Spoonbill and friends

Roseate Spoonbill

In a previous post I mentioned that I was hoping to get some pics from my Daughter of birds she had photographed on our Florida trip, unfortunately she only took a few, but at long last she has mailed them to me so that I may use them. So with her kind permission here they are, taken on her bog-standered digi camera, and I have to say they ain't half bad. I also have to say at this point that all but one of the pics were taken on the bike ride she went on at Shark Valley.

American Bittern, I'm a bit envious at this point as I have yet to see one!!!

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

And still at Shark Valley, my Daughter found this snake about to cross the path

 

                            Now can anyone in Florida, or anywhere ID this snake for us, ID on the net has proved to be a bit fussy.

And lastly I'm sure she took this one at Wakodahachee wetlands, I think she did OK.

Thank you Melissa for the pics.

Fighting Shovelers

More goings on from Leighton Moss.

                                    Here we have a pair of Shoveler doing their own thing when -------

Two neighbours pop round for a chat, unfortunately our first drake decides other-wise and -----

goes on the offencive big style

What I find strange, he only attacks the female, the two males stay firmly apart.

All the second male does is puff his chest out

While near by a pair of Oystercatchers look on rather bemused by all the fuss

before returning to more important matters, food.

Godwit and Avocet

Well its back to grafting to get bird pictures, compared to the in your face birding of Florida.
     Monday 15, and the forecast had predicted a dry day, but as I set off for Leighton Moss it was raining and blowing a gale, with 50mph signs flashing on the M6. However by the time I had crossed the boarder into Lancashire, the sun was shinning, although the wind was still blowing quite strong.
     The following pics were taken from the Eric Morecombe hide.

Black-tailed Godwit, this and all the birds were battling the wind and high water.

There has got to be something under here.

 

Brown bubbles from the bottom of the pool

Avocet trying to preen in spite of the strong wind.

and again looking for bird-gold below the surface

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday  http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.co.uk/

Purple Gallinule

The family has been to Florida for six visits, and one bird that has always eluded me is the Purple Gallinule. Oh there have been some near misses over the years but never an actual sighting. The 2013 visit was to change that big time.
        In an earlier post,
" beware-of-vultures-and-other-things," we visited Royal Palm, and while there, I was busy taking pics, when my wife gave me a shout. When I went over to where she was stood, she said she had just seen a bird fly across the water and into the bushes, I started to get exited when she described what it looked like, Purple Gallinule, it must be, but yet again it was not on view for me. we watched and waited for quite some time, with the heat of the day beginning to build, but the thought of moving on, and missing it again, when possibly the bird had been seen by my wife, didn't go down too well. Eventually patience paid off and we started to get fleeting glimpses of the bird. I was firing away with the camera, but it never show enough for a decent pic. However at least I had finally seen one, and I was quite pleased.
      Later in the holiday, as seen from earlier posts, we visited Shark Valley, and bingo, as the saying goes "you waite for a bus for ages then loads come at once" and this was the case with the Purple Gallinule.

Purple Gallinule, but this it the kind of rubbish shot I was getting at Royal Palm

This is at Shark Valley, and I thought it was going to be another game of hide and seek, but then---------

It got a bit bolder, and finally came out into the sun.

Still at Shark Valley

So it was no longer a bogey bird, and we continued to enjoy good views of it in other places we visited. But the best was still to come.
       For anyone that has been following the Florida adventure, you may remember me going on (just a bit ) about Wakodahatchee, well as if to say "we know this is your last day and we want to give you something to think about when the turbulence kicks in on the plane, this is what we saw at Wakodahatchee------------

Not one, but two Purple Gallinules, with a displaying male.

What a way to say good-by to Florida

Thank you my friends for allowing me the pleasure.

My Daughter has a couple of bird pics, she has promised to share with me, so there may be one or two more Florida birds to show , with her kind permission.
       Hope you have enjoyed, thank you for looking in.

Stilts at Wakodahatchee

Black-necked Stilt, I have only ever seen this species once before, so it was a very pleasant surprise when 2 of them showed very well for the camera.

They are such a delicate looking bird

I could have spent for ever taking pics, but time was running out.

Right next to them was this Black-bellied Whistling Duck , and Glossy Ibis

I love the reflection on this one

 

As I took pics of the Stilts, my Daughter pointed this out right behind my, Iguana, which is described in ID books as " A large arboreal lizard" well not wrong there then,

And lastly a Double-crested Cormorant

And now sadly, time had run out and we had to leave this wonderful paradise for birds. even if I didn't have the many photos of this place that I have, the name Wakodahatchee ( the name is derived from Seminole Indian language and translates as "created waters" ) will stay in my memory for ever.
 Follow this link to learn more about the place   http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/what_is_wakodahatchee.htm 
      There is one more post to come, from our little adventure, then it will be back to struggling to find a bird  that is willing to come within camera distance, back in England. birding in freezing weather, ho joy.
    Thank you for looking in.

Wood Storks at Wakodahatchee

I think I have already stated that this is an amazing place for wild life, and we probably called at the right time of year, just when everything was nesting, or getting ready to do so.

And the Wood Storks were doing just that, and putting on a very fine show.

 

The one at the back could have been feeding young, the nest was too deep to tell if there was young in or not. And the one in the front right, looks to be sitting on eggs.

Double-crested Cormorant and Wood Stork having a preening contest or just weighing each other, get it  (I'm doing my best here)

That's all for now, hope you enjoyed.

 linking in to Wild Bird Wednesday, just follow the linkhttp://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.co.uk/

Herons and Egrets at Wakodahatchee

Great Blue Heron at nest.

One of the things I found amazing about this place, was the way different species where nesting in such close proximity to each other, large side by side with small.

There was at least one chick in the nest, but not always visible

Wish I could do that with my neck

And just landing with nesting material for it mate Tricolored Heron

At this stage mate is barely visible in the background

That's right, you do the building while I spruce myself up.

Now where dose this bit go?

One stick at a time, the nest gets built.

 

And their next door neighbour, A Cattle Egret with young.

Give me the food, if you don't-------

I'll play dead.

All for now, hope you enjoy.