The Rookery ~ Part 4

Ok, this is my final entry for my visit to the rookery at St. Augustine Alligator Farm…last but not least, the tri-colored heron…and some odds and ends…             

Ok, about those odds and ends...There were a few wood storks…they must've been exhausted, having to bring all those babies in, eh?  Wink-wink.

One interesting pair of residents (?) were these white-cheeked pintail ducks…Da whaa? You may ask blank-faced…this duck belongs in the Caribbean, S. America, and the Galapagos Islands…it's a vagrant (just look at that devious leer) to Florida…apparently it's called the lesser Bahama pintail in Florida and the Caribbean (an alias to go with its vagrancy)…the ducks were on a tiny "pond" near the alligator pit and there was a name plate for them, but they weren't actually caged in…guess they really like the security system on hand…(did I mention that "the pit" holds 42 gators? A few of them were roughly the size of a cruise ship…)

…There also happened to be a pair of "normal" (Northern) pintails on hand, also with their own name plate and also free to leave...

…I sheepishly admit that in the past two years in Florida, I kinda knew, kinda ignored the fact that the boat-tailed grackles aren't the only grackles in the state…but in S. Florida, where we lived our first six months here, the boat-tails were all I saw…and heard…if I ever saw the common grackle before this visit to the rookery, then I didn't realize it so technically this is a lifer…the commons are 4 inches smaller than the boat-tails, and they come in "purple" and "bronze".

The Rookery ~ Part 3

As you can see, this post is all about the Great Egret, in all its snow-white glory! To be honest, I'm rather annoyed with myself and my amateur ways with the camera, plus the fact that I arrived at the rookery too late in the day and the light was too harsh. Clearly these photos are lacking in color/light correct-ness…but you get the idea. The birds and hatchlings were impressive…

Preening even in the nursery…Looks like a wedding gown...

…Appears to be several expectant parents…

These nestlings appear to be checking themselves over…"Long neck, check!" "Long legs, check!"…
This was the best shot I got of the great egret babes...

Yep, we're okay…so, Mum! Hungry!

None of the hatchlings would cooperate for a photo shoot, but still…
Gotta love the fluff 'n fuzz!

…Lots of parents in the egret department...

The Rookery - Part 2

…But first, I have to announce that the swallow-tail kites are back for the summer! I've seen 3, but no photos yet…always seen soaring high overhead...

Ok, being able to see the spoonbills and their hatchlings may have been the icing on the cake for my visit to the St. Augustine rookery, but "the cake" would be getting home, cropping photos, and discovering that I'd been looking at a reddish egret - white morph, without realizing it! Easy to ID due to the pink base of the black bill...

Update: This is actually a snowy egret, darn it! I was corrected by someone on Facebook when I posted the photo there…I Googled images of the snowy and sure enough, this is most likely a snowy with breeding colors, though the pink can also be red or orange…the bill size makes me think snowy...

…There were a few little blue herons…this one has bright blue eggs in the nest in front of it...

…And there were some snowy egrets…these appeared to be two adults...

I was excited to see a few cattle egrets, but couldn't get any good photos…was esp. excited to be able to see them in breeding plumage at a closer range...

…More to come!

At the Rookery ~ Part 1

Happy Mother's Day! In honor of the occasion, I'm posting the first in a series of photos taken Thurs. I had a mostly wonderful visit to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm…not really a farm…well they do seem to raise gators but…it's more like a zoo…and while I admit it was kinda cool to see an albino gator….

I must make the disclaimer that I do NOT advocate such a set-up in the least. It seemed that there were too many gators in too small of spaces, a sad situation…plus some exotic birds in cages, much to my dismay…..

BUT, I was there to see the rookery, listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail…in one area there is a small swampy-looking "pond" for smaller gators to swim around in, with a small loop boardwalk for visitors. All around this secured pond were trees, covered in nesting water birds…the birds love this spot due to the gators…what predator would dare venture in for a tasty egg or hatchling?! Yep, none. Unless it had a death wish...

Today's post is all about the most exciting discovery, the roseate spoonbills! Not a lifer, but my first closeup look at one, for sure...

The star of the bird nerd world was this pretty mama…she had not ONE…

…Not TWO…

…Not THREE….but FOUR chicks! Can you see the 4th at her feet? I sure hope he didn't get smushed! And what is he doing down there below the others? 

Ooph! Meal Time….

There were a few other spoonbills at the rookery, but not that many…

This one, as pale pink as it is, and having feathers yet on its head, would be an immature...

Another mama feeding a youngster….

A spoonbill flying in to the rookery.

Stay tuned for more species from this visit….

A Redstart That Doesn't Stop

I've been charmed today, to be watching an American redstart flitting all over the backyard parameter. They technically winter in S Florida, but can "over-winter" in Florida (probably doesn't trust that the frigid weather north is over with…) and so I'm guessing this cute little fellow is in fact passing by as it heads north. I'd love to say it's a lifer, but alas, I've seen redstarts in S Dakota. Never got good photos there, either. Oy.

I also saw, very briefly, an all pale-yellow bird today, but it was extremely aloof and so I'm not sure what it was. I do know it was not a palm or pine warbler, so I'm hoping it was a female summer tanager, or another newbie... Fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed...

The redstart flitted all over, among trees and shrubs, as it does...

….Other exciting news, we now have not one, but two female painted buntings visiting the feeders! Actually the one on the left has a good amount of pretty yellow so am wondering if it's an imm. male. Either way, here's hoping a mature male shows up one of these days…..

…I was also lucky to witness a female red-bellied woodpecker, apparently, "sunning" on the fence. She sat with wings fanned out like this for several minutes. After 3 days of rain, including a couple nasty storms, I can't say as I blame her. The weather's super nice today…great day to be a bird.

Bye Bye Ms. Bunting…Bring Yer Man Next Time!

Oh happy day! Just a few minutes ago, I spied (with my little eye) a soft green bird in the back yard…at a feeder, then on the ground…It was raining and as usual the pics were taken thru glass, but I could tell this little missy was two-tone green! I posted her to a bird ID page on Facebook and it was confirmed…a female Painted Bunting!! A lifer, oh yay! Hope springs that I'll see a male…if not here, I am planning a road trip w/ a friend next week, to a couple birding spots, including a painted bunting "cluster" area.

A Lucky Ducky Lifer

Our rambling RV'er friends returned to their favorite campground recently, and after a pleasant lunch, hubby headed off to work while I hung out awhile…the three of us enjoyed some relaxation at the beach, needless to say…

While lounging like lazy lizards, we noticed a dark duck shape come bopping along from the north...

….I had to get the photos home and cropped and looked up in a guide book to know that this was a lone female black scoter! Not only a lifer, but she was a bit off course…apparently they are rare but not unheard of this far south of the Georgia coastline…

After several moments, along came two males, cruising south behind the female! This is my second scoter, having seen the white-winged scoter some years ago on the N. Calif. coast. 

*   *    *   *

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (or cottage)…

…the brown thrasher has been making an occasional appearance…

This No. cardinal recently showed up, touting an exceptionally bright fiery red...

An indigo bunting showed up, just when I was lamenting the possibility of not seeing any again…he seemed interested in the bottle brush blossoms...

The squirrels continue to do their acrobatics to reach the blossoms at the end of skinny, flexible branches...

…As do the No. mockingbirds…the blossoms look like a vampire sucked the life out of them…deflated and faded red…

I'm tickled that I continue to see a grey catbird occasionally…managed to get slightly better photos than before.

The anoles are back out, green ones and brown ones…there's always one who claims the top of this sprinkler for an outlook post.