It’s been a while since the last post. And there has been a lot happening. I’ll break out the specifics in separate posts, but I wanted to report that the migration is in full force. We have been seeing numerous visitors for several weeks including many species of ducks. The robins have been everywhere. Some of the migrants have continued south and will return in the spring. Like the snowbirds, others will stay here usually until March before heading back north.
Townsend’s Warbler Climbing an Oak Tree
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
The landfill is always a good place to capture some good photos of bald eagles. The days after a holiday are even better as all the scraps from those big meals eventually find their way to the landfill and the birds have their feast. In addition to the eagles, there are vultures, crows, and countless gulls.
Large Flock of Seagulls in Flight
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
Thanks to my good friend Art Nadelman, I was able to locate a recent migrant to the area. Scissor-tailed flycatchers are found mainly in Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico. Occasionally their winter migration route to southern Central America takes them a little off course and they can end up here in Florida. They’re fun to watch as they sit along utility wires and fences waiting for insects to fly by. Then they burst into action and snag their meal.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Returning to a Perch with a Bug
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
The hooded mergansers have begun arriving for the winter. We often find them on small retention ponds around the area until February. They are typically wary but this flock of around 15 birds found a small little pond to their liking next to a very busy intersection. I seldom get an opportunity for a decent photo of a bird that is sharply backlit, but the reflections worked this time.
Female Hooded Merganser Swimming in a Pond with Backlighting
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
Bald eagles have gotten very active as the mating season has begun. This always offers some good photo opportunities. The birds are active hunting for food and nesting materials. We are fortunate to have a pair that built a nest a few years ago that is very easy to photograph.
A few pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
Last Friday we went to Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL to photograph a rufous hummingbird. They are most likely to be found in the western US. But they are appearing more frequently in other parts of the country. Their copper and green colors are striking.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
This past Friday we visited Lake Morton in Lakeland, FL. It was a great day for photos. We saw several beautiful wood ducks and mallards. There were a few ring-necked ducks that have arrived from their northern summer homes. The lake is famous for its flock of mute swans and black swans. For anyone visiting central Florida, I would highly recommend a stop at Lake Morton.
Mute Swan Swims Toward the Shore
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
On Wednesday I had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of another endangered species. The whooping crane was near extinction in the 1940s with fewer than 30 birds alive. Today there are still only about 800 of these beautiful birds remaining in North America. There have been substantial efforts to increase their population over the years, but those efforts have not been a rousing success. A group of non-migratory cranes were introduced to central Florida in the early 1990s. Those releases ended in 2004. We believe the pair of cranes that we photographed may be from the original group. A project to teach cranes to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida using ultralight aircraft began in 2001 but due to numerous failures, the program ended in 2016.
While we were observing the cranes, we witnessed an interesting event. A lone sandhill crane landed next to the pair of whooping cranes. The sandhill was definitely not welcome. The whooping cranes got very agitated and began calling loudly. But the sandhill, which we assumed to be a juvenile, continued to graze. The whooping cranes suddenly chased the sandhill with the male whooping crane grabbing a mouthful of tail feathers from the sandhill. The male cornered the sandhill at the back of the property and then walked away. The sandhill didn’t move for several minutes.
Two Whooping Cranes Warn a Sandhill Crane
The sandhill crane and whooping crane are the only 2 species of cranes in North America so to see both species in the same location was amazing. Seeing them together also revealed how much larger the whooping cranes are than the sandhill cranes.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
Last week, thanks to some help from good friend Art Nadelman, I finally got the opportunity to photograph a family of Florida Scrub Jays. The jays are only seen in specific areas of central Florida and are on the endangered species list. They are curious and friendly which makes for some fun action. Several companies and organizations are stepping up conservation efforts to maintain and enhance habitat for the birds.
Juvenile Florida Scrub Jay Watching from the Top of a Scrub OakFlorida Scrub Jay Eating an AcornFlorida Scrub Jay Eating an Acorn Heart
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
