Stilt Sandpiper

After heavy rains you can almost always count on a few sandpipers to show up. I wasn’t disappointed with this beautiful Stilt as he dipped in the puddles.

Green Heron

This last week we have seen near record rainfall in the Tampa Bay area. As a result many nocturnal birds are feeding with their daytime friends. This Green Heron is alert and ready for action.  With a dark-rich reflection this photo might pass for a watercolor.

Swallow-tail Kite Videos

Red-Shoulderd Hawk

This hawk usually hunts from a perch, as this picture shows. In Florida and California these birds are a permanent resident.

.

Great-Horned Owl

These long summer days gives an owl plenty of rest.

Double-crested Cormorant

This dark, long-bodied diving bird floats low in the water with its thin neck and bill raised; perches upright near water with wings half-spread to dry. The Double-crested (which rarely looks noticeably crested in the field) is the most generally distributed cormorant in North America, and the only one likely to be seen inland in most areas. In some regions, wildlife management agencies have culled some nesting populations because of concerns that they birds would crowd out other colonial waterbirds. The largest colony in North America is found on the Columbia River estuary in Washington State at 15,000 nesting pairs.

Wood Duck

Florida is home to both year-round (resident) and migratory wood ducks. FWC personnel maintain wood duck nest boxes on public waters throughout the state and also cooperate with private citizens, government agencies, and groups such as local Ducks Unlimited chapters and Boy Scout troops to maintain and erect boxes.  Information is available on how to build a wood duck nest box.

   http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/waterfowl/wood-ducks/

Blue Crane

Blue Cranes, the national bird of South Africa, are endemic (only found in a certain region) to southern Africa, with more than 99% of the population occurring within South Africa. The Blue Crane is the national bird of South Africa where 20,000 birds reside. A small disjunct breeding population of approximately 60 individuals exists in northern Namibia, in and around Etosha Pan.                                        https://www.savingcranes.org/blue-crane.

Rosette Spoonbill

These Spoonies have something to say.

Great Horned Owls

Ma and Pa close by to keep an eye on the twins.

Check us out, we look just like Spanish moss !!