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Florida Bird of the Day

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September 16, 2021, 80° – 4 to 7 knot winds out of the SE, 3 to 5 inch chop in the bay.

Ibis flying by.
Osprey
Little Green.
Snowy
Detail of the Snowy.
Guy caught a fish.
Girl caught a redfish.

September 15, 2021, 77° – 4 to 7 knot winds out of the ESE, 3 inch chop in the bay.

Pelican flying by early in the morning.
Osprey in the mangroves.
Osprey on top of Jim’s mast.
Little Green on a dock line.
Little Green Heron fishing.
Little Green on the dock.
Male Anhinga.
Male Anhinga chcking me out.
Detail of male Anhinga.
Our juvenile Little Blue almost has all of his blue feathers!
Snowy on a dock line.
Detail of a snowy.
Snowy by the seawall.
Adult White Ibis.
Juvenile White Ibis, the Ibis is gray when young and turns white, the Little Blue starts out white then turns blue.

Back home kayaking first thing in the morning, September 13, 2021 / 79° (nice), 4 to 7 knot winds out of the ENE, 3 inch chop.

Sun coming up to a clear sky.
Willet on the oyster bar.
Ibis up in the mangroves.
Great Blue Heron.
Two Red Shouldered Hawks came by the marina! The first time I had seen them away from my back yard.
It looks like this Little Green just got out of the water!
A juvenile Little Green.
Adult Little Green.
Little Green fishing.
Little Green going after that fish!
Cormorant resting on the swim platform.
Female Mottled Duck.
Snowy fishing.
Snowy caught a tiny fish.
Intent Snowy.
Snowy on the island eating.
Snowy collecting nesting material.
Osprey behind my place.
Detail of a male Osprey (no necklace of brown feathers present).
Osprey in flight.
Osprey landing on his branch.
Boat name!

Lima, Peru, September 10, 2021 Back down at sea level. I had quite a tough time at 11,000 feet. Good to go now, 6.5 miles hiked today so far.

Getting our Covid tests done in Cusco for our upcoming flight back to the US.
Looking down from the mall cut into the cliff in Lima.
View from the restaurant in Lima where we had our meal for the day, the beautiful mall is built into the cliff!
Fun times watching the paragliders flying off the cliff.
Our pre-lunch snack – vegetarian.
My meal of salmon (sorry, it was half eaten before I thought to take a photo). The best and freshest fish I have ever eaten! It tasted like I was on the boat!
Every store, every entry into anywhere, you are met with someone taking your temperature and squirting you with something to kill germs. Some even mist you down!

Cusco, Peru, September 8, 2021 Stayed in., photos from yesterday.

One of many churches, with locked doors.
Another church.
Even the panhandlers had masks and shields.
Peruvians love their dogs.
Full dress.

Cusco, Peru, September 7, 2021 / 30° to start, 60° at noon. Mostly sunny. Only 5 miles hiked today.

In the streets of Cusco, kids bring our little baby alpaca for us to hold an pet (for a small fee). Jasmine on our trip has the ball cap.
Eileen with her alpaca.
Me with an alpaca.
Lunch/dinner was a huge slab of salmon (they call it trout here in Peru)!
Celebrating the couple on the left’s upcoming wedding!

Machu Picchu, Peru September 6, 2021 /60°, then down to 54°, rainy then partly sunny. A 13 miles hike today.

An Alpaca
Eileen made friends with him (photos on her camera) then Nicole did. The alpaca rubbed its nose over Nicole’s face.
Hotel Hacienda where we are spending two nights.
They take Covid seriously, they partitioned off the buss with plastic so everyone is in a little cubical.
To travel on the public busses and trains we had to wear two masks and the shield. This guy proposed to his future wife Melissa while we were climbing up to the ruins!
Eileen and I are ready!
When we got to the entry to Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) it started to rain.
Part way up the rain stopped and the sun illuminated the area. He got down on one knee, and said, There are 7 wonders of the world, but you Melissa make the eighth.
Eileen and I made it to the top!!
The ruins, our guide told us many things about them, he was very good.
It is amazing that so much has been preserved.
Hiking across the ruins.
Lama’s have free reign all over the site!
The view is astounding.
Down in town is a square with this display.

Cusco, Peru September 5, 2021 /60°, partly sunny.

Arriving in Cusco, Peru, with two new friends.
Eileen posing with Peruvian statues in a weaving factory.
Eileen feeding a lama.
A lama.
An alpaca.
Snowcapped mountains.

Lima, Peru Sept 3 and 4, 2021 / 65° overcast. Sprinkles off and on, breeze in open areas.

Eileen with our first guide, they are VERY strict about masks, and check our temperature every time we enter buildings, even stopping for an ice cream. They mandate TWO masks, and restrict entry if you do not have two on. We did not see a single person without a mask.
Ancient bridge over a gorge.
Sculpture in the Love Park.
Eileen and our guide at the 82 foot high ancient pyramid that covers 13 acres.
Huaca Pucllana – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little museum at the pyramid.
The pyramid was constructed of vertical bricks with mortar in top of each layer, it has withstood many earthquakes.
Ancient olive trees – they used to farm olives .
Many buildings from the 1920’s and 1930’s around plaza’s.
Ornate facades.
Ornate interiors.
Pedestrian walks. Many have face shields as well as masks, we saw one guy who had a whole body shield that extended a foot above his head.
Eileen in the atrium of an old building that is now a museum.
Inside a room in the museum where they have 20,000 books. The books are just rotting, no plans to digitize them.
Eileen in the atrium of a 300 year old building that is now a museum.
Road and sidewalks being rebuilt, not machinery, just manpower.
Eileen at the restaurant where we had dinner, the shopping center was cut into the cliff on the shore of the Pacific ocean.
Eileen had salmon, I had a Hawaiian bowl made out of a pineapple with rice, sushi, etc. in it.
A waiter with two masks and a shield.
Cliff – mall to the left was built into the cliff. Road and beach on the shore of the Pacific Ocean.
Looking down on the beach, surfers use the waves and hang gliders use the cliffs for sport.

Wednesday Sept 1, 2021 / One and a half inches of rain this morning, overcast, winds calm, sun came out at 9:30!

Photo I took over at the beach in 2017 of a Royal Tern bringing in food for his young.
Photo I took over at the beach in 2017 of a Ruddy Turnstone.
Photo I took over at the beach in 2017 of two Black Skimmers making a scrape for their eggs.
Photo I took over at the beach in 2017 of a flock of Black Skimmers.
Boat name.
Boat name.
Boat name.
Boat name?
Kay and the bananas in my back yard, I will need a ladder to get to the top ones when they ripen!

Monday (Moon’s Day) August 30, 2021 /80°, sunny, waves 5 to 7 inches, wind 4 knots with gusts to 10 knots from the SE.

Dawn
Fishermen out at dawn.
Pelican in mangroves by my place.
Anhinga also by my place, I do not know the significance of the feathers on her back being raised, maybe just drying them.
Mottled ducks, females have the darker beaks.
Black Back Gull (reminder: there in no such thing as a “sea gull” they all have their own names).
Osprey surveying his domain (females have brown feathers in a “v” on their chest).
Snowy with his neck folded down.
Snowy with his neck extended (but not all the way).
Little Green with his neck folded in.
Little Green starting to extend his neck.
Little Green striking at a fish.
The strike by the Little Green is very fast, and he usually gets his fish.
Squirrel out on a boat.
Nose and head of a manatee heading north (to the right in this photo) in the fairway with its mate.
The tail of a large manatee.

Sunday (day of the Sun) August 29, 2021 / 80°, partly cloudy, waves 4 to 6 inches (bouncy), wind 4 to 7 knots.

Adult Little Blue, I had not seen him in a while.
Black back Gull.
Male Mottled Duck.
Female Anhinga resting.
Male Anhinga drying his wings.
Willet
Snowy fishing…there were four Snowy that were together in front of me!
Snowy on the wing.
Snowy doing his swan impression.
Snowy preening.
Snowy with an itch.
Osprey, all wet and drying off.
Osprey fishing.

Saturday (Saturn’s day) August 28, 2021 / 80°, cloudy, haze, waves 4 inches (bouncy), wind 4 to 7 knots with gusts to 10 knots.

Snowy fishing.
Snowy caught a fish.
Snowy and his fish for breakfast.
Snowy showing his plumes.
Snowy trying for another fish.
Success, Snowy got another fish.
Juvenile Little Green Heron.
Adult Little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron on alert, head up.
Black Backed Gull.
Anhinga in the mangroves drying her wings.
Anhinga in the mangroves early morning.
Willet on Allan’s dock.
Willet detail.
Osprey on the wing.
Cormorant watching fishermen, hoping they will throw him something for a snack.
Egret flying by.

Friday : (Frigg’s Day.) August 27, 2021 / 80° clouds obstructing the sun at first, waves 1 inch, 4 to 7 knot breeze.

Little Green fishing!
Barely hanging on by his toes.
And the Little Green caught a fish
Then the little Green lost the fish and grabbed for it again.
Back on the perch and ready to try again.
.Juvenile Little Blue
A White Ibis with a snack.
White Ibis preening. (Making believe that he is a swan)
Black Backed Gull
A pair of Mottled Ducks in the sunrise.
Some of the 16 Mottled Ducks present.
Closeup of a male Mottled Duck.
The resident Yellow Crowned Night Heron got himself breakfast again this morning.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron with a crab.
The Yellow Crowned Night Heron gets the claws off of the crab.
The Yellow Crowned Night Heron is ready to swallow the crab
The Yellow Crowned Night Heron then goes to rest and digest his breakfast.
Closeup of another Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
A willet going deep!
A Snowy posing on the seawall (waiting for someone to feed him).
Closeup of an Osprey.
Osprey in the mangroves
Another Osprey on the island.
Tricolor doing the Little Green trick of fishing from the dock lines. He is many times the size of the Little Green!!
Tricolor poised, ready for a fish to come by.
In a flash the Tricolor catches a fish.
Close-up of the Tricolor.
Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron.
Pelican cruising by.
The Kingfisher! I had seen him a couple of times, but he was gone before I could get a shot. The Kingfisher was not here long, a Red Shouldered Hawk that lives behind me flew out and chased him away!



Woden’s Day. (Wednesday) August 25, 2021 / 80° mostly cloudy, waves 4 inch, 7 knot breeze

Cloudy day makes for some fuzzy photos.
Male Anhinga.
Female Anhinga.
Little Green Heron, you can see some of his feather are green.
Little Green Heron reaching for a fish.
The Little Green fell in and is trying to get back up, he got his fish though!
Little Green Heron with his breakfast.
The Little Green can really reach high!
This Little Green was annoyed at a Snowy nearby.
Juvenile Little Blue slowly getting all of his blue feathers.
White Ibis with breakfast.
Black Backed Gull.
Mottled Duck in a flotilla.
Male Mottled Ducks.
Early morning Doves on the oyster bar.
Male Anhinga.
Male Anhinga.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron. with a crab for breakfast.
Crab for breakfast.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Crab is trying to hold on.
Down the hatch it goes!
Willet on the oyster bar.
Snowy
Oyster Catcher with clam he opened for his breakfast.
Oyster Catcher.
Osprey watching me.
Osprey ready to launch.
Osprey on the wing.
Dolphin
Boat name.
C (Sea) drive.
My banana tree.

Sun Day August 22, 2021 / 84° sunny, water flat, 1/2 knot breeze.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Pelican flying by.
Willet searching for breakfast.
Ibis found a crab for breakfast.
Cormorant with his blue eye watching.
Great Blue Heron.
Little Green with his fish.
Little Green balancing on the dock line checking me out.
Neck extending! Little Green
And he gets a long fish.
A couple of female Mottled Ducks.
Egret
Egret shaking its feathers out.
Juvenile Black Backed Gull.
Male Anhinga in the mangroves.
Female Anhinga on the boat lift.
Juvenile Little Blue on the same branch as the Anhinga!
Osprey
Osprey watching me.
Osprey getting ready to launch.
Dorsal fin of a mullet.
Thunderstorm building to the west.

Saturn’s Day (Saturday) August 21, 2021 /84° sunny water a mirror, no wind.

Cormorant
Egret doing a dance.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Yellow Crowned Night Heron with a long plume.
Two males and a female (left) Mottled Duck.
Male Mottled Duck
White Ibis up in the mangroves.
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green with breakfast fish.
Black Backed Gull
Female Anhinga.
Tricolor – he is white under the gray back!
Tricolor
Snowy posing.
Snowy posing as the hero of the movie Titanic.
Detail of the Snowy.
A new juvenile Little Blue.
Detail of the juvenile Little Blue Heron.

Frigg’s Day (Norse God) (Friday) August 20, 2021 / 83° sunny, water mirror smooth, 0 wind.

Two Ibis in the mangroves.
Osprey, king of the area.
Two male and four female Mottled Duck.
Little Green
Snowy trying to catch his balance!
Snowy nest building time.
Female Anhinga.
Juvenile male Anhinga wet – drying.
Great Blue
Great Blue flying by.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Yellow Crowned in mangroves.
The water was like a mirror.
Dolphin
Dorsal fin of second dolphin.
Tiny mussels, these guys appear in massive numbers and blind the desalination plants.

Thor’s day (Thursday) August 19, 2021/ 81° sunny, water flat, 1 knot breeze.

Great Blue Heron
Snowy
Cormorant
Little Green Heron
Juvenile Little Blue Heron
Osprey
Anhinga upset with me.
Allan’s photo of dolphins.

Woden’s day (Wednesday) August 18, 2021 / 80° sunny, water just ripples, 1 knot wind out of SE. I dumped my kayak and submerged camera #2, I went back and got old camera #1 but lens had water inside the protective lens which made low light impossible and normal light photos look soft. Oven baked camera #2 and removed protective lens, now all back to normal. Thank goodness for the robustness of these old Nikon cameras and lenses!

Image of Osprey, blurred due to lend having been submerged and protective lens had water on it inside.
Water on lens makes this Great Blue softer.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Juvenile Little Blue.
Water inside lens makes this Snowy fuzzy!
Little Green Heron.
Photo after taking the protective lens was taken off, lens still works (photo of milkweed and wasp).
Photo after baking camera #2 at 170° for an hour. It works again. (Duranta Sapphire Showers)

Sun day August 15, 2021 / 80° partly sunny, water 5 to 6 inch waves, 7 to 11 knot wind out of the East in the bay.

Sun came out, but soon it became overcast.
Female Osprey
Interesting wake!
A dolphin chasing fish for breakfast!
That dolphin throws quite a wake!
A Snowy fishing.
Little Green fishing.
Spotted Sandpiper.
Anhinga.
Stern of a boat.
Another boat.
Elvis and Vegas welcoming me.

Saturday August 14, 2021 / 79° partly sunny, water 1 to 2 inch waves, 4 to 7 knot wind out of the East.

Beautiful morning.
Osprey taking off.
Fishermen caught two Tarpon at the same time!
Great Egret flying by.
Cormorant on the wing.
Three Cormorants were waiting for a handout.
Anhinga on a dock.
Anhinga in the mangroves.
Female Anhinga on a branch.
Great Blue Heron on the roof.
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Black-backed Gull
A Hawk was disturbing this Snowy! The Hawk flew away when I approached.
Snowy on a rail.
Snowy on a roof.
Juvenile Little Blue on the oyster bed.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bed.
Willet on the oyster bed.
Osprey

Friday August 13, 2021 /80° partly sunny, water flat and no wind to start, water 2 inch waves, 5 knot breeze out of the N on return.

A Tricolor, I have only seen two in the past six months!
An Ibis on the oyster bar.
Osprey up in the mangroves.
Egret on the swim platform of a boat.
Little Green fishing.
Snowy Egret fishing.
Pelican coming in for a landing.
Detail of a Great Blue Heron.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron
Dove on the oyster bar.
Willet on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.

August 12, 2021 / 79° sunny, water flat and no wind to start, water 2 inch waves, 5 knot breeze out of the E on return.

Great Blue Heron beside my path before dawn.
Sun just about to come up.
Willett on the oyster bar.
Female Anhinga.
Mother and three juvenile Mottled Ducks.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green balancing on one foot.
Little Green preening.
Quite the scene – Little Green Heron.
Little Green back to fishing.
Going fishing (Little Green)
Got a little fish.
Snowy on piling.
Detail of Snowy.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.

August 11, 2021 / 80° sunny, water 2 inch waves, 5 knot breeze out of the SE.

Dawn.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron in shallows by my townhouse.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar.
Juvenile Little Blue.
Detail of Juvenile Little Blue.
Female Anhinga.
Great Blue Heron,
Flock of 12 Mottled Ducks.
Little Green Heron.
Laughing Gull.
Boat name: Scalpel, skull, spine and anchor!
Willet on the oyster bar.
Snowy on oyster bar.
Snowy on the edge of the mangroves.
Osprey high up in mangroves on the island.
Osprey
Osprey preening.

August 10, 2021 / 82° sunny, water flat, 1 knot breeze in sheltered areas, 4 knot breeze out of the SE in open areas.

Sunrise.
White Ibis
White Ibis on the oyster bar.
Great Blue – I interrupted his sleep I think.
Mottled Duck.
Black Crowned Night Heron in the mangrove roots.
Black Crowned Night Heron hiding.
Female Anhinga early in the morning.
Anhinga preening.
Female Anhinga preening.
Male Anhinga drying his wings.
Male Anhinga.
Male Anhinga drying his wings.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron
Little Green Heron fishing.
The Little Green Heron walks bowlegged along the dock line to keep his balance.
Little Green Heron on the dock line.
Willet on the oyster bar.
Female Little Blue
Male Little Blue
Little Blue on the wing.
Juvenile Little Blue, he flew with his parents.

August 9, 2021 / 82° sunny, water flat, 1 knot breeze.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Yellow Crowned on the oyster bar.
Pelican in the mangroves.
White Ibis on the oyster bar.
Juvenile Little Blue on the oyster bar.
Great Blue with Millard Ducks.
Boat names.
Cormorants have a hooked bill ad blue eyes!
Little Green.
Little Green
Juvenile Little Blue Heron – check out his baby feathers sticking out from the top of his head!
Gull
Willet searching for food.
Willet with a snail for breakfast.
Snowy landing on a dock line.
Snowy by the seawall.
Osprey up on the mangroves.

August 8, 2021 / 82° sunny, water mirror, about 1 knot breeze.

Dawn
Me taking photos of the Great Blue Heron.
My photo of the great Blue Heron from above.
Kay and I found a sick Cormorant and tried to capture him, he escaped to the interior of the island where we could not go.
The sick Cormorant is the far one, a healthy one was there to provide support I think.
The sick Cormorant was thrashing about.
The healthy Cormorant swam away when we came over to help.
The water was like a mirror this morning.
Mother Duck and her brood.
Ibis on the oyster bar.
Willet on the oyster bar.
Juvenile on the oyster bar.
Little Green Heron on the dock line fishing.
Another Little Green Heron.
Snowy on the seawall catching crustaceans.
Detail of the Sunny.
Osprey on top of the mast.
Osprey in the mangroves.
Anhinga panting as if it were hot.
Anhinga preening.
Kay working her magic on her phone.
Manatee, later on he came up behind me and splash, he was gone.

August 7, 2021 / 82° sunny, water flat 1 knot breeze.

Dawn, bright and clear sky to the East.
White Ibis on the oyster bar.
Female Mottled Duck.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green getting ready.
And stretch! It is amazing how the Little Green can fold up their neck, then extend it!
Another streeaattcch!
This time the Little Green was disturbed by another Little Green flying nearby.
Little Green saying “What are you looking at?”
A strike by the Little Green.
And the reward, a fish for breakfast.
Close up of the Little Green Heron.
The Snowy posing.
Detail of the Snowy.
Anhinga hiding in the mangroves.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the mangroves.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron preening under his wing.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron lowering his wing a bit.
Back to normal.
An otter!!
Two more otters checking me out! First time I have seen them in Florida!
The ottors were quite curious, but did not come close.

August 2, 2021 /87° sunny. 5 to 7 knot breeze and 2 inch chop.

Osprey first thing.
Pelican watching.
Cormorant fishing.
Cormorant taking off.
Anhinga drying its wings. A second later a Hawk attacked but the Anhinga got away by diving down and into the water. A scary moment!
The Red Shouldered Hawk that attacked the Anhinga.
Snowy ready to strike.
Snowy posing, standing on a water hose which feeds the sailboat.
Snowy preening under his wing.
Snowy shaking after preening.
Catching a fish.
And the resulting fish.
Another strike by the Snowy.
Detail of the Snowy strike.
And the Snowy gets another fish.
Two Ibis up in the mangroves.
Female Mottled Duck.
OK, now we have a Little Green Heron when he gets annoyed? Anyone remember Bill the cat in Bloom County?
I do not know what got him so excited!
The usual view of the Little Green Heron.
Or maybe this view of the Little Green!
Little Green Heron fishing.
An amazing neck on the Little Green!
Little Green preening.
Close -up of a mature Little Green Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron preening.
Juvenile Little Blue hiding in the mangroves.
A thunderstorm brewing.
My banana tree just bloomed for the first time, 100 bananas coming later!

August 1, 2021 /86° sunny. 5 to 7 knot breeze and 3 inch chop.

Ibis in the mangroves.
Pelican just swallowed his catch.
Pelican in flight, osprey is sleeping on the top of the mast behind him.
Osprey asleep on the mast.
I woke the osprey up, many birds let their wings down as they sleep.
Snowy prepared to strike for breakfast.
Snowy balancing.
Snowy striking.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green striking at a fish.
Little Green missed that time.
Little green poised to strike.
Little Green.
Stretching out to catch a fish.
In this photo you can see how the Little Green folds his neck!
A parade of Ducks.
Laughing Gull
Spotted Sandpiper.
Spotted Sandpiper
Cormorant on a boat’s swim platform.
Detail of Cormorant.
Cormorant: What are you looking at?
Cormorant fishing.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron, his yellow crown has not turned yellow yet.
Detail of Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Great Blue Heron in the brush where I had cleaned up the fishing line.
Bananas just staring behind my place!

July 31, 2021 /85° sunny. 5 knot breeze and 3 inch chop.

Male Mottled Duck on a piling.
Great Blue Heron in front of a yacht.
Snowy Egret on a dock line. There were four Egrets who were driving off the Little Green Herons and not letting them fish!
Detail of the plumes on the Snowy.
Snowy angling toward a Little Green to chase him away!
Snowy on a dock line.
Snowy on the same dock line as the Little Green!
Detail of the Snowy.
Two snowy on a dock line (after chasing the Little Green’s away).
Little Green aware of the Snowy, ready to flee.
Little Green (before being chased away).
Adult Little Green.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Detail of the juvenile Little Green Heron.
Wonder of wonders, an adult Little Blue Heron, fist time in months have I seen one!
Part of the flotilla of Cormorants this morning!
Several Cormorants.
Cormorant in the mangroves.
Cormorants have blue eyes!
Osprey watching.
What are you looking at? Female Osprey.
Osprey in mangroves.
Osprey with his breakfast of a fish.
Osprey fishing.
Osprey checking me out.
Osprey on the wing.
Pelican in the mangroves.
Pelican sound asleep, his wing drooped!
Amazing, it has been 4 months since I had seen a Kingfisher, and to get a clear photo!!!!
Their black eyes do not show much.

July 30, 2021 /83° sunny. 5 knot breeze and 3 inch chop.

Cormorant in the mangroves.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Detail of the juvenile Little Blue Heron. Slowly turning blue.
Osprey overlooking his domain.
How does the Little Green Heron raise his head twice his body length? The bones and all the innards along with the skin and feathers stretches an amazing distance!!
This morning there were at least ten Little Green Herons all over the marina, all ages too! This one appears to be an older one.
An adult Little Green Heron.
A juvenile Little Green Heron, still has white feathers on his wing. He caught a fish but dropped it before he could swallow it!
This Little Green Heron has caught his breakfast.
Adult Little Green Heron fishing.
Another adult Little Blue Heron.
An older Little Green Heron.
Amazing acrobatics of the Little Green Heron.
A tall Little Green Heron.
Pelican swallowing his catch.
Pelican takes to the skies.
Pelican diving.
Flock of pelican with one Cormorant in the photo.
To the right four more Cormorant and another Pelican.
Pelican on the wing.
Very large dolphin came right up to me and passed four feet from my bow.
Dolphin right beside me, check out the water sheeting off of his dorsal fin.
Oysters squirt water in discreet droplets!
White Ibis looking for food.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the mangroves.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron with breakfast.
Close up of the large crab the Yellow Crowned Night Heron – he did get it down!
Young Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Close up of the Yellow Crowned Night Heron.

July 29, 2021 /83° sunny to the east, storm to the west, including another rainbow. Slight cool wind, water like a mirror to start, 5 knot breeze and 3 inch chop at the end.

Yellow Crown Night Heron on oyster bar.
Juvenile Cormorant in mangroves.
Juvenile Cormorant flew down beside me.
A second, third and forth Cormorant flew in beside me.
Three Cormorants, I call this “Serenity”
There were two 3/4 inch PVC pipes embedded to demarcate the oyster bar, junior is interested in this one.
Juvenile Cormorant tried to climb the pipe but slipped off.
Anhinga just coming out of the water. I will go out and remove the fishline later.
I had not seen the fishing line when I took the photos, this Anhinga could get tangled!
Female Anhinga in the mangroves on the island – no sun at that time.
Male Anhinga on a dingy hoist.
Male Anhinga
Snowy
Snowy getting ready to strike.
And the strike!
And the reward, a fish.
And another fish!!
And down the hatch.
Each little circle is where the tiny fish touch the surface of the water – plenty of food for the Snowy and the Little Green.
An Egret tried to fish from a dock line like the Snowy and the Little Green. It did not work out!!!
The Egret tried to balance, but he is way too big and tall!
The Egret’s feet and toes are way to big to grasp the line!
The Egret feels much better on a surface!
The Little Green is an acrobat!
Little Green Heron, hard to believe he has a neck that can stretch so far!
Detail of the Little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron
And down he goes again.
Detail of Little Green strike.
Another strike
Another Little Green strike detail
The reward another fish.
And another fish caught by the little Green Heron.
Mottled Ducks.
Gull
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
White Ibis.
Osprey on power pole with his fish!!
Osprey soaring.
Osprey flying with his breakfast.
Portrait of an Osprey.

July 28, 2021 /85° sunny to the east, new storm to the west, including another rainbow. Slight cool wind, water like a mirror.

Pelican taking off.
Pelican in the air.
Pelicans fishing.
Cormorants in the mangroves.
Cormorant fishing.
Cormorant in mangroves.
Pair of Cormorants.
More Cormorants.
Juvenile Cormorant.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron behind a Willett on the oyster bed.
Willett on the oyster bed.
Ibis with breakfast.
Ibis with a crustacean of some kind for breakfast.
Ibis
Great Blue Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Osprey trying to stay awake.

July 27, 2021 /82° sunny to the east, remainder of a storm to the west, including a rainbow. No wind, water like a mirror.

Rainbow to the west.
A dolphin decided to take advantage of the shallows and chased fish by my kayak!
Ibis searching on the oyster bed.
A Cormorant in the mangroves with the rainbow in the background.
Close up of the Cormorant.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, still asleep this morning.
Later in the morning the Yellow Crowned Night Heron is awake.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Osprey on the TV antennae on the mast of a sailboat.
Snowy Egret poised to grab breakfast.
Ready
Second Snowy also fishing.
Snowy.
Snowy with his reflection.
Little Green reaching for breakfast.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron
And down the Little Green strikes.
Got a fish!
Ducks
Cormorant on the island.
Female Anhinga on the island.
Female Anhinga in the mangroves.
Male Anhinga on a swim platform.
Female Anhinga on the island.

July 26, 2021 /84° sunny. No wind, water like a mirror.

Two Great Blue Herons in the mangroves.
Great Blue Heron comfortably standing on one leg. Most birds, when they are resting, will stand on one leg.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Female Cormorant.
Female Anhinga.
Ibis on the oyster bar.
Ibis with his crab for breakfast.
Snowy and Ibis on another oyster bar.
Snowy poised, getting ready to strike. Breakfast of little fish all around.
Snowy strikes.
Snowy comes up with a little fish.
Little Green Heron watching for fish to come by.
Little Green Heron on a bow pulpit with an itch.
Little Green Heron vocalizing. Again on one foot.
Use your imagination, there is a school of mullet under there!
I was not fast enough, three dolphin surfaced here.
Oyster Catcher on the oyster bar,
Willett on the oyster bar.
Pelican on the wing.
Cormorant in the mangroves.
Two Cormorants on the wing, there were six in that group flying over.
Cormorant on the wing.
Osprey with breakfast.
Osprey on the wing.
Two Osprey, the one on the left was disturbed by the one on the right flying by clutching his fish,
Osprey on the wing.

July 25, 2021 /83° sunny. Wind 0 knots, water flat.

Early in the morning Anhinga.
Ibis up in the mangroves.
Junior Night Heron (could be Yellow or Black Crowned, too young to tell).
Osprey on top of the mast, on the TV antenna, where he eats breakfast.
Kay took this photo of me and the moon!
Kay just as we started out early this morning.
Snowy Egret on a dock line.
The baby ducks have all grown up.
Little Green Heron in the mangroves.
Little Green on the bow pulpit of a boat.
Little Green preening under his wing.
Little Green Heron.
Great Blue Heron on the dock.
A little Willet on the oyster bar.
Two Cormorants on a day marker.
Two Cormorants (of the three) in the water.
Cormorants and Pelican in the mangroves.
Cormorants in the mangroves behind my place.
Two of about twenty Cormorants we saw this morning.
Pelican
A flock of Pelicans has arrived.
One of about 30 Pelicans.
Pelican
Pelicans.
Pelicans galore!

July 16, 2021 /82° sunny. Wind 3 knots, water flat.

The Osprey is saying “I am eating, don’t bother me.”
Snowy, there were no Snowy’s for a month, today there were two.
Snowy striking.
Snowy aiming for a meal.
Got him!
Little Green Heron in the mangroves.
Little Green Heron, so serious!
Black Crowned Night Heron, out of the bushes and on a piling!
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron, he was displaying when I first saw him, but immediately closed down.
A Willet on the oyster bar.
This Anhinga caught breakfast.
Anhinga with catfish at 7 AM/
I had never seen an Anhinga bring its catch ashore!
Anhinga, much of his feathers look white, but they are black, the sun is glinting off them!
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.

July 15, 2021 /80° cloudy. Wind 5 knots at start 0 knots at finish, water flat.

Seven Ducks, all in a group, close together.
Mom and three ducklings. The one on the left kept straying!
Osprey on top of a mast.
Egret flying by.
One of six Little Green Herons on dock lines.
Number two.
Number three.
Number four caught breakfast.
Talk about acrobatics! Number five reached all the way down to the water and caught this fish!!!
Number six of the Little Green Herons.
White Ibis on the oyster bar.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Female Anhinga in the mangroves.
Female Anhinga drying wings.

July 14, 2021 /80° all sunshine. Wind 4 knots at start 7 knots at finish, water flat.

Pelican, only one Pelican this morning, but one more than any day last month.
A Crow on the oyster bed, interesting that it has blue on its shoulder.
Two Willets on the oyster bed.
Willet.
A flock of Doves dropped in.
The juvenile Little Blue was there on the oyster bed.
Osprey on top of TV antennae at the top of the sailboat mast.
Osprey having his breakfast.
One of six Little Breen Herons I saw this morning. This one in the mangroves.
Another Little Green Heron.
Little Green on the railing.
Little Green on a piling.
Anhinga in the mangroves.
Anhinga drying his wings.
Female Anhinga.

July 13, 2021 /80° at start, 90° at end of run, mostly sunshine. Wind 0 knots at start 4 knots at finish, water flat.

Displaying Great Blue Heron on the oyster bar. I like to think it was a male with two females, one to either side of him, that he was displaying to!
Great Blue Heron to the left of the one displaying.
Great Blue Heron to the right of the displaying one.
Another photo of the displaying Great Blue Heron.
White Ibis on the oyster bar.
A pair of Sandpipers.
Sandpiper on the oyster bar.
Little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron on a dock line..very intently fishing.
The big stretch down to the water to catch a fish.
And he caught breakfast!
Another Little Green Heron in the mangroves.
A third Little Green Heron with a different method of fishing. He is up on a swim platform on a yacht about 2 feet above the water.
When he sees a fish, he dives right in!
Then he pops right up!!
Then raising his wings he flies back to the swim platform!
And up he comes!
And back up…ready for another try!!
A Cormorant popped up near my kayak.
The Cormorant swims quite well.
The Cormorant with breakfast!
Another Cormorant.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron at the edge of the mangroves.
Look at those plumes on this Yellow Crowned Night Heron!
A Snowy flying by.
Female Osprey on the rigging of a sailboat.
Osprey – he had been fishing, but decided to land on the oyster bar.
Osprey coming in for a landing.
Osprey on mangrove branch.
Female Anhinga in flight.
Anhinga drying its wings.

July 12, 2021 /81° , sunshine. Wind 0 knots , water flat.

Two Oyster catchers at the oyster bar again this morning.
Two Spotted Sandpiper also at the oyster bar, have not seen them in 1 1/2 months!
Great Blue Heron hiding in the mangroves.
Anhinga in the mangroves.
Female Osprey on top of a mast.
Male Osprey on the rigging.
Little Green Heron, still with his wings drooped.
Snowy by a seawall.
A juvenile Night Heron, I do not know if it is yellow crowned or black crowned yet!
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.

July 11, 2021 / 79° , mostly clouds. Wind 1 knot , water flat. No sun means teerrible photos!

Cormorant in the mangroves.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar (there were two here this morning).
Black Crowned Night Heron, fourth siting, I guess he is here to stay.
Little Green Heron – he was holding his wings out, hope he was not sick!
There were six Osprey around the area this morning!
Osprey on a mast.
Osprey on a spreader of a sailboat.
Female Osprey on the rigging of a sailboat.
Male Osprey in the mangroves.

July 10, 2021 / 78° climbed to 89° in two hours, mostly clear skies. Wind 1 knot , water flat, same as yesterday!

Great Blue Heron mimicking the Reddish Egret, the Egret uses his wings to shade the water.
Great Blue Heron
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Little Green Heron hiding in the mangroves on the island.
Another Little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron checking under his wing.
Little Green Heron watching his neighbor.
A fisherman on his platform.
Osprey standing in water which covered the oyster bar. This is the second time I have seen this.
Osprey taking off. Do they stand in water to clean their talons I wonder?
Anhinga preening.
Anhinga on a branch.
Anhinga stabbed this fish through and through for breakfast!
One of four Yellow Crowned Night Herons I photographed this morning.
Detail of the tiny crab he caught for breakfast.
Another crab.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron, check out those long plumes!
Another juvenile – his yellow crown is not yet all in.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, his eye is not as red as some!

July 9, 2021 / 78° climbed to 91° in two hours, mostly clear skies. Wind 0 , water flat.

Oyster Catchers in the early morning before the sun came over the clouds.
Great Blue Heron on the north tip of the island.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron still getting all those blue feathers in.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron preening.
Female Osprey on top of a sailboat mast.
Osprey with a fish on top of a different mast.
Osprey checking out his fish.
Osprey adjusting his breakfast.
Sign at a local dock.
Anhinga, what some people call a snake bird, and you can see why!
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, he is breathing hard to cool off.

July 6, 2021 / 78°, mostly clear skies. Wind 3 knots climbing to 7 knots out of the east in the center of the bay, 3 to 4 inch waves in the bay, flat by Allan.

Sunrise.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron, slowly turning blue.
Little Green Heron, one of six this morning…in the mangroves, south tip of island.
Little Green Heron..#2 on a dead branch on the island.
Little Green Heron ..#3 in the mangroves mid island.
Little Green Heron …#4 in the mangroves north tip of island…watching another Little Green.
Little Green #5 on a white dock line.
Little Green Heron #6 on a blue dock line.
Mullet.
Female Anhinga in the mangroves, south tip of island.
Osprey with breakfast.
Osprey eating breakfast.
Osprey finished eating.

July 5, 2021 / 80°, mostly clear skies. Wind 1 knot climbing to 2 knots in the center of the bay, the water was flat with no waves.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron hiding in the mangroves, look at those long plumes!
The Lady Pearl the 84 foot luxury yacht we went out on to watch the fireworks.
A snowy on the seawall.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron, he looks mottles until all of his blue feathers come in.
Female osprey watching for her prey.
Osprey posing for me.
Male Osprey having breakfast.
There is not much left of that fish after the Osprey has a meal.


Note: we can already see the tops of the clouds in the outer bands of Elsa!

July 4, 2021 / 80°, mostly clear skies, but clouds hid the sun. Wind 0 knots climbing to 5 knots in the center of the bay, the water was flat with 1 inch waves.

Male Mottled Duck.
Osprey on the north end of the island.
Osprey on top of the marina building.
Great Blue Heron digesting his breakfast of a large fish.
Black Crowned Night Heron on a dock!
Black Crowned Night Heron.
Cormorant on a day marker.
Cormorant preening.
Female Anhinga early in the morning.
Female Anhinga drying wings with juvenile Little Blue Heron above her.
Female Anhinga
Yellow Crowned Night Heron trying to sleep.
Younger Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the dock.
Another Yellow Crowned Night Heron asleep on a log.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Another juvenile Little Blue.
Little Blue.
Ibis in the mangroves.
It is Sunday so Kay went with me.
Kay took this of me.

July 3, 2021 / 83°, mostly cloudy with intermittent showers. Wind 4 to 11 knots, the water was rough with 4-5 inch waves.

The feet and tail of an Anhinga. He came up out of the water, climbed into the mangroves and then immediately flew off. Those are huge feet, they make him a really good swimmer.
Three Pelicans flying over.
Juvenile Little Blue hiding in the mangroves.
Juvenile Little Blue.
Detail of juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Crow harassing’s the Osprey.
Osprey just sitting on a branch minding his own business, two Crows were flying at him, screaming..
Osprey saw me coming and did not react, I kept hearing the crows screaming at him.
The crows finally got the Osprey to leave.
On the other side of the bay this Osprey was finishing his meal of a fish. He had the last portion of the fish in his beak, but could not figure out what to do with it.
The Osprey tried to grasp the remainder of the fish in his right claws, but it was too small. Finally he just dropped it into the bay.

July 2, 2021 / 80°, cloudy. Wind 0 knots, the water was smooth with no waves, like a mirror, again.

This Anhinga has adopted Allan’s dock I guess!
Osprey watching over the bay.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron sitting on the dock until a boat owner scared him off.
Very poor lighting conditions, no sun, but here is a Little Green Heron fishing.
White Ibis on a lawn.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron hiding in the mangroves.

July 1, 2021 / 78°, mostly sunny. Wind 0 knots, the water was smooth with no waves, like a mirror.

Black Crowned Night Heron, only the third time I have ever seen the Black Crowned!
Detail of Black Crowned Night Heron.
Little Green Heron on the dock.
Little Green Heron fishing.
Little Blue…getting more and more adult blue feathers in.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Female Anhinga in the mangroves.
An Anhinga – photo sent to me by Allan, thanks!
Egret waiting for prey to come by.
Egret going after that little fish (he missed).
When just two or three engines just won’t do.
What is missing from this photo? The wrecked sailboat! They came and got it yesterday! Now 8 months later Mitch can get his deck and boat back!
I was adjusting to get a better photo of an Anhinga when this juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron popped his head out!!!!
Another juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron, but this one on the oyster bar is older.
As usual, this Oyster Catcher (I will call Sleepy) was asleep on the oyster bar until his buddy squawked,
Five minutes later, Sleepy the Oyster Catcher is still asleep!
Sleepy’s mate is busy getting food.
This Oyster Catcher is working hard to pry oyster shells open to get the oysters inside.
White Ibis on a piling.
White Ibis in my path down to the water.

June 30, 2021 / 78°, mostly sunny. Wind 0 to 4 knots, the water was smooth with 1 inch waves.

Totally out of focus, an Anhinga with a huge fish (white blob) he had caught, see next photo.
Female Anhinga trying to swallow that huge fish, it is good that birds do not breathe through the same tube as they eat the way we do, this bird would suffocate, but shice they breath separately, this is no problem!
This boat has two channels cut across the entire width of the boat. This is the first time I had seen this. The boat did not have a manufacturers name on it. The light gray is the side, the dark gray is the bottom of the boat, the white is what I called a channel. Interesting.
A juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron, he was standing above what I surmised was his parent. Otherwise, since his crown feathers have not come in, I would not know whether he was yellow crowned or black crowned.
The apparent parent of the juvenile above, a Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Detail of the juvenile Night Heron showing its pin feathers.
Another Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the oysters.
Osprey on his perch.

June 29, 2021 / 80°, mostly sunny. Wind 0 to 4 knots, the water was smooth with 1 inch waves.

Tricolored Heron, first time I had seen him in three months.
Tricolored Heron on the railing.
Detail of the Tricolored Heron.
Mullet in a school.
Black Crowned Night Heron, this is the second time I have ever seen him…in the same spot no less!
Yellow Crowned Night Heron with his breakfast of crab.
Detail of the Yellow Crowned Night Heron and his crab breakfast.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron on oyster bed.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the railing in the marina.
Three Mottled Ducks.
Great Blue Heron posing.
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Female Anhinga in the mangroves.
Patriotic female Anhinga.
Closeup of female Anhinga.
Female Anhinga on a piling.
Little Green Heron on a damaged dock.
White Ibis by a seawall.
Ibis on the oyster bar.
Osprey with his huge breakfast.
Osprey with breakfast.

Photos of dolphin from Allan, from his dock

5-23-2021
6-16-2021
Saturday June 26m 2021
Sunday June 27, 2021

June 28, 2021 / 81°, mostly sunny. Wind 3 to 5 knots, the water was smooth with 1 to 2 inch waves.

Female Anhinga in the mangroves by my place. I woke her up by the click of my lens cover coming off, but she went back to sleep.
Anhinga on the dock around the corner.
Female Anhinga.
Oyster Catcher sounding the alarm that I am getting close.
Oyster Catcher with clam it will open for breakfast.
Oyster Catcher stretching.
Junior Yellow Crown Night Heron, his yellow crown is not all in and so he might be a Black Crowned Night Heron!
Great Blue Heron hanging out. Another was chased away by the Crow.
Duck on the seawall.
Another Duck below the seawall.
Mother Duck and three ducklings.
Mother and three ducklings headed for shelter.
Snowy on dock line.
I have decided to call the adult Little Blue – Huey, so this is Baby Huey.
Baby Huey on the oyster bar.
Junior Huey slowly getting his Blue feathers.
Junior Huey 2 on the powerboat.
Junior Huey 3 in the mangroves.
Egret by the seawall picking off crustaceans for breakfast.
Egret coming in for a landing.
Egret on a float.
Three Egrets on the wing.

June 27, 2021 / 81°, mostly sunny. Wind 3 to 5 knots, the water was smooth with 1 to 2 inch waves.

Ibis this morning on the oyster bed.
Ibis digging around for breakfast on the oyster bed.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the boat lift staring at me.
Juvenile Little Blue in the mangroves.
Female Anhinga up in the mangroves drying her wings.
Another female Anhinga on a piling.
Little Green on a boat lift.
Snowy – one of four on the seawall/rip-rap.
Snowy on the boat lift.
My next door neighbor Kay watching the dolphins going by. We saw tarpon rolling and mullet, both schools and individuals jumping.
Oyster Catcher with breakfast.
Male Osprey.
Osprey hovering like hummingbird, watching for a fish.
Coming out of the water with his fish.
Mostly done with eating his catch.
Over by my place, eating his catch.
Close up of Osprey eating the remainder of his fish.

June 26, 2021 / 79°, mostly sunny Wind 3 knots, the water was smooth with 1 inch wavelets..

Oyster Catcher has an oyster for breakfast.
Female anhinga flying overhead.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar with an Oyster Catcher.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron. with the wind blowing his feathers.
Female Osprey watching.
Osprey on the wing.
Little Blue Heron getting his blue feathers in, the wind is blowing his feathers on his head.
Juvenile Little Blue.
Egret preening,
Egret with his feathers rustled.
Detail of another Egret.
Snowy all rustled.
Snowy in the mangroves.

June 25, 2021 / 78°, mostly sunny Wind 2 knots, the water was smooth.

Oyster Catchers on the oyster bar. The nearer one was asleep!
Oyster Catcher posing.
Little Green Heron on the seawall.
Detail of a Little Green Heron in the mangroves. It looks like he might have polycoria eye.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, check out those long plumes!!
Great Blue Heron up in the mangroves.
Great Blue Heron wading, the water was very smooth this morning!
Anhinga up in the mangroves checking me out.
Anhinga on a piling, I surprised him coming up behind.
Osprey coming in for a landing, he has a tiny fish in his left talons!
Female Osprey on the TV antennae of a sailboat.
I do not think she knows what to do with such a tiny fish!
Little Blue Heron, his blue feathers on the wing are in, more to come.
Little Blue Heron picking the little morsels of food off of the seawall.
Little Blue Heron posing.
White Egret on the float.
Cormorant on a day marker.
Snowy on the stern of the wrecked sailboat. Luckily it is not spilling fuel any more.
I was not sure it was a snowy until I saw his yellow feet!

June 24, 2021 / 78°, mostly cloudy. Wind 1 knot, the water was smooth.

This White Ibis was standing in my path down to the water this morning
Male Anhinga drying his wings in the mangroves.
The resident Oyster Catcher was at the oyster bar this morning.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron preening.
Detail of the Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
A juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron hanging out at the oyster bar.
Look at those long plumes on this Yellow Crowned Night Heron!
Great Blue Heron on the docks, check out the feathers that are erect.
Great Blue Heron preening.
Juvenile Little Green Heron catching little crustaceans on the rip-rap.
Little Green Heron on the dock.
Egret standing on the wrecked sailboat.
Male Osprey on a branch early this morning.
Another Osprey.
The scattered brown feathers on the chest indicate a female Osprey.
A male Osprey on top of a mast.
Osprey ready to launch.
Osprey launched into the air.
Osprey on his way.
Osprey on the wing.

June 23, 2021 / 78°, mostly cloudy. Wind 3 knots, the water was smooth.

Least Tern, a very tiny bird that hovers then swoops down to catch its food.
This is what the least terns look like on a sunny day (not today). I took this a year ago,
A White Ibis standing on one foot on the sidewalk rail at the marina.
A Yellow Crowned Night Heron sitting next to the White Ibis!
A different Yellow Crowned Night Heron across the way. He has feathers in his beak from preening.
A Great Blue sitting the cockpit of a boat in the marina. He stood still to have his photo shoot.
Detail of the Great Blue Heron.
What are you doing? Great Blue Heron
Tall proud Great Blue Heron.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron. His blur feathers are coming in!
Detail of the juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Osprey. Due to his smaller size and lack of brown feathers on his chest, most likely a male.
A full shake.
Here is looking at you kid.

June 22, 2021 / 82°, mostly cloudy. Wind 8 to 10 knots out of the SSE. I took my Nikon wrapped in plastic bag – the bay was choppy with 8 to 12 inch waves breaking over my bow at times.

A yellow Crowned Night Heron back in the mangroves.
A Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the marina.
A Little Green Heron fishing.
Little Green Heron – he caught a needle fish for breakfast!
Little Green with his catch.
Great Blue Heron watching an Osprey circling.
Great Blue Heron
Yearling Little Blue Heron with blue feathers coming in..
A newcomer, a baby Little Blue Heron with no blue feathers yet!
Osprey on his perch on the mast.
Osprey on the wing fishing.

June 21, 2021 / 83°, cloudy some wind. I have not gone out due to the very cloudy weather. Today I went anyway and took my cell phone. The photos are not the same.

As I said, the photos are not the same. Juvenile Little Blue.
This one came out, “Rachel, Will You Marry Me?” is the name on the boat? I would like to know the story behind that!
This one of an Anhinga is as bad as the other, and all the rest were much worse.
I hope tomorrow it clears up, TS Claudette has hung around too long!

June 17, 2021 / 78°, cloudy, no wind, water flat. The boat captain Kevin said that they hooked four tarpon and landed two of them yesterday. I had to shorten my route due to a Dr. appointment.

Female Anhinga.
Male Anhinga.
Osprey on the spreaders of a sailboat.
A different Osprey on a different sailboat.
Another Osprey.
Snowy on the stern of the derelict sailboat. Unfortunately the sailboat is leaking fuel at high tide, right where the Snowy is fishing.
Detail of Snowy.
Pelican wheeling when he saw some fish.
And down he hurtles.
And the Pelican goes for a swim.
Slowly the Pelican emerges with his fish.

June 16, 2021 /81°, cloudy, winds 4 to 6 with gusts to 10 knots. Water choppy.

Fishermen caught a tarpon in the marina!
The tarpon that we see rolling all the time.
Photo time…the guy to the right is the boat captain…he actually was the one to catch it.
And he put the tarpon back – catch and release.
An osprey landing on the branch behind my place.
Osprey settled down.
There were two Osprey! The upper one was larger and presumably a male.
Close up of the female Osprey.
The male Osprey – “I see you”
Osprey on the rigging.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron preening.
Male Anhinga in the mangroves.
Female Anhinga watching me.
Female Anhinga preening.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron watching for a fish to come by.
Cormorant fishing.
Oyster Catcher looking for breakfast.
White Ibis standing in my path down to the water.

June 14, 2021 /80°, sun out for a few minutes, then the storm blew by.

An oyster Catcher and two Yellow Crowned Night Herons were at the oyster bar.
I got my exercise by getting out there and back before it turned black.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, when the storm hit he flew into the mangroves.
The sky was black to the south, they got rain!

June 13, 2021 / 83°. mostly sunny, winds calm, water flat at first, wind (zephyrs) of 7 knots out of the west, waves 4 inch and choppy on the east side .

Ibis in the mangroves.
Juvenile Little Blue in the mangroves.
Juvenile Little Blue with a lot of blue feathers coming in.
Osprey on the wing.
Banded Oyster Catcher on the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron early in the morning.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Juvenile Night Heron, it may be Black Crowned or Yellow Crowned, we will have to wait and see.
Juvenile Night Heron detail.

June 12, 2021 / 83°. mostly sunny, winds calm, water flat at first, wind (zephyrs) of 2 knots, waves 1 inch.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron hiding in the mangroves.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar. with the juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Little Green Heron fishing.
Little Green Heron on his perch.
Juvenile Little Green Heron.
Who you looking at?
Detail of juvenile Little Green Heron.
Something big under that water!
After having gone for 10 days, the little Snowy returned!
Snowy striking for a fish.
Snowy doing a balancing act after the strike.
Looks like he came up empty.
The Osprey up on the top of a sailboat mast looking out for breakfast.
Juvenile Little Blue looking for breakfast on the oyster bar.
The Little Blue’s blue feathers are coming in!
Several long blue feathers are coming in on this juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron preening. That white feather has to go?

June 11, 2021 / 83°. mostly sunny, winds calm, water flat at first, wind rose to 3 knots, waves 2 inches.

Osprey ready for the day.
Little Blue (juvenile) on the oyster bar.
Oyster Catcher on the oyster bar.
Second Oyster Catcher on the oyster bar.
Great Blue on the oyster bar.
Who are you looking at said the Great Blue as I passed him.
A Great Blue Heron holding his wings akimbo. Some say it is for temperature control, but it is not hot out this morning. I saw one once do this when a female was present.
Mother duck with seven tiny week old ducklings.
Juvenile Little Green heron. He just flew into the mangroves.
Little Green Heron on a dock line fishing.
Little Green Heron on sentry duty.
A huge dolphin swimming around.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron preening.
Later in the morning same Night Heron still preening,

June 10, 2021 / 80°, sunny, wind 1 knot to start, water calm, then 7 to 10 knots, waves 8 inches plus in the bay, some whitecaps. Humidity so high it affected my photos, made them softer.

Oyster Catcher on the oyster bar.
Oyster Catcher #2 on the oyster bar.
Oyster Catcher on the oyster bar working to get an oyster.
Oyster Catcher and Yellow Crowned Night heron on the oyster bar.
Oyster Catcher with a mussel for breakfast.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the oyster bar.
The dorsal fin of a 3 foot long black tipped shark.
Great Blue Heron flew over my head.
Great Blue Heron on the dock.
White Ibis up in a tree.
Little Blue Heron, juvenile, slowly getting his blue feathers in.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Juvenile Little Green Heron in the bushes. Cute
Look at all those white feathers on this juvenile Little Green Heron!
Adult Little Green Heron fishing.
Little Green Heron preening.

June 9, 2021 / 81°, sunny, wind 7 to 10 knots, waves 8 inches plus in the bay, some whitecaps.

Tarpon going after fish for breakfast.
Adult Little Green watching out for his young! It was coming out day for babies!
Baby Little Green Heron, first I have seen this year!
Baby feathers on top of his head, juvenile Little Green Heron.
Male Anhinga drying out.
Osprey soaring.
One of six Yellow Crowned Night Herons I saw this morning! This one Patricia named Sam.
Number two of the Yellow Crowned Night Herons this morning.
Number three of the Yellow Crowned Night Herons this morning.
Sam was joined by a juvenile! Baby presenting day again!!
I will call him Son of Sam, check out the baby feathers on this juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron!

June 8, 2021 / 79°, sunny, wind 5 to 10 knots, waves 8 inches in the bay, some whitecaps.

A Yellow Crowned Night Heron on the submerged oyster bed this morning.
A black tipped shark fin, there were a number of them around this morning, along with a school of sting rays, and a six foot lemon shark.
A male Mottled Duck.
A Little Green Heron
An Osprey – a few seconds later he flew off to get breakfast.
Osprey hunting for a fish.
Osprey dove in, but missed this time, here he is just getting out of the water.
Female Frigate bird, soaring way up overhead. They seldom flap their wings.

June 7, 2021 / 80°, cloudy, wind 5 to 10 knots, waves 8 inches in the bay, some whitecaps.

A Yellow Crowned Night Heron and an Oyster Catcher shared the submerged oyster bed this cloudy day.
A little Green Heron watching for a fish to come by.
A pair of ducks in front of the seawall.
Female Anhinga on the destroyed dock.
Osprey enjoying his breakfast of sushi.
A pair of Frigate birds high in the sky, the nearer one with the red gular sac is a male.

June 6, 2021 / 80°, high clouds, wind 5 knots, water choppy with 4 inch waves

The Oyster Catcher which had been banded was on the submerged oyster bar.
He screamed when I got close then took off.
A Yellow Crowned Night Heron preening himself.
Detail of Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Two Frigate birds were overhead, they seldom land except to nest and rear young. I have watched them swoop down and get a drink of water on the fly in a freshwater pond.
This Frigate bird was preening himself on the wing.
Osprey having breakfast.
The Crow was right there waiting.
Female Anhinga drying out.
Trying to get those feathers dry.
OK, this is a quiz. What is in this photo? A clue…my camera cannot take photos of anything closer than 10 feet away, the focal length is such that distances are great, close-ups are not, close-ups are just a blur.

This is a photo of a manatee!

I was over in the marina, when all of a sudden a manatee appeared, heading right for my kayak! He appeared to be interested in what I was and gently bumped his nose on the side of the kayak! I reached out and scratched his head. The breeze moved my kayak around and the manatee came back and touched the other side of the kayak! I scratched his head again. He then went along. I was hoping to get a photo of him surfacing for air but I did not see him again.

This is only the second time in my life that a curious manatee has come up to my kayak. The first time was about 20 years ago down at Fort DeSoto when a mother and her calf came up, curious as to what I was.

June 4, 2021 / 80°, high clouds, wind 1 knot at beginning 5 knots on return, water choppy at end.

Little Green Heron on his usual branch.
Anhinga flying by.
Fisherman retrieving his net,
The next frames were from this guy’s cast, he was 1/4 mile from the building in the background and as far away from me.
He got three nice fish.
I saw a Black Skimmer cruise by!
A Great Blue on the dock.
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron half asleep.
Osprey preening.

Note:

One thing I just learned, the Albatross has a salt gland located above their nasal passages which allows them to desalinate and survive drinking only salt water. Whales have extra large kidneys to get rid of the salt. Why don’t we have such? Mangroves also survive on only salt water. It would be great if we could identify the portion of the DNA that results in the Albatross’ gland and have our Epigenome turn it on, then we never would lack water on this earth!

June 3, 2021 /79°, high clouds, wind 1 knot at beginning 5 knots on return, water choppy at end.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the mangroves.
Who are you looking at? said the Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
Little Blue in the mangroves.
Little Blue on the rip-rap looking for snails r anything to eat.
Little Blue back in the mangroves.
Little Green Heron watching for breakfast.
Little Green Heron poised to strike.

My camera (with one of two batteries installed) can shoot 6 frames per second. The following six photographs were taken during a one second period as the Little Green got a fish.
His eye is protected by a second translucent eyelid.
He got the fish.
He retracts his neck.
He gives the fish a shake.
And you can just see the fish tail as he swallows it!
A Pelican flyover.
An Osprey flying high to check out the fishing.
Now he is checking me out.
A quarter mile away an osprey goes in after a fish.
The Osprey surfaces.
With the thrust of his large wings the Osprey gets airborne.
And off he goes with his breakfast.
And here he is enjoying it!
Addendum: Ron says “the Osprey caught/ate a speckled sea trout.”

June 2, 2021 / 80°, partly cloudy, wind 2 knots, water smooth.

Three pelicans flying over.
Downy Woodpecker in Palm by Allan’s home.
Anhinga with breakfast!
The Anhinga kept the fish out of water for quite a while!
After that fight the Anhinga rested on the dock.
Then dried its wings.
The Osprey had a great breakfast!
A fish bigger then the Osprey!
Osprey on the wing
Bringing home the bacon.
Little Green Heron on his perch waiting for a fish to come by.
Another Little Green on Allan’s dock’
Little green in the mangroves.
Juvenile Little Blue – more blue feathers daily.
A FIRST!! The first sighting of a Black Crowned Night Heron in this area. There are a number up at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, but the first time I have seen one here.
The Black Crowned Night Heron.
Great Blue Heron checking me out.
Great Blue Heron
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Who are you looking at? Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret fishing.
Snowy got an itch.
Detail of the Snowy.
Oster Catcher searching for food.
Oyster Catcher posing.
Oyster Catcher trying to sleep.
The tide came in, but the Oyster Catcher is still working at it!

May 31,2021 / 78°, sunny, wind 2 knots at the beginning – 6 to 10 knots gusty and water choppy by end.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron looking for breakfast.
Female Anhinga just climbed out of the water.
Looking kind of bedraggled.
Anhinga with wings out to dry the feathers.
I think that it is interesting that the Anhinga has no white on it except the tips of the tail feathers.
The Snowy getting situated to fish off the rigging of the sunken sailboat.
Snowy ready to strike.
There were two birds on the oyster bar, two Oyster Catchers, both asleep!
Sound asleep Oyster Catcher.
On my way back two hours later the Oyster Catchers were still there, but awake and foraging.
Juvenile Little Blue heron, he has even more blue feathers day by day.
Osprey on his perch.
Something interesting on that perch.

May 30, 2021 / 80°, zephyrs at times, water like glass most of the time. Mostly cloudy, but sun came out periodically.

Kay and I watched tarpon rolling all over the marina, going after small fish we surmised.
The dorsal fin of a tarpon (I think) in the upper right corner.
Great Blue Heron.
Two of many little Green Herons we saw. These two were sharing a branch, I had never seen that before!
Playing all lovey dovey.
The closer went down to get a fish.
Then back up again.
One flew leaving the other Little Blue.
A different Little Blue fishing from a dock line.
Poised and ready!
Little Green Heron preening.
Checking under there.
One Oyster Catcher was on the oyster bar when four more came, then one left. They did a group dance, talking amongst themselves, going around and around. This was the most Oyster Catchers I had ever seen together.
The Oyster Catchers seemed to know each other.
These two Oyster Catchers stayed close.
This Oyster Catcher was banded W36. He is the same one I saw here April 30.
Curlew Sandpiper on the oyster bed.
Regal osprey watching for breakfast.
Kay and I saw him dive down and catch breakfast and fly up to this branch to eat.
Osprey with half eaten fish.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, one of four we saw this morning.

May 29, 2021 / 80°, 10 knot wind out of the south, water 1-2 inch waves.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron on a branch,
A second Yellow Crowned Night Heron came out of nowhere and attacked the first.
The first Yellow Crowned left the perch and the second one landed on it.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron number three on a different branch.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
One of two Yellow Crowned Night Herons on the oyster bar. There were eight birds on the oyster bar but a fisherman came by and scared them all off.
Fisherman (one of three) out today.
Great Blue out on oyster bar.
White Ibis out on oyster bar.
Juvenile Little Blue on oyster bar.
Snowy on the island.
“What are you looking at” this Snowy seems to say.
Osprey also wonders what I am doing.
Osprey #2 saying his morning prayers (or just meditating) or contemplating his feet.
Osprey #3 having breakfast of fresh caught fish.
Little Green Heron and Snowy near the point of the island.
Little Green Heron on the wing.
Little Green Heron on his normal perch.
Little Green Heron and his breakfast.
Little Green Heron #6 in the mangroves.
Female Anhinga.
Female Anhinga #2 drying her wings.
Royal Tern high up looking for his breakfast.

May 28, 2021 /80°, no wind, sunny and water like glass.

Juvenile Little Blue at the oyster bed this morning.
Female ducks .
Snowy making a strike.
And the Snowy came up with a fish!!
The Osprey was at the top of a mast checking things out.
Osprey soaring.
The great Blue Heron on the wing.
Great Blue Heron.

May 27, 2021 /74°, wind 2 knots out of the South, sunny and water smooth.

The juvenile Little Blue Heron is getting his new feathers in. He was the only one at the oyster bar this morning.
A Great Blue Heron standing guard.
This Little Green Heron has quite the blue patch by his eye.
Several Little Green Herons were out this morning fishing.
Another Little Green Heron.
This Little Green Heron is on a floating ladder.
This Little Green Heron was on a boat.
A Snowy.
Another Snowy on the rigging of the submerged sailboat.
Detail of a Snowy/
An Anhinga on the wrecked dock. Note the white on the tip of her tail.
Detail of the Anhinga.
An Anhinga in flight.
An Ibis hiding in the mangroves.
An Osprey hanging in mid air looking for breakfast. He caught a little fish this morning.
Osprey traveling.
Osprey finished off the little fish already. He was cleaning his feet. They fly low and drag their feet in the water to clean them after eating.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron, one of five I saw this morning.
Another Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
And another.
This Yellow Crowned Night Heron seemed thin.

May 26, 2021 /74°, wind 5 knots out of the South, sunny and water pretty smooth.

Last evening there were six Canada (NOT Canadian) Geese behind my place. The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” In 1535, two Aboriginal youths told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to kanata; they were actually referring to the village of Stadacona, the site of the present-day City of Québec.
Juvenile Great Blue Heron patrolling the oyster bar.
Oyster Catcher busy finding breakfast at the oyster bar.
Yellow Crowned Night heron also on the oyster bar.
Detail of the Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the mangroves.
Snowy looking intently for breakfast.
And he caught a snack!
Detail of Snowy Egret.
A Little Green Heron watching for food..
Another Little Green Heron, still asleep.
A Little Green about to take off.
The majestic Osprey looking for breakfast.
The Osprey were out, but no Crows.
A juvenile Osprey.
Detail of a juvenile Osprey.

Pigeons and Doves

Columbidae (/kəˈlʌmbɪdiː/) is a bird family consisting of Pigeons and Doves. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks, and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. The family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms.

The family contains 344 species divided into 50 genera. Thirteen of the species are extinct.[2]

In English, the smaller species tend to be called “Doves” and the larger ones “Pigeons”.[3] However, the distinction is not consistent,[3] and does not exist in most other languages. Historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the terms. The bird most commonly referred to as just “Pigeon”.
Where I am from they called these birds “Doves”, “Pigeons” were the dirty birds down in big cities! So:
I am changing all of my notes relative to the bird as “Pigeon”

May 25, 2021 /74°, wind 10- 15 knots out of the South, sunny and water choppy.

A Black Skimmer (BLSK) came by! The Skimmer is a medium-sized seabird with very long wings and an outsized bill in which the lower mandible is much longer than the upper so it can skim the water and catch fish. They usually fly at night because their eyes are not needed for fishing and the small fish are near the surface. It is unusual to see them here!
This Black Skimmer caught a needle fish.
The Black Skimmer fishes with his lower beak in the water.
The Black Skimmer is such a beautiful, elegant bird who flies wionderfully.
Then the Black Skimmer caught another, larger fish.
The water was choppy so he had is bill in the water only half the time.
The Oyster Catcher was at the submerged oyster bar.
The oyster catcher digs for his food.
A juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron was also at the oyster bar.
A juvenile Great Blue Heron was on the point of the mangrove.
A little Green Heron out looking for breakfast,
Another Little Green on a piling.
A Brown Pelican dropped by for a bite.
A female Anhinga hiding in the mangroves.
Another female Anhinga drying out.
Female Anhinga drying her wings.
My haul of floating debris this morning.

May 22, 2021 /74°, wind 15- 20 knots out of the NE, sunny and water choppy.

Little Blue Heron, juvenile, blue feathers coming in. He is on top of the mangroves looking for breakfast of lizards and crabs I imagine.
Little Green Heron fishing from a branch over the water.
Little Green Heron, there were three in a row along the island, I hope that their babies will come out in August again this year.
Little Green Heron on a spring line. There were two of them, I only got the photo of one.
Great Egret fishing from a float.
The Great Egret got something small for a nibble.
A Snowy resting on a piling.
Detail of the Snowy.
A Yellow Crowned Night Heron, standing on the submerged oyster bar waiting for breakfast to come by.
Thee regal looking Osprey.
Osprey fishing from up above,
He caught another BIG one! Breakfast, lunch and dinner again!
Now the Osprey has it draped over a branch, ready to eat!!

May 21, 2021 /72°, wind 15- 25 knots out of the east. Water choppy, sunny.

Little Green Heron landed on a branch that bent down into the water.
Little Green opted to fly to a higher perch, the Little Greens do not like being so low, they like to be 1 to 3 feet up so they can see more I guess.
A much more favorable perch.
A different Little Green Heron (there must be six around)
This Little Green dove right in and caught breakfast.
This Little Green chose a water hose to perch on.
A Little Green posing.
One beautiful female Anhinga drying her wings.
Snowy by the seawall.
Detail of a Snowy.
This is a bird I an not familiar with, it keeps trying to fly but never makes it up.
Osprey looking for breakfast.
Osprey watching from a high perch.
Osprey with breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Settling down to eat, that fish must weigh more than the Osprey!

May 20, 2021 / 74°. sunny, wind back out of the NE and 15 to 20 knots, water choppy.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron. At the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary yesterday there were a number of Black Crowned Night Herons, and no Yellow Crowned. Every once in a while I will see Black Crowned here, but not very often.
This photo caught him closing his second eyelid. We too have a second eyelid but it no longer closes to protect our eyes.
No one can say copulation amongst two ducks isn’t dramatic!
She doesn’t look worse for the encounter.
He (or is it a female) spent quite a bit of time recovering.
Snowy on a dock line fishing.
Snowy posing.
Little Green Heron in the mangroves.
Little Green Heron. I have watched them more closely, they do not get on a branch or line low enough to grab the fish all the time, they many times perch higher and dive in for the fish when they see it!

Little Green Heron up on the dock watching for breakfast to come by.
Female Anhinga drying her wings.
Female Anhinga posing on a piling.
Detail of female Anhinga.
In the Orient fishermen put a rope on an Anhinga with a loop around the Anhinga’s neck to prevent the bird from swallowing its prey. When it catches a fish, the fisherman pulls the Anhinga in and takes the fish. He will let the Anhinga swallow enough to stay healthy though.
Great Blue Heron looking over Don’s wall, I guess Don may feed him. The Great Blue loves hotdogs and any meat you give him. I was watching a photographer setting up her tripod to take photos of some cute baby bunnies. The Great Blue walked up and grabbed a bunny and swallowed it. The photographer was not happy.
An Osprey eating his breakfast of a huge fish!
Osprey defending his catch.
Osprey with fresh catch for breakfast. Osprey’s too are not shy to eat other animals if there are no fish, but right now there seem to be fish aplenty, their favorite food,
Flying high, watching for that fish to surface.

May 19, 2021 /74°, cool 15 to 20 knot winds, sunny, choppy except where protected, wind has clocked from NE to east.

Oyster Catcher on submerged oyster bar.
The tide is in so much that the water covers the oyster bar so the Oyster Catcher goes under water for breakfast,
Laughing gull.
Little Green Heron in the mangroves.
Little Green Heron doing a tightrope walk.
Female Anhinga in the shade.
Female Anhinga.
Female Anhinga about to fly.
Snowy on a piling.
Cormorant about to fly.
And he is off.
Cormorant gaining air speed.
Gaining.
Cormorant off, staring right at me!
Osprey up looking for breakfast, and watching for those Crows.

May 18, 2021 / 71°, cool and nice, sunny, water a bit choppy in the bay but smooth by Allan.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron, his plumes askew because of the wind.
The male Mottled Duck on the right was not welcomed when he landed with the other two. They drove him off.
Little Green Heron reaching for breakfast.
Little Green Heron on the dock lines.
The Little Green Heron joined the Snowy Egret and the egret let him stay!
Now that was different, two different species joined in fishing!
The Little Green Heron is so very small!
The Great Egret is amazing! In the early 20th century, they were almost hunted into extinction for their long, attractive feathers that were commonly used as decoration for ladies hats.
Great Egret had caught a fish and was mashing it up.
Detail of Great Egret and his catch
Quite the feathers.
An old photo of mine showing how they raise the feathers when courting.
Female anhinga climbing the latter – just out of the water.
A Gull (remember their is no such thing as a “seagull”, they all have names such as this Common Gull.
Snowy perched on dock line fishing.
Snowy caught a fish!
Snowy posing.
Snowy on a piling.
Snowy on the rip-rap.
Osprey, startled by a crow landing right behind him.
The Osprey did not move however.
The Osprey was minding his own business, flying up high in the middle of they bay to spot a fish when this Crow came up behind him and hit him from behind. No reason. Those Crows are driving all my birds away. This is the fourth episode in the last week where crows drive larger birds away.
Three Oyster Catchers flew by.

May 17, 2021 /71°, cool, water flat to begin, breeze picked up later.

Little Green Heron ready to pounce.
The little Green Heron.
Little Green Heron with breakfast! He dove right in and caught it.
Juvenile Great Blue Heron on the dock.
Detail of the Great Blue Heron.
A Snowy on the floating ladder.
A male Mottled Duck.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron hiding in the mangroves.
Male Anhinga on the boat lift.
Female Anhinga on piling.
An Egret.
Aa Egret fishing.
Egret landing on seawall.
Egret on the seawall.
Egret on a float.
Detail of an Egret.
Two Pigeons on the oyster bar.

May 16, 2021 /69°, cool, slight breeze out of the NE, water 3 inch waves in the bay, quieter in areas protected.

Juvenile Great Blue Heron.
Detail of Great Blue Heron.
Little Green Heron hiding in the mangroves.
Little Green Heron fishing.
Little Green Heron concentrating on his fishing.
Another Little Green Heron on a dock line fishing.
Little Green Heron annoyed that a Snowy came by.
Female Anhinga on a piling in front of a house.
Osprey in front of my place.
Osprey having a bad hair day.
Osprey up high scanning for fish.
Osprey zooming by.
Osprey almost motionless in the breeze.
Osprey coming out of the water with a fish in his left claw (the fish is still in the water).
Osprey taking off with the fish for breakfast.
And off he goes!
Detail of his fish.
Unfortunately a crow was right after him.
The juvenile Little Blue Heron.
This Egret was chasing the Little Blue Heron. Life is rough out in the wild.
Least Tern, they are tiny and plummet to the water to catch small fish.
Our smallest tern. Often seen flying low over the water, with quick deep wingbeats and shrill cries. Usually hovers before plunging into water for tiny prey; does more hovering than most terns. Populations are endangered in many areas because of human impacts on nesting areas, especially competition for use of beaches. However, Least Terns in some parts of the east are now nesting successfully on gravel roofs near the coast. The babies do fall down the roof drains though and we put them back up!
Snowy perched on dock line waiting for a fish to come by.
Kay was with me and took this photo of me taking the photo above of the Snowy. As you can see with my long lens I do not have to get close and disturb the birds.
Snowy, he turned around so I could get this photo.
Snowy perched on the wrecked sailboat.
Detail of the Snowy.

May 15, 2021 / 69°, windy, 20 knots out of the northeast. Water choppy.

White Ibis wading to catch breakfast.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron peeking out from the mangroves.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the shallows with all the oysters on the mangrove roots.
Little Green Heron in the mangroves.
Another Little Green Heron intently watching for a fish to come by.
In the marina the Little Green Herons like to use dock lines to fish from.
Little Green Heron fishing.
The little Green Heron also uses the swim platform of a boat, and he caught a fish!
Snowy fishing.
Snowy on the rigging of the abandoned sailboat that has not been trashed yet. Six months, no action by the County’s contractor.

May 14, 2021 / 68°, little breeze, water fairly flat. My trip this morning was cut short to rescue a Snowy.

The sickly Snowy was in the water with his head just above the water. I was alerted to the one in trouble when another Snowy first landed to the right of him, the went to the left, then dropped down into the water 5 feet from him. When the second Snowy could not help, he flew off. Above is the concerned Snowy.
You can see the concern in the Snowy by the way his head is down and to the side.
This Snowy went all around checking it out.
This Snowy went up to the sickly one.
The poor guy was is serious trouble. I went back to my place, got a pair of heavy gloves (which it turned out I did not need), and a bucket. I picked him up and put him in the bucket and paddled back home. I then took him up to the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary where they took him right in to warm him up. They stick a tube down into his stomach and use a huge syringe to get food (a blend of pureed fish and antibiotics) right into them. I hope that he is OK!

_______________________________________________________________________________________
My photos at the Sanctuary….and photos of the Black Skimmers which have arrived for mating season! Today the Skimmers are about 30 yards north of the Sanctuary. Yesterday they were 1/4 mile south. They have yet to decide where they will nest!
There are a number of Vultures hanging about.
Both juveniles and adult Black Crowned Night Herons all around.
A Great Blue hangs out for food.
In one of the cages are the White Pelicans.
Down at the beach are Ruddy Turnstones.
More than a hundred Royal Terns are here.

I counted two hundred and fifty eight Black Skimmers.
One was banded B74, I called Beth Fores to report him.
The Black Skimmers are pairing up.
A close up.
This is what you call “love birds”.
Usually the male will bring a little fish to offer to the ladies, this guy was lazy and was offering a stick.
He got some interest but no takers.
Periodically they flush, but come back to the same spot. I hope they stay in this spot where they are quite protected on two sides by benches and a boardwalk.
They are beautiful in the sky!
In for a landing.
This guy had the right idea, a fish for the lady.
She accepted the fish.
He prepares to mount her.
And it is over in a flash. They then become a pair for the summer.
The pair of Black Skimmers.
After having fished all night, during the day they sleep.

May 12, 2021 /80°, little breeze, water 1 inch rollers.

Yellow Crown Night Heron got something for breakfast again today.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron about to take off.
And off he goes.
And the Yellow Crowned Night Heron lands again.
He is curious!
It is unusual to see two Osprey near each other.
The nearby Osprey.
The further away Osprey.
An unknown bird flying by with a huge fish.
He dropped the fish.
The fish skipped on the water, the bird looks like a gull.
Juvenile Little Blue up on the davits.
Snowy Egret waiting for a fish to come by.
The Snowy got a snack.
Little Green Heron on a line trying to get breakfast.
Waiting……
Little Green Heron reaching!
Oops, he fell in.
Swimming out of the water.
Little Green Heron now up on the higher line.
Little Green Heron now tries a fender (he slipped off of that and flew around).
Little Green Heron, back on the lower line.
Little Green Heron stretched as far as he could, but missed the fish anyway.
Anhinga fishing.
American Oystercatcher checking out the oyster bar.
Now the Oystercatcher carried away an oyster, he bashed it around.
A reward, an oyster for breakfast!
Later the Oystercatcher got himself another oyster!
Oystercatcher taking a little bath.
American Oystercatcher shaking it all out.
Spotted Sandpiper found something for breakfast. In breeding season Spotted Sandpipers have bold dark spots on their bright white breast and an orange bill. The back is dark brown. In winter, a Spotted Sandpiper’s breast is not spotted; it’s plain white, while the back is grayish brown and the bill is pale yellow.
A small flock of Sandpipers joined us.
The Great Blue Heron in the mangroves.
Great Blue Heron
Whether poised at a river bend or cruising the coastline with slow, deep wingbeats, the Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight. This stately heron with its subtle blue-gray plumage often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.
I have yet to find out why they sometimes hold their wings the way they do in this photo. Some say they are trying to cool off, but it was not hot out, others say a predominant form of posturing meant to intimidate and include dimensions to at least one’s physical framework, my thought it may be a mating call.
A fiddler crab!

May 11. 2021 / 80°, no wind at all, water like glass.

Capitalization of bird names.
After many years of almost bloody fighting over that distinction most respected birding resources have taken the same path and are now capitalizing common names of birds (though the same thing hasn’t happened, at least not yet, with many other organisms such as mammals and plants). A few cases in point:

  • Every one of my bird field guides, including Sibley, National Geographic, Audubon, and the American Museum of Natural History uses title case for bird common names.
  • In 2014 Audubon magazine, after what has been described as a “blood bath” involving contentious editors, vice-presidents and ornithologists, adopted title case for their publications and websites.
  • As far as I know all other bird oriented publications and organizations use title case for birds including Auk, The American Ornithological Society and others.
Juvenile Little Blue looking for breakfast.
It was interesting there for a few seconds, that huge fin coming at me!
Then I find out it was a bottlenose dolphin. Whew.
He was a big one!!
Osprey up on top of a mast.
Snowy Egret watching for breakfast. Among the most elegant of the herons, the slender Snowy Egret sets off immaculate white plumage with black legs and brilliant yellow feet. Those feet seem to play a role in stirring up or herding small aquatic animals as the egret forages. Breeding Snowy Egrets grow filmy, curving plumes that once fetched astronomical prices in the fashion industry, endangering the species.
Snowy Egret
Look at those LONG legs of the Snowy Egret.
Very elegant Snowy Egret.
Long wings of the Snowy Egret.
The Snowy Egret caught a tiny fish.
Green Heron watching for a fish to come by.
This little Green Heron is sitting on a water hose (that runs to a boat) in order to get down to fish.
This little Green Heron has red legs!
I was taking a photo of this Yellow Crowned Night Heron when a huge fish jumped right behind it causing the splash.
This Yellow Crowned Night Heron caught a crab for breakfast.
He bashed it about and played with it for a while.
He got it aligned to swallow it whole.
And down it goes.
Pelican out fishing.
Pelican taking off.
Pelican on the wing.
Pelican right in front of me.
And splash, after another fish.
The Pelican uses the air pressure from the water to cruise along.
Juvenile Great Blue Heron playing with a seed from the red mangrove tree.
Close up of the Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron trying to sleep it seems.



May 10, 2021 / 80°, nice breeze out of the south, water mostly calm 1-2 inch waves.

Three Pigeons on the oyster bar, the crows were there but did not chase the Pigeons or oyster catcher away.
Oyster catcher on the oyster bed. Oystercatchers survive almost exclusively on shellfish—clams, oysters, and other saltwater mollusks. Because of this specialized diet, oystercatchers live only in a narrow ecological zone of saltmarshes and barrier beaches.
Oyster catcher found something for breakfast.
Juvenile little blue canvassing the area for breakfast.
Little green heron on the boardwalk watching for fish. Along quiet streams or shaded riverbanks, a lone Green Heron may flush ahead of the observer, crying “kyow” as it flies up the creek. This small heron is solitary at most seasons and often somewhat secretive, living around small bodies of water or densely vegetated areas. Seen in the open, it often flicks its tail nervously, raises and lowers its crest.
This green heron uses the dock lines to fish from.
The boat that we covered, she asked that we keep an eye on it.
The yellow crowned night heron standing on one foot – that means that he was not disturbed. The most common call of the yellow-crowned night heron is a loud, sharp and quick squawk that the bird gives shortly after taking off or uses as an alarm call or an aggression call. The young beg for food with a soft chu-chu-chu call that becomes louder as the chicks grow older and more demanding. A different range of vocalizations plays an important part in courtship and pair formation. Males and females use a yup-yup call during the greeting ceremony, and a huh! call when they form a pair among other nesting herons.
Anhinga, also called a snake bird – and you can see why. He was a long way away.
The osprey is a very bold bird sitting up in the mangroves.
When I get too close (about 50 feet) sometimes he will fly and find another perch.
Quite the wing!
Another long shot, the osprey got his breakfast!

May 9, 2021 / 72°, wind about calm to start, 15-20 knots out of the SSE at finish, waves – none at start, 8-12 inch at finish. Beautiful day.

Juvenile great blue heron just hanging out.
Close up of the great blue heron
Yellow crowned night heron hiding in the mangroves.
Yellow crowned night heron peeking out to see me.
The little green has long legs and a long beak for the size of the body – they are about 6 inches tall (when crouched) and weigh about half a pound.
We saw four or five little green herons.
Little green heron making his croaking sound.
Juvenile little blue, from a distance he looks all white, but as you can see he is getting his blue feathers in.
Detail of the little blue, his eyelid comes from the back to the front.

Luke and a friend Celeste.
Close up of Luke and Celeste in the bright sun.
A crow – one of those chasing off our birds! We saw him chasing a great blue, and then chasing an osprey.
A cormorant just up from fishing (the cormorant has the hook at the end of his beak, below you can see that anhinga which has a straight beak)..
Detail of an anhinga.
A female anhinga (the females have the lighter color on their neck) in the mangroves.
Another female anhinga in the shadows.
OK, you are going to have to look carefully, this osprey was a half mile away, but as you can see he caught a nice sized fish.

May 8, 2021 / 70°, a breath of cool air! Only 1 inch wavelets.

White ibis, adult – he was beside a juvenile.
Juvenile ibis, still has much of his dark fletching, he will become all white as he grows up.
Yellow crowned night heron in the shadows.
Yellow crowned night heron fishing adjacent to the oysters onshore.
Adult great blue heron.
Juvenile great blue heron.
another adult great blue heron.
Osprey.
Osprey after he finished his fish breakfast.
Little green heron.
Detail of little green heron.
Little green heron fishing.
The Styrofoam float that I found floating around.

May 5, 2021 / 82°, summer is officially here, no wind, water smooth, hot and humid.

Yellow crowned night heron fishing. He stood stock still and SLOWLY turned his head as I went by.
Snowy egret on the wing.
Snowy fishing.
“Breeding Snowy Egrets grow filmy, curving plumes that once fetched astronomical prices in the fashion industry, endangering the species.”
A cormorant just popping up from under the water.
Cormorant shaking off some of the water.
Cormorant paddling right along.
Cormorant starting his take off.
“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.”
Female anhinga. The anhinga, sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means “devil bird” or “snake bird”. The origin of the name is apparent when swimming: only the neck appears above water so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nares and breathe solely through their epiglottis.
Look at the webbing between the toes of this anhinga, he can swim under water faster than I can paddle.
This morning was a first, the ray in the photo is at least five foot between the tips of his wings. As I paddled away there was a HUGE splash right behind me. Just like a big guy did a cannonball into a pool. It took a few minutes for my heart to stop beating so fast. I have never been so startled in my life!
Great blue heron.
A screen shot of a great blue who caught a crow who was pestering him, and ate him. (not my photo).
I see the crows every morning chasing our birds, this morning two crows were chasing a hawk that has a nest here.

May 3, 2021 /79°, sunny, 10 knot wind from South, water choppy.

Great blue heron.
Female Pigeon on the oyster bar.
Male Pigeon on the oyster bar.
A male Mottled Duck.
Little green heron upset that I was there, his feathers on his head are raised.
Little green posing.
Little green heron fishing.
A snowy watching for a fish to go by.
Osprey watching the world go by.
Osprey 100 feet up fishing.
Another of the osprey fishing.
Osprey enjoying breakfast.
Detail of osprey eating his fish.
Osprey eating his fresh caught fish.
Little fiddler crab.

May 3, 2021 /77°, sunny, 15 knot wind from Southeast, water choppy except where protected.

Osprey right out front eating his breakfast.
Yellow crowned night heron out on the oyster bar having his breakfast of crab.
Snowy egret fishing.
Snowy egret posing in front of a boat.
Little green heron.
Little green heron ready to strike at a fish going by.
And the strike! He did not get anything though.
The little green and the snowy are back on the dock lines!
The back of a Tarpon! They still are feeding in the marina and in the fairway.
The anhinga is sanding in the same place as yesterday, a spot where there is a lot of turbulence, my kayak is going sideways, rolling, and bucking like a bronco!
Juvenile great blue preening.
Today the crows were chasing the great blue heron!

May 2, 2021 /75°, sunny, 15 knot wind from Southeast, water choppy except where protected. My next door neighbor Kay went with me this morning.

Male Mottled Duck.
Little green fishing.
Little green scrambling back up after going in after a fish.
What, me get wet? Little green heron.
Spotter sandpiper.
Great blue fishing.
Great blue – juvenile.
Juvenile great blue heron.
The splash where tarpon was. We saw a lot of action where tarpon were feeding. I was not quick enough to get a shot, but we saw their dorsal fins many times!
A fisherman.
It was nice having Kay along, she was my spotter! She saw birds before I did!
Snowy egret.
Snowy striking.
Snowy.
Snowy posing.
There were four snowy out.
OK, how do you get a photo of an anhinga who is moving when your kayak is moving sideways and in 14 inch waves – going up and down?
Mom and juvenile little blue herons! Now you can see them next to each other!
Mom has a more crooked neck, is all blue and has a plume. Junior is still mostly white.
It was amazing to see them together, mom (or dad) and junior little blue.

April 30, 2021 / 75°, partly cloudy, no wind at first, started to come out of the NW in a while. Water flat. The first adult American Bald Eagle!!

An American Eagle came to visit! It landed right behind my place!! It was pursued by three crows.
Close up.
The crows kept bombarding the American Eagle.
Eagle looking at the crow.
Eagle tired of crows decides to fly.
Check out those huge wings on the eagle!
And off he goes!
The crow right behind.
Back on the oyster bed was this spotted sandpiper.
Mother duck had more than a dozen, now she is down to four ducklings.
This appeared to me to be a female little green looking across to the male 20 feet away.
This appeared to be a male little green heron (darker, redder mane) looking back at the female.
Female little green heron talking.
This appears to be a juvenile little green heron, his legs are bigger than he is!
Another junior little green heron.
Female anhinga.
Female anhinga ready to take off.
Osprey a half mile away, I watched as he came down and tried to catch a fish…he missed. I have read that they miss 3/4 of the time.
Pigeon came to the oyster bed, then the oyster catcher drove them away.
Second Pigeon chased away by the oyster catcher.
Oyster catcher on the oyster bed.
And then there were two oyster catchers.
The second oyster catcher was banded! I have reported the banded bird, they will know where it came from.
The banded one also had a metal band on his left leg.
Since 1999, over 6,000 American Oystercatchers have been banded in the U.S. and Mexico. Banding individual birds helps researchers learn about demographics, movement, habitat requirements. The Working Group maintains a database to provide a mechanism for researchers to efficiently enter and search records of banded American Oystercatchers.
Breakfast! American Oyster Catcher (AMOY)
AMOY with spotted sandpiper, the two seem to get along well.
Brown pelican scratching his belly.
Two brown pelicans hanging out.
Close up of pelican.

April 29, 2021 /72°, sunny, 10-15 knot wind out of the southeast, water still quiet by Allan, 6 to 8 inch waves otherwise.

Woodpecker in Allan’s palm tree.
Duck flying by, they are really fast!
Little green heron staring me down!
Little green heron.
Little green fishing.
Little green heron.
Snowy quietly fishing in his favorite spot.
Yikes, another snowy has come to drive him away, head goes up, feathers go up!
Snowy scooches down getting ready to launch.
And away he launches ( the wind blowing his coiffure).
And away he goes!
Osprey flying overhead checking for fish to catch.
Osprey sitting in the top of the mangroves.
Osprey ready to launch.
Osprey launches.
And off the osprey goes.
Osprey off to get another fish for breakfast.

April 28, 2021 /72°, sunny, 10 knot wind out of the southeast, water still like glass by Allan, 2 inch ripples otherwise and building. Beautiful Florida weather!

Oyster catcher looking for breakfast.
Oyster catcher posing for his photo.
Juvenile little blue checking things out.
Mom had only six ducklings left, there were 14 last week.
Cute little ones on the bottom step of the swim ladder.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Another yellow crowned night heron.

April 27, 2021 / 72°, sunny, 10 knot wind out of the southeast, water still like glass by Allan, 2 inch ripples otherwise and building.

Juvenile little blue. Usually they are walking by the water, today he was on top of the mangroves, looking for lizards I guess.
Juvenile little blue with a few blue feathers coming, he is growing up.
Male anhinga, drying his wings.
Male anhinga with his little top knot.
Snowy posing for his portrait.
Detail of snowy.
Little green heron fishing.
Detail of little green.
Yellow crowned night heron, found something.
Yellow crowned night heron stalking his prey.
Detail of yellow crowned night heron.
Young great blue heron.
Downy woodpecker.
Two of the four downy woodpeckers that flew up.
Downy woodpecker.

Cormorant beak, the body of the anhinga and the cormorant are much the same

April 26, 2021 / 68°, sunny, 5-10 knot wind out of the northeast, water like glass by Allan, 1 to 2 inch ripples otherwise.

Juvenile little blue heron came and landed on the oyster bar. His blue feathers are starting to come in!
It is interesting to see all the blue feathers starting to appear on this juvenile little blue heron.
Juvenile little blue checking out the oysters for breakfast.
Little green heron. I saw him fly in with a twig, I guess they are building their nest again this year. Maybe babies soon!
Another little green, his feathers really stand up when he is startled!
Little green heron.
Male Mottled Duck.
Male Mottled Duck.
Juvenile male Mottled.
I came around the corner and there were four great blue herons in a little cove.
Number two great blue heron.
Number three great blue heron, he looks younger.
Number four great blue heron. I hope that they are in a nesting way!
Close up of number two great blue heron.
Pelican scratching his belly.
Beautiful pelican.

April 23, 2021 / 68°, sunny, 10 knot wind out of the northeast, 3-4 inch waves.

Julie went with me this morning.
We saw a great blue heron which had stabbed a fish right behind the eye.
The great blue heron with his breakfast!
Got him!
Another great blue looking for HIS breakfast!
A white ibis.
I woke this pelican up, sorry! He did not fly though.
Yellow crown night heron.
Yellow crown with plumes showing.
Yellow crown night heron.
Osprey having breakfast of fish he had just caught, I watched as he hovered, then went straight down and caught it.
Osprey very intent on his fish.
Osprey finished his breakfast.

April 21, 2021, 73°, sun then clouds, 10 knot wind out of the north, 1 inch ripples.

The osprey, watching out over the bay.
The snowy, checking out crabs in the drain hole in the seawall.
Snowy
Snowy walking along the oysters attached to the seawall.
“Anyone home?”
Snowy
The red legs of this little green heron stood out to me!
Look at those long toenails!
An anhinga drying his wings.
A great blue heron overlooking his domain.
A spotted sandpiper on some oysters.
My male kingfisher keeping his distance, I still cannot get within hundreds of feet of him before he takes off.
Pelican in the top of the mangroves, he laid down after this shot and I could no longer see him.

April 18, 2021, back to normal, 78°, some sun and clouds, 20 knot winds, 4-6 inch waves. Nice day.

Snowy on the growth of oysters around a piling.
Snowy looking for crabs under the overhang.
Snowy by the seawall.
Royal tern up high, dives for fish.
Oyster catcher over on the oyster bed.
Willet on the oyster bed.
Male anhinga.
Cormorant.
Closeup of the cormorant.
Brown pelican.
Close-up of brown pelican.
Little green heron.
Little green heron fishing.

April 17, 2021 New camera (same as my old but it works)- on the way back from purchasing it I saw them kiteboarding out in the Gulf.

Some were impatient and hopped aboard a Jetski to get further out to start!
There were between 25 and 30 kites there on the beach.

April 16, 2021, 75°, clouds and sun, water quite smooth, 5-10 knot winds. I used my old Nikon P900 today. The shots in the distance did not come out, but the ones where I was 15 feet away were good.

Little green heron.
Little green fishing.
Great egret, this is the only photo that came out of 15, the P900 does not let you focus on the bird, it wanted to focus on the mangroves every other time.
The camera works better when you are 10 feet from the willet! The least sandpiper is to the right which shows you the difference in size..
Least sandpiper, cute little guy,

April 15, 2021, 74°, cloudy, water very rough, some whitecaps, 20 knot winds. Camera failed. It is toast.

Photo today of a beautiful tri-color heron. Camera died.

April 14, 2021 70°, sunny, water smooth at first (no wind), but by the time I came in, it was getting rough and 20 knot winds!

The only birds on the oyster bed were two Pigeons.
One of two Pigeons.
A beautiful osprey searching for breakfast from up in the mangroves.
Great egret
Great egret
Female anhinga drying its wings perched on a wrecked sailboat.
Brown pelican, he was in the mangroves but decided to fly over to this seawall!
Trash picked up this morning.

April 11, 2021 73°, sunny, water rough, some whitecaps!

Kingfisher

April 7, 2021 67°, sunny, water flat, turned to 1 inch waves when wind came up.

Kingfisher
Kingfisher leaving, when I get about 200 feet from where he is, he takes off.
Juvenile little blue searching for breakfast on the oyster bed. An adult came by, Jr. chased him off!
Looking for breakfast.
Jr. found something to eat!
Ibis, it is not cold, is this just the way he is?
Little green waiting for brealfast to come by.
Little green watching me.
Snowy watching.
Snowy by the seawall.
Rough-winged swallow.
Laughing gull.
Osprey watching from 100 feet up.
Osprey with breakfast.
And off he goes.
Pelican
Pelican in repose.
Pelican stretching.
Pelican up close.
Pelican with breakfast going down.
Pelican on the wing.
It was like glass! Scott took the photo of me, Lori passed it on.

April 6, 2021 /67°, sunny water like glass at first.

Little blue
Oyster catcher
Great Blue heron
Little Green heron
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Red-breasted Merganser (female or juvenile)
Flying away

April 5, 2021 / 65°, sunny, no wind at first, smooth water, then wind out of the SE with a 1 inch ripple on the water.

Juvenile American Bald Eagle was out on the oyster bar having breakfast. He is starting to get his white feathers.
He was really going at that fish!
Juvenile American Bald Eagle decided to take the remainder of his fish somewhere else where he would not be bothered.
Duck paddling along.
Pelican with a load of fish in his pouch.
Juvenile little blue, no blue feathers yet.
Yellow crowned night heron watching for breakfast to come by.
Little green heron
Second little blue just above the photo above.
Osprey watching.

April 4, 2021 (Easter) / 55°, sunny, wind out of the northeast 15 knots, waves 3-4 inch, cool. Another banner day, another new, rare species, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

An osprey, this one is less scared of me.
I can get 100 feet from this osprey.
Ibis sitting below the osprey.
Laughing gull on the wing.
Little green heron.
Little green heron watching another little green who just landed above him.
Juvenile little blue heron, no blue feathers yet.
Maw and paw mallard ducks.
Pelican overhead. He dives under the docks to find fish.
The tiny new (to me) species, a northern rough-winged swallow. He was flitting all over – he is fast!
Snowy all fluffed up. Got his Easter duds on I guess.
Female anhinga! not looking so good.
Another female anhinga photo.
Cormorant checking me out.
Cormorant looking dishevald.
Yellow crowned night heron – Sam’s brother.
Yellow crowned noght heron close up.
Yellow crowned night heron “Sam” on his perch.
Yellow crowned night heron on the wing in front of a blue boat.

April 3, 2021 / 55°, sunny, wind out of the northeast 15 knots, waves 3-4 inch, cool. A banner day, another new, rare species, Canada Geese!

A spotted sandpiper.
A white ibis, looks like he was cold and fluffed up!
Great blue heron on his now standard perch.
A NEW one to me! A Canada goose! Four of them were standing in the water 100 feet from me!
The Canada gees just stood there, taking turns flapping their wings.
The app that I have to identify birds says that Canada geese are rare here, first time I have seen them!
I had left and paddled east, when all of a sudden the four of them flew overhead.
My friend the yellow crowned night heron named Sam (Patricia named him) was on his perch.
Sam’s brother, I will call Ham, was also on his perch, he opened his mouth but did not make a sound.


April 2, 2021 / 57°, sunny, wind out of the north 15 knots, waves 3-4 inch, cool

Great blue heron, hanging out.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Yellow crowned night heron looking for breakfast.
Breakfast! A little crab. Yellow crowned night heron was able to eat.
Little blue and a snowy foraging.
Two snowy looking for breakfast.
Ibis looking,
Juvenile white ibis with dark feathers on his head and neck.
Male cormorant.
Brown pelican flying by.
Brown pelican roosting.
Brown pelican.

March 31, 2021 /75°, mostly sunny, water almost flat (1 to 2 inch waves in the middle)

My route this morning according to my Garmin watch. The blue spots are where I took photos or stopped and talked.
Osprey, he looks like he has a mohawk haircut.
Osprey, just cooling it.
A willet just looking for breakfast.
A yellow crowned night heron in the shade. One of two together.
Snowy…you can always tell the snowy, white with yellow feet.
Snowy picking off crustations from the seawall.
Snowy detail.
Little green heron hiding in the mangroves.
Little green heron watching me carefully.
Little green heron watching for breakfast.
Trash for today, a piece of rubber flooring. Someone said I was trying to go stealth, camouflage my boat.

March 28, 2021 / 73°, partly sunny, another bumpy ride.

Little green ready to strike.
Little green poised.
Snowy, just feet from the little green.
The wind lifted the feather of the snowy egret.
Osprey taking advantage of the wind…he is almost still relative to the water, but flying along.
Sitting for a while after the paddle, the fiddler crabs came out!

March 27, 2021 / 73°, sunny, waves 4-5 inch, bumpy ride.

Little green heron
Little green heron up close.
Yellow crown night heron out wading, looking for breakfast.
Great blue heron on the wing.
Great blue.
Cormorant coming up for air.
Osprey up high looking.
Juvenile little blue heron, no blue feathers yet.
Little blue detail.
A new one for me out kayaking, a cattle egret!
Two cattle egrets up in the mangroves. They normally are not here, but in fields.
Great egret.
Great egret caught a tiny fish!
Laughing gull.

March 24, 2021 / 65° sunny, beautiful, water flat.

Osprey looking like a king!
Tricolor way up top.
Yellow crowned night heron still asleep.
Yellow crowned night heron with his plumes showing.
Snowy talking at me!
The only occupant of the oyster bar, a willet.
Cormorant on a day marker.
Cormorant detail.
This is the third mask I have picked up.

March 17, 2021 / 70° partly sunny, beautiful, 74° when I returned, 4 inch waves so I came back my alternate landing spot.

Black Necked Stilt! A NEW bird for me! They all were standing very still on the oyster bar!
Black Necked Stilt! First time I have ever seen these guys. A half hour later I saw them a half mile away flying south.
Osprey sitting by my house.
Osprey sitting by Allan’s place!
Snowy waiting for breakfast.
Snowy with n neck down.
Snowy with neck up.
Little green watching bird fly by.
Little green in the mangroves.
Little green upset I came too close.
Little green fishing.
Little green on lifeline of a boat.
Pelican on a piling.
Pelican by my house.
Anhinga, just lowered his wings, now dry I guess.
Laughing gull – non breeding.
Two female mallard ducks.
Yellow crowned night heron resting.
Seeing double, normally very solitary, these two were close.

March 15, 2021 / 68° sunny, beautiful day, 1 to 2 inch waves.

Downey woodpecker checking out the nest site.
Downey woodpecker.
Allan, his wife and pastor, wife and kids fishing. My silver mast is sticking out of pastor’s wife’s head.
Great blue heron watch them fishing very carefully,
Statuesque great blue heron.
Snowy looking for breakfast.
I think I should call this snowy “SHOWEY”, he so beautiful.
Cormorant had been watching the guys fishing, when they would not feed him, he took off.
Little green heron resting.
Little green heron upset with me for scaring him.
Female mallard.
Anhinga checking to see if those feathers on his back are dry yet.

March 14, 2021 / 68° (75° when I returned), sunny, beautiful weather, 4-6 inch waves.

Little blue heron watching for fish to come by.
Little blue heron.
Little green heron.
Little green heron on the dock.
Laughing gull.
Snowy heron awaiting breakfast.
Snowy waiting for a fish.
Female anhinga.
Male anhinga drying feathers.
Great blue heron.
Male cormorant.
Male cormorant.
Pigeon on the oyster bar.
Yellow crowned night heron, still asleep. I did not wake him/
Brown pelican.
Osprey carrying breakfast.
Osprey on his perch.
Osprey leaving.
Woodpecker behind my house.

March 13, 2021 / 65° (73° when I returned), same sunny, beautiful weather!

Right as I started my paddle, there was a great egret, first one in a while.
In the shade, me in my bouncing kayak, this one came out (the others did not) of a green heron.
In the MarineMax marina, what kind of a bird is it? Or is it a fish?
Osprey almost still in the air searching for breakfast. He splashed a number of times then went to perch on a roof.
Osprey searching.
Yellow crowned night heron half asleep.
Different yellow crown, I woke him up.
You may remember this one? I spoke to the mechanic working on it. Earlier I had said “for when the fish won’t wait”. I was wrong. The mechanic said that the owner just likes to roar up and down the coast with the stereo turned up. “No fishing rod will ever touch this boat”, he said. I do hear him periodically when he is going out, his stereo is really, really loud, I can hear it a mile away!!

March 11, 2021 / 65° (73° when I returned), sunny, beautiful weather!

Osprey watching for breakfast.
The only inhabitants of the oyster bar again today were the two Pigeons.
Juvenile little blue heron searching for food.
Juvenile little blue.
Lady kingfisher, I saw her go by, then followed to get this photo.
Allan helped me take down the mast so I could install a wind direction indicator.
Laughing gull, there was a flock of them by the derelict sailboat.
Male and two female mallards.
Cormorant out fishing.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Out fishing.
Brown pelican.
Brown pelican.

March 10. 2021 /60°, sunny, 10-15 knot winds out of the NE, 3-4 inch waves.

Osprey with breakfast.
Little green heron on the boat.
Little green heron on my boat, on the jib cleat.
Little green on the dock.
Little blue heron.
Little blue heron.
Little blue heron close up.
Sandpiper on oysters.
Female anhinga drying out.
Female anhinga close up.
Ibis on the wing.
Pigeon, two of them are the only occupant of the oyster bar.
Brown pelican.
Brown pelican preening.
Brown pelican.
Brown pelican close up.

March 9, 2021 / 58°, mostly sunny, 10-15 knot winds, 3-4 inch waves.

Yellow crowned night heron.
Serious yellow crowned night heron with fuzz on his beak, I like his beard.
Cormorant comes to visit, he comes up under my bow,
My friend Sam visited me today.
Tricolored heron.
Tricolored heron with his white plumes.
Snowy egret on the ladder fishing.
Snowy with one toe in the water.
Snowy egret watching for breakfast to come along.
Snowy posing.
Anhinga, reaching for those lower feathers.
Female anhinga drying out.
Gull
Brown pelican at rest.
Brown pelican staring me down.
Brown pelican posing.
Pelican checking me out.
Four 400 horsepower outboards, when those fish will not wait.

NOTE:

Biden reinstated bird protections gutted under Trump

By Jacob Fischler -March 8, 2021

March 8, 2021 / 55°, sunny 15-20 knot winds, waves 4-6 inches in the middle of the bay.

Cormorant drying wings.
Cormorant taking off.
Little green on deck of a boat.
Great blue heron tucked in in the cold wind.
Great blue heron preening.
A rare Forrester’s tern.
Two willet’s.
Laughing Gull
Laughing Gull
Laughing gull taking a bath.
Pelican with a full pouch.
Two pelicans fishing together.
Brown pelican
Brown pelican, if you look closely he has a fish hook in his pouch and a piece of fish line down to his belly. I hope the hook disintegrates quickly.
This was the cleanest part of the boat, the rest was green with algae.
Looks much better now, it is white!
Getting her rigged.
All new lines (after 15 years of sitting with no one using her, all the lines had rotten away.
Ready to sail away.

March 1, 2021 / 70°, sunny, waves 3-4 inches.

Juvenile bald eagle seen around here occasionally.
Bald eagle taking off.
Snowy flying overhead.
Great blue in the shadows.
Little blue heron fishing.
Little blue in the shadows.

February 28, 2021 / 70°, sunny, calm then the breeze picked up and I got bounced around a bit at the end of my run, again!

Snowy heron fishing.
Snowy.
Missed.
Two fishing together.
Pelican flying over
Great blue heron checking me out.
Yellow crowned night heron.
My new sailboat on its raft.
Gull
Female kingfisher.
Ibis
Little blue
Little blue fishing.
Little green.
Little green checking me out.

February 27, 2021 / 70°, sunny, breeze picked up and I got bounced around a bit at the end of my run!

Snowy on the wreckage of the sailboat which crashed onto the doc.
Snowy on the support for the dingy and solar panel.
Snowy on the lines that held the dingy
Detail of the snowy.
The jib had pulled so hard it pulled this block right out of the hull.
A pair of white ibis looking for food.
An anhinga drying its wings while sitting on the roof of the boathouse.
Great blue heron.
Great blue heron.
The great blue on the left was here, the one on the right came slinking over.
Bird on the swim platform – at this point I did not know whether it was an anhinga or a cormorant.
Getting closer I find that it is a cormorant.
Getting even closer.
When I got this close he dove into the water!
Vulture flying overhead.
Tricolor caught a tiny fish, the tricolr is small himself only a foot tall at the shoulder.
Pelican resting in the mangroves.

February 26, 2021 / 68°, sunny, nice light breeze.

Female kingfisher up on the mangroves. The golden crest on her chest gives it away that she is female.
Downy woodpecker still at it.
Adult yellow crowned night heron with white plume feathers.
Juvenile night heron. I cannot tell if it is a yellow crown or a night crowned as the feathers have not come in yet. He does have the baby curlicues on the top of his head though!
Cormorant, look at those legs! They look like rubber stilts!
Young female cormorant. Feathers on her beak from preening.
Great blue heron with his three plume feathers on the back of the head.
Proud great blue heron with black plume feathers on the back of his head.
Little tricolor heron.
Tricolor with his feather do. Plumes: In breeding plumage, adults have a few very thin, long, white or black plumes extending from the back of the head. While the plumes do stand out against the dark crown and back, they can be difficult to see because they are so thin.
Juvenile brown pelican.
That is one long beak!!

February 24, 2021/ 63°, sunny, little wind.

Osprey ready to launch.
And off he goes.
Yellow crowned night heron with two feathers.
Female duck drying wings after a bath.
Great blue heron.
Cormorant
Male kingfisher.
Little blue heron.
Willet
Tricolor also has the two feathers.
Tricolor.

February 21, 2021. 60°, sunny, wind picked up from 10 knots to 20.

American bald eagle, juvenile, there were no birds on the oyster bar, then as I passed by this huge bald eagle dropped out of the sky and landed! When he saw me he took off and went to the island opposite Allan. A beautiful bird!!
Brown pelican preening.
Brown pelican preening.
A cormorant.
A cormorant on a piling.
A duck way out in the middle.
An ibis searching for food.
A snowy out searching,
A snowy watching for fish.

February 20, 2021. 53°! No wind at start, 15 knots later, sunny!

Anhinga drying her wings.
Beautiful blue around the eye on this anhinga.
Anhinga with its catch of the day.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Little blue with his catch of the day.
That fish the little blue caught is not happy!
Little blue hunting.
Cormorant on a piling.
Cormorant preening.
A flock of willet’s pecking around.
A pelican preening.
Pelican posing.
Pelican up close.
Pelicans soaring.
Launching.
Getting airborne.
And off he goes.
The ibis beak is long and can get under those oysters.
Wind ruffling the feathers of this ibis.
This juvenile ibis still has most of his brown feathers, the white ones will be in next year.
Osprey looking for a fish to come near the surface.
Osprey fishing.

February 19, 2021. 73° 20 knot winds out of the SE, partly cloudy, waves 12 inch plus.

Snowy hiding from the wind.
Pelican on piling.
Little blue beside the snowy.

February 18, 2021. 73°, 15 knot wind out of the SE, partly cloudy, waves 3 inch plus.

Anhinga on piling drying off his wings.
Snowy egret posing for me while I bounce around in my kayak!
Snowy egret, the wind shifted his feathers! He looks curious.
Male cormorant trying to sleep.
Great blue – I was moving with the wind and waves.
Little green heron, he flew right after this.

February 16, 2021. 70°, 20 knot wind out of the north, mostly cloudy, waves 4 inch.

Joe putting a patch of fiberglass and JB Weld on my kayak on my back porch. The kayak did not leak a bit in my traverse today. Thanks again Joe!!
Downy woodpecker in back of my place.
Anhinga drying out.
A willet on the oyster bar.
Pelican on a piling.
Cormorant on a piling.
Cormorant
Cormorant with his fancy outfit.
A great blue heron, I saw six of them today but most just flew when they saw me.
Duck
Ibis with lunch of a crab.
And down the crab goes.

February 12, 2021. 70° wind out of the south, cloudy, waves 4 inch.

The last photo – the kayak sunk again and the camera got wet…again. The sky looked mean!

February 11, 2021. 70° no wind, sunny.

Egret
Great Blue heron
Willets
Little blue heron
Juvenile little blue
Juvenile little blue
Tricolor heron found a bit to eat.
White ibis.
White ibis
Cormorant
Cormorant with his blue eye.
Female anhinga
Female anhinga
Anhinga drying wings
Yellow crowned night heron
Yellow crowned night heron
Osprey circling to locate a meal.
Snowy
Snowy

February 9, 2021. 78°, no wind, clouds, photos taken from my back porch.

Osprey eating lunch.
Osprey eating his fish.
Male cardinal.
Blue jay.

February 5, 2021. 50°, 10-15 knot winds, sunshine!

Anhinga in his mating plumage.
Another anhinga.
Anhinga drying wings.
Kingfisher facing the wrong way!
A royal tern.
Royal tern.
Ring beak gull.
Willet
Osprey
Juvenile white ibis.
Cormorant preening.
Cormorant.

February 4, 2021. A cool 42°, no wind. Sunshine!

Pelican close up.
Little green close up.
Yellow crown night heron.
The only one occupying the oyster bed this morning was this Pigeon.
Little blue adult.
Anhinga drying out,
Little green on the water hose.
Little green in the mangroves.
Pelican in the mangroves.
Pelican up on a boat.
Pelican resting on a boat.
Cormorant on a piling.
Great blue in the mangroves.

February 3, 2021. 50° no wind when I went out, 55°, 10 knot winds and 4 inch waves on the return, cloudless sky.

Juvenile little blue heron caught something!
Juvenile little blue found breakfast!
Two gulls came and tried to steal the food from this little blue, but he swallowed it in time.
Close up of the juvenile little blue (no blue feathers yet).
Three minutes later the little blue found more food, a nice crab!
And down the hatch it goes.
Mrs. Kingfisher
And off she goes.
Female anhinga posing.
Two white egrets.
White egret in among the air roots of the mangroves.
A willet.
The king of the birds here, the Great blue heron.
The little snowy.
Close view of another snowy.
Pelican in his brown wardrobe (juvenile).
Pelican in his brown and white wardrobe (adult in breeding plumage).
Pelican.
Pelican
Handsome male cormorant posing on a post in front of a boat..
Yellow crowned night heron.

January 31, 2021. 60° 20 knot winds, 6 inch waves, partly sunny.

Female anhinga in breeding feathers.
Pelican on the wing looking for breakfast.
Little green heron
Little green ready.
Little green striking.
Little green heron with breakfast.
Cormorant
Gull
Osprey looking for fish.

January 28, 2021. The sun is back! Also the wind. At times I was getting hit by 6 inch waves which splashed my camera, but I zipped it up inside my jacket. 60° 30 knot winds

A flock of willets.
Pelican with accompanying gulls and willets.
Pelican – looks like he is lost!
An amazing more than a foot long conch! This one was on the west side of the bay, below was another more than a foot long one on the east side! I had never seen them here, and today saw two!
Conch on east side of the bay.
Anhinga with mating outfit (blue around eye).
Cormorant
The gull was picking at the growth exposed by the low tide exacerbated by the strong m=north winds.
A willet.
A royal tern with winter feathers (patchy top of head rather than solid black).
Great blue.
Great blue with a snowy and a gull.
Two wild ducks.
One of two vultures.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Yellow crowned night heron.

January 25, 2021. Partly sunny 65°, waves 4 inches, bumpy ride. I got photos of 11 species this morning though!

Osprey launching from his perch.
Pelican
Female kingfisher.
Yellow crowned night heron, there were 6 of them I saw.
Little blue heron
Little blue in a tide pool eating all the little fish there!
Tri-color watching for a fish to come by.
Tricolor with the white ibis.
Tri-color swallowing a fish.
A flock of redheaded ducks!
The oyster catcher was here!
Hands (I mean wings) up!! Cormorant drying out.
Snowy in the mangroves.
Snowy with the tri-color.
Anhinga drying wings.

January 24, 2021. Cloudy but warm 65°, no wind. No sun makes photos kind of dull.

Juvenile white ibis, he has most of his white feathers in.
Osprey, very soft in the clouds.
November 13, 2020 hurricane Eta pushed this sailboat onto the dock, and still is there!
Cormorant in the marina with his breakfast.
Cormorant in front of Allan’s with HIS breakfast.. but see below….
A nice catfish!
Ta dum, ta dum…… look who shows up, another cormorant who wants to see if he can get the first to drop it!
And a third cormorant wants in on the action!
And off he goes, the two other cormorants hot on his tail!

Additional photos from January 22

Tri-color swallowing his breakfast.
Tri-color doing his trapeze act.
The business end of the Crown Princess.

Friday January 22, 2021. 63° this morning, a heat wave! Wind 20 knots out of the south. Waves 4″, almost too much for trying to photograph birds!

Snowy in the mangroves.
Anhinga posing
Osprey taking off.
Osprey soaring.
Tricolor striking.
Tricolor got a fish.
Tricolor heron.
Tricolor getting ready to strike.
Tricolor detail.
Tricolor poised for a strike.

Thursday January 21, 2021. 50° this morning, no wind.

Now my favorite one to photograph, this tiny female kingfisher was almost invisible in the mangroves, but allowed me to get close.
Osprey; I did not disturb him.
Great blue on his usual perch.
Egret in the mangroves.
Egret close up.
I was intent on taking the photos of the egret when this humongous 72 foot Crown Princes slid right behind me! It was so quiet I did not hear her!
Male cormorant.
Little green with breakfast.
Yellow crowned night heron.

Wed, January 20, 2021. 47° again this morning, bay was like a mill pond, no wind.

Osprey telling me I was too close, bye.
Osprey on his branch checking me out as I come closer.
Time to use your imagination, this is an osprey flying right over me carrying his fish.
The bay was still, no waves.
Travis had pulled up the huge tub.
Pelican
Egret in the mangroves.
Egret waiting for a fish to come by.
Ibis digging for food.
A little too early for this great blue heron, still sleeping.
Anhinga preening.
Anhinga
Little green heron.
Little green heron looking for a meal.

January 19, 2021, 47°, no wind that increased to 15 knots out of the SE before I was done.

Great blue heron waiting for a fish to come by.
OOPS, there was one over there!
OK, this is an anhinga being chased by a pelican! The pelican landed almost on top of the anhinga, then the pelican chased the anhinga around!
Another anhinga drying its wings.
Close up of the anhinga showing the odd white feathers.
Pelican up in the mangroves.
Pelican preening.
Close up of the pelican,
Even closer showing the white feathers!
Yellow crowned night heron hanging out with 4 friends.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Cormorant on a piling.
My Christmas cactus is two weeks late I think, but beautiful.

January 18, 2021, cool 53°, no wind, partly cloudy, full sun after a while.

Great egret with angel wings.
Same great egret.
Closer.
Cormorant with breakfast, the fish is almost as big as he is. Another cormorant caught a smaller fish, but instead of swallowing it he flew off with it. Another cormorant flew with him, looking for him to drop it I imagine.
Cormorant posing.
Anhinga drying its wings.
Anhinga in the mangroves.
Anhinga on the swim platform.
Snowy egret searching for food.
Snowy egret on an electric line.
Snowy waiting for a fish to come by.
Pelican in his dress uniform.
Pelican playing coy.
Pelican close-up.
Little blue.
Little blue.
Great blue heron passing by.
Great blue heron.
Yellow crowned night heron, still asleep.
Gull at Allan’s, ready for his breakfast.

January 14, 2021, cool 54°, no wind at all to begin, thus not so cold.

A reddish egret, on my oyster bed! A first hereabouts!!
A beautiful reddish egret!!!
A snowy ready to strike.
A cormorant on the left, an anhinga on the right!!
An anhinga in the mangroves.
Now that was a BIG one, and I have the scars to prove it! I am not sure what it is, Travis spotted it, I got a rope on it, and Travis and I tried to land it, but it was too heavy. Travis is going to try when it is high tide. It is heavy! Anyone have an idea as to what it is? It is heavy rubber.
Follow up: My brother David said:
“Your “prize” appears to be a bait tote with skids on the bottom to allow a forklift to carry it. Used by lobstermen and trawlers.”
Thank you David !!!
Yellow crowned night heron.
Cormorant posing.
Cormorant with breakfast.
Osprey right near my house.
Great blue flying by.

January 11, 2021, Cold 54°, wind out of the SE, 10 knots.

Snowy watching for breakfast.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Yellow crowned night heron in the mangroves.
Little green heron.
Anhinga in her breeding getup.
Anhinga.
Cormorant close up.
Cormorant drying wings.
Great blue.

January 8, 2021, Cool 62°, wind out of the NW, fluctuating between 10 and 20 knots. The wind got me across the bay quickly, then I got in the lee on the way back.

Osprey waiting on a fish to come by.
Osprey with beautiful tail feathers.
The willet was the only bird on the oyster bed this morning.
The great blue heron did not wake up as I went by.
This younger great blue was awake!
And off he flew, check out the huge wingspan!
Yellow crowned night heron, sleepy.
Unusual to see the black crowned night heron!
Snowy egret.
Adult little blue, down feathers on his beak from preening.
All dressed up, and ready to go.
Juvenile duck.
Female kingfisher!! That white spot in front of the eye is always disconcerting.
Ibis with breakfast.
White ibis with food.
Trash haul this morning, a cutting board, Styrofoam, and plastic bags.

January 7, 2021 Cool 55°, water was again like glass when I started out, slight breeze picked up, 60° when I returned.

Oyster catchers apparently eat clams as well as oysters!
Great blue in cloudy weather, sun came out off and on.
Duck taking a bath.
Osprey
Snowy
Four white ibis on a wire.
Cormorant
This shows just how small the Little Greene Heron is.
Detail of little green heron.
Yellow crowned night heron.
There were six yellow crowned night herons around this morning.
Juvenile little blue heron. No blue feathers yet.

January 5, 2021 Cool 50° water was like glass when I started out, slight breeze picked up, 60° when I returned.

Great Blue heron
Osprey
Yellow Crowned Night heron came and asked for his portrait to be taken too.
Anhinga drying off.
Juvenile Little Blue, still white.
Little green with breakfast.
Snowy caught breakfast.
Royal Tern on the wing.
Ibis
Egret.
Juvenile.

January 4, 2021 Cool 60° wind out of the NE about 10 knots, 2″ waves.

Osprey got his meal!! I saw him struggling in the water, then he came out of the water with this!!
Another shot at the osprey with his fish!
Yellow crowned night heron.
Great blue heron.
Great blue.
Anhinga drying wings.
White ibis looking for breakfast.
Cormorant.
Snowy egret
Male merganser.
A first, a stork at the oyster bar!
An egret at the oyster bar.
The ring beaked gull near Allan’s waiting for breakfast.

December 31, 2020, last day of 2020. 70° out, quite the breeze (about 15 knots) from the SE, some whitecaps. My aft compartment filled up with water when the 6 inch waves came crashing over my stern.

A nice snook caught by a 5 yr old in front of Allan’s place.
They released it right away after taking pictures.
Cormorant caught breakfast, a catfish.
He tossed it around for a while, dunking it as well.
Adjusted it so he could swallow it.
And down it went.
Pelican on a piling.
Doing a stretch.
Scratching that itch!
Pelican on the wing.

December 30, 2020, 65° on the way out, almost 70° back. 10 knot breeze from the east, 1 inch ripples.

Snowy egret posing.
Snowy, wind picking up feathers.
Pelican on the wing.
Pelican coming in for a fish.
Pelican – splush.
Pelican missed that time.
Pelican off to a nap.
Cormorant posing.
Cormorant close up.
Yellow crowned night heron.
Osprey fishing.
Osprey – look at those claws!
Ducks taking off.
Little blue posing.

December 28, 2020 getting close to 2021!
Clear skies, 55°, cool wind from east 10 knots.

An anhinga got his meal! She showed it off for a few minutes then swallowed it whole.
Little blue got his breakfast too! Any guess as to what his meal is? Dee says it is a tiny crawfish, and I thing she is right. It is only an inch or so long.
This toss did not get it down the gullet, he had to try again.
Great blue at the watch.
And now with that long neck extended!
Yellow crowned night heron not awake yet.
This yellow crowned was awake.
Great egret waiting for a fish to come by.
Great egret with three snowy in the background.
Pelican on the wing.
Snowy on the rail.
A cold snowy.

Day after Christmas, I listed my motorcycle for sale on Craigslist.
https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/mcy/d/saint-petersburg-990-cc-spyder/7252567505.html

It is Christmas, and all warm in the house.

Driftwood burning in the fireplace.

Photos from today, Christmas Eve day morning, December 24, 2020 Sunny 65°, 10 knot winds, 4 to 6 inch waves, nice out.

Great egret.
Another great egret chased the other one above away.
Hundreds of geese flying over in a huge wave.
Ring billed gull waiting for breakfast at Allan’s, Allan feeds his dogs and if there is any left feeds the gulls a treat.
Yellow crowned night heron deep in the mangroves.
Pelican drying off.
Another pelican preening.
Moor preening.
The headless pelican.
Anhinga in the mangroves drying her wings,
Lady anhinga with neck all askew.
Another anhinga all stretch out.
One of three fish traps I have found.

December 23, 2020, sunny 50°, no wind, water like a mirror

Beautiful female anhinga.
Another female anhinga.
Great egret, all fluffed up in the cold.
Another great egret.
One of two willets on the oyster bar.
Yellow crowned night heron, sleeping on the branch.
Me in my little kayak carrying a fish trap I found. I took it over to Allan for him and the pastor and family to use when they came over to fish. It is a lot bigger than the other one I found earlier! The top is open and they put the fish they caught into it to keep them alive until they go home.
Interesting catamaran, two masts, one on each hull, no booms!

December 22, sunny 56°, 10 knot breeze, 100% humidity

Pelican cruising on by.
Great blue heron, standing at attention.
Great blue detail on this sunny morning.
Kind of looks like these great blue are friends?
Yellow crowned night heron.
Cormorant straightening his feathers out while they dry.
Osprey taking a bath.
And off he goes.

December 21, sunny, 63°

Twins? Two vultures!
Little blue in the mangroves.
Osprey nestled in the mangroves.
Osprey on the oyster bed.

December 20, sun and clouds, cool (62°)

A friend yesterday ask if I had seen any hawks, I said no, then this morning what do I see, but a 3 year old BALD EAGLE on my oyster bed! He was HUGE, I thought that it was a man there on the oyster bed until I got close, then he took off.
From the huge to the tiny, this green heron is no more than 7 inches tall.
Another green heron, this one looks older.
Very colorful little green heron.
A yellow crowned night heron with a tiny crab in his beak.
Little blue heron with breakfast.
A cormorant.
A male anhinga with his pointy beak.
This morning’s haul, a crate, some caution tape, a plastic bag, water bottle and a tennis ball.

December 19, sunny and cold (48°, 70% humidity).

What do you do when you catch a fish that is too big to swallow?
Eventually you let him go.
Little blue heron stepping out, a juvenile.
Another interesting bird, an owl.
A tri-color heron looking for a fish.
He got something.
Little green heron.
Close-up of little green.
Great egret.
Female kingfisher.
Osprey hanging out on the oyster bar.
Under the dock.

December 18, sunny and cold (45°).

Snowy just caught an eel!
The neighbors all challenged him for it!
A royal tern, unusual here on the grass flats.
Rare Forster’s Tern.
Pelican
Pelican posing.
Blue eyed Cormorant.
Vulture, one of two checking out the dead fish.
Ibid – check out the protection lid over his eye.
Great blue.
Common merganser, flock – also very unique here.
Osprey watching me come ashore.

December 17 was cloudy and the humidity was 100%, sprinkles kept me in, no new photos today.


Cloudy day December 16, 2020

Yellow crown night heron.
Ibis
Snowy
Lesser Scaup, interesting, two days I have seen this male duck and females.
Lots of dolphin today, a mother and child came close.
Female anhinga on roof.
Pelican
Pelican taking a bath.
This pelican makes a splash when he bathes!

Sunny morning of December 15, 2020, all my photos taken handheld using a 600 mm lens from a kayak.

Snowy closeup.
Snowy grabbing a crab.
Snowy about to swallow the crab.
A great blue watching for a fish to come by.
Osprey on his perch.
Osprey on the oyster bed, he leaves when I get about 50 yards of him.
Willet on the oyster bar.
Ibis looking for food.
Anhinga on a davit drying his wings.
Little blue.
Pelican

Rain morning of December 14, 2020

Foggy, then sun, morning December 13, 2020

Little green heron out fishing.
And he got one!
Snowy and great egret sharing a float designed to hold a kayak.
Great egret – water was like glass.
Posing, a Great Egret.
Ready to nab that fish.
Posing for me, a snowy.
Ready to grab that fish!
Kicking up a lot of water!
And in he goes again.
Oyster catcher on the oyster bed.
Yellow crown trying to sleep this early in the morning.
Picking up crab traps, do you think 900 HP might be overkill?

Cloudy, then sun came out, morning, December 12, 2020.

Female kingfisher! My most difficult bird to photo. She stood still long enough this time.
Cormorant
Pelican
An amazingly long beak!
Little green heron
Green turning around.
Great blue heron, he stood still for me this morning too!
Anhinga on boat hoist.
A vulture, sitting on top of the mangroves.
Joan and the trash we picked up this morning!

Sunny morning December 11, 2020

Anhinga on the swim platform of a boat drying his wings.
Little green heron fishing, using the lines from a boat to get down close to the water.
Osprey, all his feathers are fluffed up in this cold weather (for us).
Pelican in the shade early morning.
Trash I picked up today.

Sunny morning, December 10, 2020.

Another pelican coming right for me!
Splashdown 12 feet in front of me!
His pouch is full of water.
.
I see two fish poking out! He tossed his head and swallowed his catch.
His pouch is empty now.
Ready for another go.
A royal tern on the hunt for breakfast.
Little green in the shade.

Anhinga drying his wings, look at that blue around his eye!

Great blue heron – asleep.
Yellow crowned night heron – I just woke him up.
My haul this morning, a dry box, trash and a dog toy.
December 9, 2020
December 8. 2020

December 6, 2020

December 5. 2020
December 3, 2020

December 1, 2020

November 29, 2020
November 28, 2020

November 27, 2020

November 26, 2020

Questions, comments, email me, John Herrick at: GoldPlatedShovel@gmail.com
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Other bird photos are now up on
herrickhomepage.com/wp/florida-birds
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Herrick Home Page pages:
herrickhomepage.com/wp/index/

9 replies on “Florida Bird of the Day”

Enjoyed the morning Kayak and I got to see first hand these beautiful birds. Now I know where to look the next time. Thanks for letting me tag along!

Ty John, BC of u I might take up bird watching !!!! Ty again for the beautiful pics on the Lady Pearl

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