Unusual backyard visitors - Skywatch Friday

Ring billed gull on our dock. We usually only get laughing gulls in our neighborhood.

Turkey vulture sitting on our dock.  This is the 2nd time I've seen one on our dock in 7 years.

The tide was so low the muck was showing on the sides of the channel. The turkey vulture found something to dig out.

Pelican on our neighbor's dock. We have never gotten pelicans in our channel. In the last week I've seen one hanging around.

Posing for me.

Eastern phoebe sitting on my fence. I've never seen one of these in our backyard.

These ibis aren't unusual. Actually, there's always a flock somewhere in the neighborhood. One night they were sitting on the lamp post down the street. I took this through the kitchen window.

Snowy egret sitting on my dock. I see these every once in a while in the channel.

Last weekend was a perfect weekend. I was in and out of the house all weekend but when I was in I was always looking out the windows for any visitors. We had several different ones this time. We don't usually get pelicans and eastern phoebes. It was a nice mix of birds. It was very windy and that might have been what brought in the new birds to our channel. I also saw 2 pair of hooded mergansers but they stayed down at the other end of the channel and I didn't even try to take a picture that far away.  Sunday before sunset I went out and snapped the above picture. It was nice outside but it got cold fast when the sun went down.

For more skyscape photography from around the world, visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Nasty weather at Lettuce Lake

I think both the above and below pictures are an eastern phoebe. I've seen them there before.

Warbler?

 

Red bellied woodpecker. You can see it was not a nice day.

Female cardinal.

 

This looks like a downy woodpecker or is it a female yellow bellied sapsucker? They look almost alike.

The weekend before Christmas was really yucky. It rained all day on Saturday. It drizzled Sunday morning. It stopped by lunchtime but still looked like the end could come at anytime. I had cabin fever so I headed out to Lettuce Lake. It's not too far and there's a boardwalk along the lake so it wouldn't be too muddy. It felt cold in the wind without the sun out. Most of the bigger water birds were on the other side of the lake but there were a few smaller birds along the boardwalk. It was worth bundling up and getting out of the house.

First Sighting

While approaching my fourth year in observing and photographing birds, I realize what a monumental task that remains before me having set a goal to document all the birds that either live in or migrate through the state of Florida.

The Eastern Phoebe above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

As an amateur participant in the popular pastime of birding, is is quite exhilarating to encounter a species not seen before.

Such was the case this past week exploring Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

I had arrived at Wood Duck Pond (where I've yet to see a Wood Duck) and patiently waited with a view over the shallow water with a good view of a low lying branch which I always thought would favor a bird to perch upon.

Sure enough, a first sighting of Eastern Phoebe very accommodatingly landed on the branch which allowed for a single photograph of the bird before it disappeared from view.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

I also devoted a lot of time at Otter Pond observing a small family of Green Heron with one of the birds giving me the impression that it wanted to regurgitate a meal, though it never did.

It was at this spot that I had eye candy views of Belted Kingfisher which were as close as five feet to the observation deck.

The Eastern Phoebe above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

With little other action happening at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve on the morning of my visit, it was great to meet the director of the world's largest sea cave, Rick Reece, and his dad, Dick Reece.

While Rick confirmed my first sighting as Eastern Phoebe on his iphone, I couldn't help but notice the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteer baseball cap Dick was wearing.

The feral pig above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in October 2010.

Dick was a great storyteller and it was unfortunate that he and his son were pressed for time and needed to move on.

I wasn't aware of the destructive and dangerous nature of wild pigs in the United States until investigating the National Geographic story that may be read here.