The Chicken Or The Egg

As the 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count (February 18-21) is underway, I ponder the question why one would want to be a "birder."

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

A harder question answered is "what is a birder?"

If you've ever taken interest in the flight of a bird that may have crossed your path or winged creature that may have merely been within your view, you might consider yourself a birder.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

There are certainly birders with qualifications raging far and wide from filling a box with seed to traveling the world.

It's been my great pleasure to encounter birders in my travels whom have the ability to identify birds with a skill that seems to be acquired with many years of observation and faithful dedication.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

It has taken me several years to reach the point in which I consider myself a novice birder devoting as much time to Southwest Florida wildlife observation as I can which typically averages seven hours a week.

I occasionally ponder the question asked of me by someone I've worked with if I would ever lose interest in photographing birds.

The Downy Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

As I immediately answered then, and as I feel today, definitely not.

There's simply too much unexpected opportunity with appreciation for the fact that these creatures are believed to be descendants of dinosaurs with a fossil indicating a winged creature lived 150 million years ago.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I have thus far documented 137 different species of bird in Florida, with a lifetime endeavor to merely observe as many of these beautiful creatures as I am able.

A greater personal endeavor is to study the behavior of birds.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

This week's effort was to continue my observation of a Bald Eagle's nest that has a solitary fledgling.

A contentious behavior between the adult eagles and Ospreys was again noted.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

The aerial dogfights between the species, if you will, are quite extraordinary and very difficult to document effectively through photography.

It was also particularly interesting to observe the eagle I call "862," as indicated by the metal band on its right leg.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I reported the identification of the bird to the United States Geological Survey for information on the bird's history, but have not received a reply after two weeks.

What was of particular interest to me about the eagle's behavior which lasted 12 minutes was the manner in which it apparently was attempting to cool itself down on the morning when the temperature was about 70 degrees in the shade.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I have only seen similar behavior made by a Great Blue Heron on a couple of occasions and never before by the eagles.

This behavior should not be mistaken as similar by an Anhinga which stretches its wings in a similar manner to dry its feathers which lack waterproof characteristics of other birds.

The Roseate Spoonbill (note the middle bird's interest) above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

While observing the eagle's nest I again saw the Blue-headed Vireo which was favoring the seeds of a nearby Gumbo-limbo tree, with the bird both eating and regurgitating them.

Although this tree is known to be used for a great number of reasons including carousel horses, medicinal purposes, and Haitian musical drums, I pondered at the time while observing the vireo if the brightly colored seeds of the tree may have been cultivated by native American Indians as a resource for pigment in their paints.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

If you have the opportunity to offer a landscape addition in your yard where climate should be of concern, consider my favorite shrub known as Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) which is incredibly fragrant while in bloom.

In the past, I have observed the Red-belied Woodpecker as another bird species that regurgitates seeds.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

Other bird species easily captivated my attention as a Yellow-throated Warbler was observed for the first time in over four years, coincidentally within a few miles from where I observed it last.

I also had the opportunity to photograph the Downy Woodpecker in the company of the much more common Red-bellied.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

The Downy Woodpecker is quite distinctive in the sound it makes which would allow its identification without seeing it.

Another rare observation was made with the sighting of an American Kestrel.

The Northern Mockingbird above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

When I first caught a glimpse of the bird as it flew overhead, while not immediately able to identify it, I knew that it was unusual with regard to its flight characteristics.

I learned some valuable lessons in camera settings that need to be used in the future to offer consistently improved images.

The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

It was interesting to observe as well the carcass of a turtle that possibly had its shell penetrated by the Black Vulture in the tree directly above it.

Though I've only picked up and kept one shell from the beach in my travels, it was interesting this week to meet someone that told me I had to give up my Alphabet Cone if I found one.

The American Kestrel above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I'll leave the reason why a mystery.

I was particularly intrigued with the workings of photo editing this week (which I attempt to keep to a minimum of crop and sharpening) as I attempted to remove a color cast in the Downy Woodpecker image included in this post where utilizing CS5, the opposite of what I thought should happen occurred.

The turtle carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

Though I'm not sure what caused the color cast to begin with as it's not often produced in my images taken, the hue/contrast feature in CS5 minimized the effect by moving the slider darker after selecting the color I thought closest to that I wished to remove.

The fledgling eagle is progressing well.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

When Doves Cry

Though I missed the first hour of sunlight in my observations of a Bald Eagle nest this week, I would spend the remainder of the day making observations of the species' behavior.

The Common Ground Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

At my approach to the nest area, I couldn't help but notice a pair of Black Vultures in the Australian Pines when an unnoticed vulture directly in front of me took flight leaving behind its meal of a well decomposed Armadillo.

Throughout the day I made the mistake of periodically reviewing an image taken to ensure proper exposure which resulted in the images discombobulated when uploaded to the computer.

The Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Both Nikon and Canon cameras do this if you don't ensure that the last image reviewed in the camera is the last one taken.

The immediate neighborhood of the Bald Eagle nest location at Big Carlos Pass near Fort Myers Beach offered 23 species of bird seen, mainly flying overhead throughout the day.

The Black Vulture above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The behavior of the Bald Eagles was very interesting to observe to get an insight into their daily routine.

Upon my arrival near the nest location, I would find two adult eagles supervising the nest.

The Armadillo carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I would lose sight of one of the birds that would fly off and disappear for different lengths of time.

That eagle would prove to be close by on a few occasions when the remaining bird would take flight briefly to have its mate return with it to the nest area.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

One of the Bald Eagles is banded on its right leg as evidenced through a very fortunate image taken of it with the designation "BAND 862" engraved in the metal and seen only through a very heavy crop.

The banded eagle is the one that would often remain closer to the nest.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I suspect that these Bald Eagles are the same pair observed nesting near Fort Myers Beach two years ago.

These are certainly not the eagles that can be seen at Bunche Beach Preserve to the north.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

This makes me wonder the range that the birds have and where the juveniles go when they mature as a large territory miles in diameter will not have more than a pair of adult eagles seen.

This contrasts greatly with the Osprey which may nest within a few hundred feet of each other.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I suspect that the Bald Eagles observed this week control the entire habitat of Lovers Key State Park and at least the south end of Fort Myers Beach.

As I patiently waited in observation of the nest for the adult birds to occupy it together, they failed to do so.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The eagle without a band brought a fish to the nest in the morning while its mate brought a fish shortly before sunset.

It wasn't until near midday that I learned that there was an eagle juvenile in the nest.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

I had anticipated the possibility of copulation behavior, but that clearly takes place in November to early December judging from the size of the offspring observed.

The juvenile eagle was evidently well fed as it relieved itself twice in the hours ahead.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was difficult to determine if there was a sibling with it as the view of the nest was quite restricted.

At one point, I was surprised that both eagles were soaring high overhead at a height I would speculate to be 350 hundred feet.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was at this time that an Osprey entered the scene to seemingly take advantage of the absence of supervision of the eagle's nest.

The action unfolded in an instant where one of the Bald Eagles was on the tail of the Osprey.

The Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

In the next seconds I observed the other eagle dive at incredible speed to defend its territory as well.

The eagle's pursuit of the Osprey was done at such an astonishing speed that its flight could be heard even without the bird flapping its wings.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Typically in my observations, Bald Eagle or Osprey flight may only be audible when the birds have their wings flapping and are unusually close.

When the first eagle was in pursuit of the Osprey just below the tree tops and parallel to the ground, I speculate the speed at 60 miles per hour or more.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was intensely exhilarating to observe the action while noting the eagle appears to have a very similar wing position as the Osprey in its dive.

The top speed of a diving Bald Eagle (behavior that should not be expected to be seen) is documented in excess of 100 miles per hour.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

It was the late afternoon arrival at the nest by one of the adults with prey that offered the most stunning observation.

I was quite sure that the eagle had a fish in its talons, but then would question the possibility of something else.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The eagle diligently fed its offspring bits and pieces.

I was confident the adult Bald Eagle was dismembering a fish as the larger pieces including what appeared to be a tail fin were eaten by the adult.

The Raccoon carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The juvenile was too large to consider that the other had not yet hatched.

The juvenile was then fed a meal that resulted in feathers seen drifting away in the breeze.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Shortly after the arrival of the adult Bald Eagle at the nest that would last nearly 29 minutes, it was extremely haunting when I heard a chorus of dove song from all directions as sunset approached.

The observation of the sole juvenile Bald Eagle in the nest has me speculate that its sibling might have been consumed at this time.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

With feathers flying from the nest, the adult eagle consumed what was clearly the leg of a fairly large bird.

Man-made sounds whether they be from boats, planes, power equipment, or the horn of the bridge tender in action are a constant drone at the nest in an otherwise incredibly silent place.

The Northern Cardinal above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The call of a variety of different species of bird was heard throughout the day more often than they were seen.

A follow-up trip to the nest the next day was made to observe the Bald Eagle behavior in predawn light and for several hours thereafter.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The adult eagles were again seen perched in the vicinity of the nest.

The juvenile would prove itself to be a solitary individual in the nest while the parents would continue to attentively supervise it.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The eagle's nest observed this season showed no evidence of seaweed in its construction, a characteristic of Bald Eagles and Ospreys, as noted by David Sibley in his guide to bird life and behavior.

An Osprey's collection of seaweed for nest construction was observed first hand at the J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in mid January.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

A Bald Eagle's nest in the same vicinity at Big Carlos Pass observed near the end of the 2008 breeding season had inexplicably fallen.

A website sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation notes that a Bald Eagle nest has been recorded to have a weight of two tons with record dimensions of 20 feet tall by 10 feet wide as it's built upon each season.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Avian authority David Sibley notes that an eagle nest may collapse under its own weight and perhaps due to the growing juveniles.

The Bald Eagle nest which I observed in 2008 exists now only in photographs.

The Osprey with Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

There was no hurricane activity in Florida in 2008 that would cause the much smaller nest to collapse.

Future high wind events could potentially bring down not only the nests, but the prolific Australian Pine trees themselves that Ospreys and Bald Eagles prefer to build nests upon in this area.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The Australian Pine is considered an invasive species and is attempted to be eradicated through management of local parks and surrounding areas.

A contentious behavior between the Bald Eagle and Osprey continued in my further observation of the species.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

Inexplicably, one of the Bald Eagles would leave its nest area to strafe the Osprey nests and engage an Osprey in an impressive aerial display.

It was quite remarkable to observe this behavior where either species can appear to have the upper hand at a given moment in time.

The Raccoon carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

The story heard this week of an in flight theft of a fish from the talons of the Osprey by a Bald Eagle clearly places the birds in their pecking order.

The Osprey occasionally appears not to know its place and will attempt to turn the tables.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in January 2011.

My observation of the Blue-headed Vireo was a first sighting of the species in excess of three years of diligent Florida wildlife study and photography.