleries:
October 28, 2024
Sebring
Last week right before hurricane Helene decided to wreak havoc on our area, my friend Art and I took a ride over by Sebring. It’s an area that we like to visit because of the diverse landscape. Most of the region is comprised of large farms with citrus groves, and a lot of cattle ranches. But there are also roads that go through hardwood forests and swamps. We typically find a wide variety of wildlife. It seems like every trip provides some kind of pleasant surprise.
On this day we found almost 60 different species of birds. During his last trip to Sebring, Art came across a family of endangered Florida Scrub Jays. We hoped that they hadn’t moved on to a different area. Fortunately, they were still there. I’ve posted about scrub jays in the past if you would like to read more. They are amiable and curious birds that will often come to calls.
Florida Scrub Jay Hopping Around in a Magnolia Tree
One of our nice surprises of the day happened early in our trip. We came across a beautiful red-headed woodpecker that was picking bugs off a fence post. We usually find them up in the trees but rarely down low. This bird would fly back and forth from the post to a large pine tree, and it gave us some nice poses.
Red-headed Woodpecker Perched on a Fence Post
Agricultural land is often a good place to find crested caracaras. This trip was no exception. We saw several. But the best action happened when we spotted two sitting on top of a tall utility pole. They stayed for a few minutes then flew off, but quickly returned. It gave us a chance to get some good flight pictures. Caracaras seem to be more trusting of people than other birds of prey. Maybe because they are scavengers and are often around farm workers and machinery.
Crested Caracara Lands on Top of a Telephone Pole
There were meadowlarks everywhere on this trip. We saw dozens of them. Their distinctive calls seemed endless. After reviewing photos, there were several juveniles so it must have been a good nesting season. The early morning sun really highlighted their bright yellow breasts and provided for some good photos.
Juvenile Eastern Meadowlark Perched on Top of a Weed
Finally, a trip to this area wouldn’t be complete without an encounter with some owls. There is a spot we found a couple of years ago that we know is home to some barred owls. Certain times of the year they will respond to a call. On this day, a pair came to check out our call. While one of the owls stayed hidden among the palm fronds, the other perched on an outer frond to see what to see what the noise was about. It stayed for several minutes and gave us some good photo opportunities.
Barred Owl Resting on a Palm Frond
Other birds we saw were many sandhill cranes, egrets, herons, wild turkeys, hawks, and even a bald eagle. It was a good day. A few more pictures from the trip are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, please visit the galleries listed.
October 3, 2024
Highlands County
There is a great park located near Sebring, FL called Highlands Hammock State Park. The topography of the park is like a lot of areas across Florida with a very diversified landscape. At the far back of the park is a flooded swamp with a large tree canopy. It has a jungle feel. In the middle area of the park, the terrain transitions to an upland forest with huge live oak trees. There is a very nice campground and recreation area here along with several walking trails.
Our favorite place in the park is called the primitive area. It is a large open area dotted with tall pines and scrub oak brush. There is a dirt road that winds through so we can drive and watch and listen. That’s a nice feature in the summer with temperatures in the mid-90s.
Although summer isn’t the best time to visit the park, there are certain bird species that are present in larger numbers. Those would include red-headed woodpeckers, Northern flickers, Florida scrub jays, Eastern towhees, bobwhite quail, and great-horned owls. On this day, we saw or heard 37 different species along with several whitetail deer. Our best photo opportunity was with a male great-horned owl who posed for us for several minutes.
Great Horned Owl Watching from a Pine Branch
The drive over to Highlands Hammock takes us through mostly agricultural and pastureland. There are many fields of crops like citrus, tomatoes, and blueberries along with plenty of cattle. These areas also offer chances to see crested caracaras, bald eagles, wild turkeys, and lots of egrets, herons, and sandhill cranes. There is a citrus grove just a few miles from the park that is home to a family of crested caracaras. We usually see one of the family members every time we go to the park. This day was no different as one of the adults stood watch on top of an orange tree for a few minutes.
Crested Caracara Sitting on Top of an Orange Tree
For more information about Highlands Hammock State Park, check out the link below.
- https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/highlands-hammock-state-park
August 25, 2023
Sebring Area
Sebring, Florida is known for its famous Sebring Raceway and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Racers from all around the world just descended on the small city of 10,000 people to drive in the annual event. The race is part of the prestigious IMSA sports car series.
Sebring is surrounded by thousands of acres of agricultural land including citrus groves, blueberry farms and cattle pastures. It’s a great area to see many different species of wildlife, especially crested caracaras.
Orange Tree With New Blossoms and Fruit From the Last Crop
On a recent visit we enjoyed the fragrant blossoms of citrus trees that were flowering with oranges still on the stems. And we were also successful in finding caracaras. One juvenile bird stayed within 30 feet of us as he tried to figure out how to carry away an armadillo carcass. He finally gave up and flew off but not before giving some nice photo opportunities.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Crested Caracaras
May 29, 2022
Heading Toward Fall
Summer is beginning to wind down for many, including wildlife. It seems in Florida that summer is the time to catch up with things like editing and organizing photos and finishing projects that need to be done around the house. While summer is generally quieter for wildlife photography, there are species that we only see from March to August.
The swallow-tail kite is a magnificent bird that migrates from South America in the spring to breed in Florida. Their diet consists mostly of insects although they also eat lizards and small snakes. They are about the same size as a red-tailed hawk but what makes them so spectacular is their flying skill. They can capture dragonflies out of the air. I was fortunate to witness one take a dragonfly off the tip of a bush in our back yard. I noticed movement in the air and when I looked, the kite had swooped down and picked off the dragonfly and slapped the top of the shrub with its tail just a few feet from where I was standing. Of course, my camera was INSIDE the house. Aargh!! Yet another missed opportunity. Sadly, they are leaving the area now ahead of hurricane season.
Other birds that are non-migratory are often more visible during the summer months because of breeding activity. Sometimes we see odd behaviors and unusual sights like a bobwhite quail singing from a pine tree.
Bobwhite Quail Singing in a Pine Tree
All species of birds of prey nest at different times of the year. Eagles start in late fall / early winter and are followed by owls and hawks that typically nest in early spring. In late spring the ospreys breed while summer is the time for kestrels, kites and caracaras.
The good news is that we’re heading toward the best time of the year for birding in Florida. The fall migration is near. Many birds will be arriving for the winter while others will be stopping over on their way further south. From October through April, the state transforms into a sanctuary for so many different species.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
August 20, 2021
Crested Caracaras
It’s always a thrill to see a Crested Caracara. They are a Federally designated threatened species so sightings are not real common. Caracaras are usually only found in parts of Florida, Texas and Arizona in the United States. Their range is mainly in Mexico, Cuba and Central America.
They feed on dead animals like vultures but will also eat insects, frogs, snakes and other small birds. When they’re not scavenging, they like to sit on fence posts or in tall trees. Their vision and sense of smell are amazing. They are normally not real wary so if you do find them at a reasonably close distance, getting a good photo is possible.
Crested Caracara Pauses in a Pasture
Recently we were fortunate to come across two perched atop utility poles in a pasture in rural Sarasota County. When we stopped to watch, one cooperated by flying towards us and landing in the field. It walked around the field for several minutes searching for a small animal or likely a nest of meadowlark eggs. A few minutes later the other spotted something and flew and landed 20 feet in front of me. It found a dead meadowlark. It eventually picked up the carcass and flew off to join the other caracara.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Crested Caracaras
May 6, 2021

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